‘Part of our family’: Richie Palacios’ World Series run hits home on North Fork

Richie Palacios came to the North Fork to play baseball for the Ospreys. He left with a second family that has followed him all the way to the World Series.

Now, as his Tampa Bay Rays attempt to stave off elimination against the Milwaukee Brewers, the family that hosted him a decade ago remembers Mr. Palacios not only as a tremendous athlete but as a standout person.

“He was truly dedicated to the sport and improving himself,” said Lynn Eckhardt, who took the Brooklyn native into her Southold home in 2016. “He was a hard worker. We had gotten him a batting tee with a net, so every day before he went to practice or left for games, he would hit 100 to 200 balls into the net.”

Ms. Eckhardt and her husband, Mike, had hosted players for several years before Mr. Palacios arrived around Memorial Day and stayed until early August.

“When he first came here, he fit right in, like he was one of my sons,” Ms. Eckhardt told The Suffolk Times.

She said Mr. Palacios had a brother-like relationship with her twin boys, who were 14 at the time.

“They would play video games or ball in the backyard. He became part of our family,” Ms. Eckhardt said.

She stocked foods he liked and expected him to clean up after himself. He even did his own laundry. The family also taught him how to fish.

“He was funny and got along great with my sons, husband and me,” she said. “He was very respectful and very religious.”

The Eckhardts saw the budding star play against the Staten Island Yankees in the minor leagues, but have yet to watch him in person in a major league uniform.

“We were excited that he got drafted — my sons and I were texting with him along the way, so with each level and progression toward the major leagues, it’s been exciting,” Ms. Eckhardt said. “We always keep an eye on him, and I’m still in contact with his parents.”

Host families like the Eckhardts are hard to come by, said Janet Dickerson, the Ospreys’ general manager from 2016 to 2018. Some families wound up with multiple college baseball players in their homes, including hers.

“It can be chaotic,” Ms. Dickerson said. “We were a baseball family to start with, and they really do become part of the family. They all came from great families — it’s a very enlightening experience.”

A decade ago, Mr. Palacios had just finished his freshman year at Towson University and made his way out to Long Island. Bill Ianniciello, the Ospreys’ manager, knew Towson’s head coach through his ties to New York and gave him a call about recruiting Mr. Palacios.

He is one of a handful of players to have professional baseball career after playing for the Ospreys. The list includes right-handed pitchers Jake Cousins and Penn Murfee and center fielder Nick Heath.

The second baseman played a record-setting summer. He batted .347 with a North Fork single-season record of 60 hits in 173 at-bats, along with eight home runs, 24 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. He won the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League’s MVP award, as The Suffolk Times reported last week.

“He was one of the more highly regarded kids in terms of his potential,” Mr. Ianniciello said. “I coached roughly 10 years in the Hamptons League, and I probably had 25 to 30 players get drafted or signed. Several of those players made the major leagues — Richie was one of the top kids in terms of his potential because of the strength of his overall skill set and his makeup. The makeup is so important.”

Mr. Ianniciello said “makeup” includes commitment, work ethic and being a positive-impact guy.

“Richie was very focused,” Mr. Ianniciello said. “He wanted to play professional baseball from the time I had him. He was eager to progress to higher levels. He got his opportunity and capitalized on it.”

Mr. Palacios went on to play in the Cape Cod League, one of the most competitive summer leagues. He also had a stint in the Northwoods League.

In 2018, he was drafted by Cleveland in the third round, making his way through its minor league system before his major league debut in 2022. He later played for the St. Louis Cardinals and joined the Rays in 2024.

That year, he was named the Rays’ winner of the MLB Players Alumni Association’s Heart and Hustle Award.

Baseball runs in the Palacios family. His mother, Lianne, said his uncle played for the Kansas City Royals. His father, Richard, played in the minor leagues and other relatives played professionally in Puerto Rico. Richie’s older brother, Josh, also plays in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor league system.

“Richie was the kind of kid who, instead of watching cartoons, wanted to watch ESPN highlights the next morning if he couldn’t stay up to watch baseball or basketball the night before,” Ms. Palacios said.

His mother still remembers feeling reassured by the welcome her son received from the North Fork and the Eckhardts.

“As parents, you naturally have concerns when your child goes away,” Ms. Palacios said. “You wonder where they’re going, who they’ll be living with and what kind of environment they’ll be in. The family embraced him and he embraced them. It was a beautiful thing to see. They started as strangers and became family.”