NY Times · Oct 1, 2021
To Know Where Jacob deGrom’s Going, Look at Where He’s From
DeLEON SPRINGS, Fla. — In a no-stoplight town, where Spanish moss dangles over split-rail fences and sugar-mill ruins rest along Spring Garden Lake’s shore, Tony deGrom, a retired cable lineman, awaits the return of his son, Jacob, each fall.
Tony and his wife, Tammy, moved to the rural area decades ago because they wanted to retreat inland from Daytona Beach with family and friends. By the time Jacob turned 2, Tony had put a ball in his son’s hands and was watching his greenhorn grow.
Jacob is now 33 and a two-time Cy Young Award winner for the Mets. But the son still drives his pickup truck down a dirt path to his childhood home to throw with his dad.