Parenting

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The death of his 8-month-old son because of a heart ailment has given Cincinnati's Melvin Nieves a different perspective about winning or losing on the baseball field.

The Reds outfielder, in the midst of a minor league rehabilitation assignment with the Reds' Class AAA Indianapolis farm team, says he views the game differently now after watching his son Brandon struggle and die after being born with a heart defect. Nieves says baseball used to take precedence over his family.

"I was more concerned about what was happening in baseball, it was basically more important than anything else," Nieves says. "If I was doing good, then I was happy when I'd go see my family. If I was not doing too good in baseball, then I would be moody. I'd be mad, I'd be grumpy....

"This whole situation helped me realize that no matter what happens in baseball—good or bad—my family is going to be there no matter what. If I lose the game tomorrow, my family is going to be there and we can do something else. That's one thing that Brandon's helped remind me of," he says.

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