In his return from the injured list after a hamstring strain, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop and former Yankee, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, experienced a lifelong dream.
For years, few believed Kiner-Falefa’s claim that he was related to Hall of Famer and legendary Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner. Given that Kiner-Falefa grew up in Hawaii, it seemed unlikely he had a familial connection to a baseball icon from Pennsylvania.
But prior to Monday’s game at Citi Field against the Mets, Kiner-Falefa met his cousin Scott Kiner—Ralph’s son—who recently published a book titled One of a Kiner, verifying the family connection. This meeting finally confirmed the long-questioned relationship.
“This is a moment I’ll never forget,” said an emotional Kiner-Falefa after receiving a charcoal portrait of Ralph Kiner from 1948, the year he became an All-Star with the Pirates.
The family’s move to Hawaii began when Ralph’s brother, John Kiner—Isiah’s grandfather—relocated there for college and never moved back. Until now, Kiner-Falefa only knew of Ralph Kiner through stories from his grandfather and had never met the extended family.
Fate seemed to bring the connection full circle. Back on July 14, 2007, Kiner-Falefa attended a game at Shea Stadium where the Mets honored Ralph Kiner. His friends doubted his claim that the honoree was his uncle.
“I couldn’t believe it was Kiner Night,” he recalled. “We just thought we were going to a game. It felt unreal.”
Then, wearing a Pirates jersey—Ralph Kiner’s team for nearly a decade—Kiner-Falefa had his own storybook moment. In his first at-bat back, as the “Kiner’s Korner” theme played, he hit a home run on the third pitch, a low changeup that soared over the left field wall. The dream had come full circle.
