Santiago

Santiago is the two-year-old brother to Sebastian, one of the best baseball players on the Dragones. His father is a jock and a joker. He speaks so fast, I often have difficulty understanding what he is saying in Spanish, but it must be funny because all the parents laugh after he speaks. His father’s nickname is “Chino”…which means he has Asian features. Those of you who have been to Mexico before know this tendency. Nicknames, such as Chino (china man), gordo (fatty), negro (blackie) and juerito (blondie) flow freely and without the kind of judgment we might attach to those terms.

But back to Santiago. I have to say, this little two-year-old is already quite a baseball punk. He loves to be on the field and wears the uniform you see to every practice and game. Today he was heavy laden with catcher’s gear on. He adores the sport, as do his big brother and father.

At the beginning of our game this past weekend, he gave all of us quite a show. We on the Dragones are used to it, but other team had never seen him perform. His dad pitched a ball to him. Santiago hit the ball with his little wooden bat and proceeded to run around the bases. He is so small and so cute, all eyes fixed on him. He slid into every base...the bases here are simply flat pillows…they aren’t very stationary. So, Santiago slid, got up, adjusted the base (everyone laughed) and kept running. By the time he reached home, the whole crowd of parents and players were riveted and cheering. Santiago, who didn’t realize he had accumulated such an audience rose up from home plate in shock. He burst into tears and ran to his papa who comforted him and carried him off the field.

Life in Mexico celebrates children. You see it in a multitude of ways and feel how it pads all things serious or competitive. Santiago is a delight to his parents and all those who watch his exuberant attitude toward baseball, which at this point in his two-year-old life…is EVERYTHING.