The Boys of Summer (Southern Chapter)
As the weather turns cold in the States, the basepaths of Venezuela heat up with some of the best talent, old and new, chasing the summer sun.
Ron Young
MLNSportsZone.com
09.20.04 - As the season comes to an end, many players out in the minors turn their attention to spending more time with their families, at their favorite fishing hole, or on the golf course. Others chase the pastime to the sunny climes of Venezuela, where the boys of summer follow the season into the Southern hemisphere.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Called "imports" in Venezuela, U.S-born players work on a particular aspect of their game, learn a new position, or simply to get more at bats or innings of work in to hone their game.
Seattle outfielder Eric Owens, who played for several years in Venezuela while establishing himself as a big-leaguer, went to work on switching from the infield to the outfield while still in the Cincinnati organization.
"You get to work on things that maybe didn't go too well for you during the season," says Braves farmhand and native New Zealander Travis Wilson, who returned to Venezuela for a second season in 2003-2004.
Major and minor leaguers alike take the Venezuelan tuner.
"I love doing it," says the Cincinnati Reds" Ryan Freel, "It gets you geared up and ready for spring training."
"I went to spring training pretty much game ready," chimes in John Grabow, a pitcher in the Pittsburgh organization.
In the best case, success in Venezuela can help players make it to the majors. "I think it got me to the big leagues," says Owens
Extra Cash
[Avoid using words in successive sentences like "helps”] The extra money isn"t bad either. Playing winter ball helps financially, especially for those with families to support who aren"t making big league moneyand don"t want to be flipping burgers at Ron"s steakhouse in the off-season.
"[The Venezuelan teams] pay you pretty well and the first couple of years in the minor leagues you're not making any money, so you're almost getting a raise to go down and play winter ball," says Tim Harikkala.
Heath Bell of the Mets organization had a new baby daughter who he had hardly seen during the season, yet he chose to play winter ball. "I'm coming down here to make some money so she'll be better off, get some bills paid." Bell constantly had to remind himself.
Getting There
Venezuelan teams make the trip to their country a smooth one. Many players have never traveled outside the United States, or don't speak Spanish.
Bell calls his treatment "first class," including big league perqs, such as not having to carry his own luggage.
"I was looked after from the minute I got off the plane until the minute I got back on to leave."
"All you needed was a passport," agrees Chris Jones, who has played in Venezuela for three seasons and now plays for the independent St. Paul Saints.
Getting there is only half the fun. Just as foreign players in the United States must adapt to a new environment, U.S. players in Venezuela must deal with local culture and customs.
Culture Shock
"It was kind of a culture shock, going in, not hearing anyone speaking English," admits Pittsburgh prospect Justin Reid, who pitched for Magallanes.
He thought that it was fun to try out his Spanish-speaking abilities, having picked up some of the language from Latin teammates in the United States.
"You think you know how to speak Spanish with guys on your team here, but you forget you are actually speaking Spanglish."
Those who know the ropes try to help the newbies.
Andy Barkett performed double-duty as a translator for his American teammates. He grew up in Miami and his mother is of Cuban descent, so Barkett speaks fluent Spanish, making him the unofficial interpreter for his fellow imports.
Most players point to the language barrier as the most difficult part of winter ball.
Many U.S. players are struck by the poverty that they see in Venezuela. Living and playing in such an environment makes them appreciate what they do have back home.
"We as Americans don't know exactly what it takes to go to a Third World country," observes Owens.
For many players, the fact that they can easily find American fast-food chains makes life a little easier in Venezuela. The U.S. players can also turn to their Venezuelan teammates for advice about where to eat.
Bell, who considers himself a picky eater, did not want to eat fast food all the time, so he let his Venezuelan teammates order for him, with one condition. "After I eat it, you tell me what it is. But don't tell me what it is before I eat," Bell instructed the Venezuelans. This tactic resulted in eating some interesting native dishes that included things such as cow intestines.
Personal safety is another issue that concerns the "imports." While most players never suffer from any actual criminal activity, they do worry that as Americans they stick out.
"They know Americans have money. They know that we get paid well down there.,” says Barkett.
Stories abound of players being robbed. One of the scarier ones comes from current Cubs pitcher Gary Glover. While out celebrating on New Year's Eve, Glover was held up by someone with a sawed-off shotgun.
U.S. players often form informal support groups. As US export Pat Ahearne points out, "it's good to just have somebody else to laugh at the same things you're laughing at and get confused about the same things that you're confused about."
Big League Environment
One important aspect of participating in the Venezuelan winter league is playing in front of large, boisterous crowds who expect their favorite teams to win. In the minors, the emphasis is on player development; In winter ball, winning counts.
"It's constant noise," remembers Harikkala of the Venezuelan fans. "Not like the American fans who just watch the game and cheer when something happens. They're yelling from pitch one to the end."
U.S. players often become local celebrities in Venezuela. Brian Sweeney, who was dealt to the Padres organization this past off-season, says if they knew you were a baseball player, "they treated us like kings.” Of course, on-field performance is important too. Sweeney adds, "If you"re doing something bad, they"re going to let you know."
Playing in such an environment can make big league crowds less overwhelming. A case in point was the first Venezuelan professional game of Anaheim's Francisco Rodriguez in 2002. Reid drew the unenviable assignment of starting against K-Rod.
"They have the girls dancing in left field, they have these big drums going all the time, people are throwing beer in the air,” Francisco recalls of the pre-game festivities. Once the game started, the crowd screamed with each strike out by Rodriguez.
Almost all U.S. players who have participated in the Venezuelan league described it as a positive experience. Most would return or recommend it other players. Brian Sweeney sums up the experience by saying "If you are playing year-round baseball, you are just going to get better and better if you can play in a country with the kind of talent and caliber of baseball players in Venezuela."
