Didi Gregorius

Mariekson Julius "Didi" Gregorius, OON (born February 18, 1990), is a Dutch professional baseball shortstop for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds in 2012 and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013 and 2014.\n', ' Gregorius was born in Amsterdam, on February 18, 1990, to Johannes Gregorius, Sr. and Sheritsa Stroop. At the time, Johannes pitched for the Amsterdam Pirates in Honkbal Hoofdklasse and worked as a carpenter. Stroop played for the Dutch national softball team. His older brother, Johannes, Jr., pitched professionally in Honkbal Hoofdklasse and the Italian Baseball League and later played as an infielder in Curaçao. His paternal grandfather, Antonio, was one of the greatest Curaçaoan pitchers of the mid-20th century.\n', ' Gregorius began playing tee-ball in the Netherlands before moving at the age of five to Curaçao where he was raised. He also played soccer and basketball in his youth. Gregorius, his father, and his brother all go by the nickname "Didi." He began using the name in the United States when teammates could not pronounce "Mariekson." He speaks five languages: Dutch, Papiamentu, English, French and Spanish.\n', '