NORTH PORT, Fla. — As a kid in Aruba, Chadwick Tromp had two options: He could watch the Braves on TBS or the Cubs on WGN. He chose the Braves, who had center fielder Andruw Jones. Young Chadwick always would sit on his grandfather’s lap and watch the Braves play, and he became enamored with Jones.
“He was the one that I looked up to,” Tromp said.
Jones is from Curaçao, a neighboring island to Aruba. Jones was a one-of-a-kind player, but he provided Tromp with hope – hope that he, too, could one day play in the major leagues, hope that kids from those islands could make it.
And when Tromp played baseball, his mother, Jourene, and grandfather, Casildo, were at every game he ever played. They always taught him to be humble and grateful.
“Just never forgetting where I’m coming from,” Tromp said, “and the impact that I can have on all those people back home.”
This is a lesson that Tromp, a catcher in the Braves’ system, has held onto throughout the years. He now is a role model for kids from Aruba, just as Jones once was for him.
See, there have been only six players born in Aruba to play in the major leagues: Tromp, Xander Bogaerts, Sidney Ponson, Gene Kingsale, Calvin Maduro and Radhames Dykhoff. On Sept. 3, 1996, Kingsale became the first Aruba-born player to appear in a big-league game, beating Maduro by five days.
In recent years, Tromp – who is well-known on his tight-knit home island – has become more involved in the community. He works on youth baseball fields. He gives motivational speeches. And now, he’s developing his own baseball and recreational facility for kids.
“I’m very, very involved, which is something that I really take to heart because that’s my home,” Tromp said. “And we’re not many. Right now, it’s just me and (Padres infielder) Xander (Bogaerts) that are from Aruba, so I really hold my head high and try to be proud that I’m from Aruba, and that I have the ability to be in the position to help the kids as much as I am right now.”
Chadwick and his brother, Jiandidio, created a facility with their non-profit organization, High Rise Sports Venue. It will consist of two baseball fields, a gymnasium, meeting rooms, a playground for kids, beach tennis courts and more. Chadwick hopes to dedicate a lot of his time to this in the future.
Years ago, he was a kid from Aruba looking for inspiration. He hoped for insight.
Now, other children form an audience as he gives motivational speeches.
“I think they don’t see it because we’re such a small island, so I think I’m living proof that everything is possible no matter where you come from,” Tromp said. “And back in the day, it was tough for us to get signed and have a career path in baseball. And it still is, to this day – otherwise we wouldn’t have only six big leaguers ever. Now we have six. For them, it’s like, ‘Man, that’s so tough.’ But to just motivate them and make sure that whatever they want and whatever their desire is, is aligned with the amount of work that they put in. I’m very big on work ethic and learning the game and learning how to go about your business, learning how to treat people with respect. Just little things like that that can not only benefit them in baseball, but also in life.”
Jones, the iconic Brave, views Aruba as a second home. His dad is Aruban. In 2017, Jones and Tromp met at the World Baseball Classic. They have stayed in touch ever since.
On a recent day in Braves camp, Jones took a seat by Tromp’s locker. The two sat and talked for a bit.
Jones is impressed with Tromp’s desire to give back to Aruba.
“For him to do that and have that mindset that that’s what he wants to do is something special,” Jones said. “A lot of people (don’t) look at it that way and don’t try to be that model. I think he’s trying to be that role model and he’s trying to help the others there, he’s trying to have more kids from Aruba make it to the major leagues.”
Jones has given Tromp advice on respecting the game and going about his business. The two also have talked about how Tromp can handle himself well in every environment – on the field, off the field, in interviews and more.
“If I had to pick somebody that could guide me the right way,” Tromp said, “I don’t think of anybody else that can do it better than him.”
Jones is happy to do it.
“Well, I just lend experience that I went through and (answer) questions,” Jones said. “And he’s not afraid to ask questions. When you’re not afraid to ask questions, you constantly want to learn. What I tell all these kids all the time: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Try to learn every day when you walk into the ballpark because every day you’re going to learn something that’s going to help you later on in your career. Try to learn. Just don’t show up and say, ‘Ah, this is what I’m gonna do.’ Try to learn something every day, because it’s going to help you in the future – maybe as a player, maybe as a coach, maybe as a person.”
Jones still believes Tromp can be a consistent major-league catcher. In 2020, Tromp debuted for the Giants. He has played in only 40 big-league games.
Then again, he’s part of an organization that has Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud, so there’s no opening for consistent major-league time. He had a big-league stint in 2023 after d’Arnaud sustained a concussion. He began this spring in major-league camp before the Braves reassigned him to minor-league camp.
But regardless of whether Tromp ever becomes a mainstay in the big leagues, his impact on Aruba will be felt by many for a long time. He’s become a role model to kids back home.
And right now, he’s part of the small group of six Aruban men to play in the majors.
“I think about it a lot, actually, because it’s a moment for you to just sit back and take it all in and accept reality,” Tromp said. “And reality, right now, is beautiful. This game is hard, so I think sometimes we have to sit back and just be grateful. Have an attitude of gratitude that you’re part of it.”
Credit: AJC staff
Credit: AJC staff
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