It’s the little things that matter.
Edison Mora, a minor league shortstop in the San Francisco Giants’ organization, has gone viral for making gestures to his long-distance girlfriend, Laura Torres, during games.
Torres watches Mora’s games from home in Puerto Rico, where she looks out for the special signal each game — a sign of a kiss on the cheek, before the minor leaguer positions himself in the batter’s box.
The sign is meant to signify that Mora is thinking of Torres while he plays baseball in the United States, according to a TikTok video posted by Torres.
The viral TikTok video has racked up more than nine million views, 2.5 million likes, 25,000 comments and 53,000 shares.
“I never imagined that [response],” Torres said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports.
“We’ve found other people [through social media] who are having long-distance relationships too. They tell me that it’s not going to be easy but it’s worth it. They give me advice, and I give advice too.”
As for how the sign originated?
“When he told me [he thinks about me], I was so excited, and he said ‘Let’s do a sign,’” Torres explained. “I told him a kiss on the cheek, like I was kissing him every time he did something. The first time he played and did it, I was so excited.”
Mora said the sign is his way of thanking his girlfriend for watching his games from afar. The sentimental gesture also helps him to stay motivated and focused on delivering a winning performance on the field.
“It makes me feel so special because when he’s playing, he supposed to be thinking about the game,” Torres said. “I don’t want to distract him, but he told me I was not distracting him, I was motivating him. That motivates him to get a hit or do a good play and do the sign like he was doing the play for me.”
Mora and Torres are apart three-to-seven months a year due to his baseball schedule, but FaceTime almost every day. They’ve continued to make the long-distance relationship work, despite travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has delayed Torres’ plans to return to the states.
The viral couple met at a party in September 2017.
Mora was selected by the Giants in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft, and currently plays in the Arizona League for the AZL Giants Black. He previously played for the Single-A San Jose Giants.