What is Orion Kerkering’s ethnicity? The MLB star’s upbringing detailed
Orion Kerkering delivered on the faith placed on him by the Philadelphia Phillies by striking out two New York Mets players during his MLB debut. His father, Todd, struggled to hold back tears as Orion delighted the crowd. Todd told The Athletic that he didn’t know why he cried.
Orion Kerkering’s ethnicity is unclear; his father, Todd, is white
Orion Kerkering was born on 4th April 2001, to Sheli and Richard Todd Kerkering in Venice, Florida. His ethnicity is unclear.
Sarasota County court records show that Sheli and Todd are divorcing. Judge Hunter Carroll dismissed Sheli’s first divorce filing in early August 2021 and denied her request to reopen the case. Sheli filed for divorce again in early November 2021 under Judge Maria Ruhl. The case is pending.
Sheli was admitted to the Florida Bar as an attorney in September 2015. As of late September 2023, she is not licensed to practice law. Florida records show she is a registered paralegal at the Law Office of Gary Gassel.
Orion doesn’t talk about his mom. During an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia following his MLB debut, Orion said he called Todd after learning of his promotion to the major leagues: “He’s been crying ever since I told him. He was tearing up at work. I felt bad. But I started tearing up when I told him. I think I started crying more there when I told him I got the call. Just trying to see it from his reaction made me happy.”
Todd, a retired Marine sniper, instilled mental toughness in Orion
Todd, the emergency manager for Sarasota, Florida, which has been affected by Hurricane Idalia, was worried that he couldn’t make it to his son’s MLB debut. Thankfully for Todd, Orion’s debut was delayed long enough for him to travel to Citizens Bank Park in time for Orion’s first major league pitch.
Orion grew up around Todd, a former Marine sniper, and his friends from the Marines. Todd opines that growing up around tough people helped Orion develop mental toughness. He told The Athletic:
“He sees us. He hears the stories. He knows some of the mental toughness. And it was nothing that I pushed on him. He’s got a strong mental toughness. I’m not going to say it’s because of me. He’s been around a lot of good guys with good mental toughness in his life.”
Todd told the outlet that his Marine buddies understood why he was overwhelmed with emotion as he watched Orion play. He said that the magnitude of the occasion overcame him: