Spring Training 2018: a valentine for baseball fans

By César Augusto Márquez

Major League Baseball opened spring training 2018 on Wednesday — Valentine’s Day, of all days — and for fans who had waited all winter, it was again love at first sight. For players, spring training is a time to flirt with the hopes of a new season, but some hearts may have been more a-flutter than usual, as MLB’s two newest Latino managers — the Red Sox’s Álex Cora and the Nationals’ Dave Martínez — finally got to take the field.

For Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Elías Díaz, the week brought true joy and relief, after his mother was rescued from her kidnappers in Venezuela on Sunday.

And with pitchers and catchers reporting this week, and position players gearing up to report by Monday, many still took the time to share Valentine’s Day greetings with their families and loved ones. As you might have guessed, Cupid was trending.

Spanglish alert

Down in Fort Myers, Fla., Álex Cora, a former utility infielder who played 14 major league seasons, shared with the press a partial blueprint for his first year managing in Boston.

“Bear with my Spanglish — that’s very important,” Cora joked when asked what kind of leadership theme might emerge. “Like I said, my style is yet to be determined, but one thing for sure, enjoy the process. Relax through it. That’s very important, because the more you enjoy it and more relaxing the environment, the better it’s going to be for you. That’s going to be part of it.” 

And in West Palm Beach, Martínez, who apprenticed under Joe Maddon for a decade in Tampa Bay and Chicago, said that he would create a system that “is more for quality than quantity.”

“We implemented a system where we get a lot done in a short amount of time, and we get guys to get rest and also be able to do the things like more fitness stuff, more workouts, and incorporate that in there, because the ultimate goal is to make sure everybody leaves spring training healthy and ready to go,” Martínez said. 

Venezuela in the house

Venezuelans Francisco Cervelli and Felipe Rivero were two of the Pirates who reported early to the team’s facility in Bradenton, Fla., posting a picture on Instagram on Tuesday. Rivero, one of the National League’s best pitchers in 2017, is looking forward to the new season. Last year, he earned 21 saves while recording a 1.67 ERA in 75.1 innings. His metrics were out of this world, finishing with a 258 ERA+ and a 0.889 WHIP.

A son’s relief

Elías Díaz had much to be thankful for after his 72-year-old mother, Ana Soto, was rescued in Maracaibo on Sunday, four days after being kidnapped. Díaz was soon by her side at a local hospital. Five police officers were arrested and charged in the crime.

The abduction of Díaz’s mother is the most recent chapter in a sorry history of abduction involving Venezuelan athletes and their families. The mother of Detroit pitcher Ugueth Urbina was kidnapped in 2004 and rescued five months later. Current Rays catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped in 2011 and released after two days of being held captive. And the 15-year-old son of basketball player Juan Manaure, Dereck, was murdered just over a year ago.

Venezuelan reporter Pableysa Ostos posted the news of Soto’s rescue.

Love is in the air

Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world, and players like the Astros’ José Altuve (Venezuela) and Carlos Correa (Puerto Rico) didn’t hesitate to make public displays of affection. Altuve posted a picture of himself with his wife, Nina; his daughter, Melanie — and Mickey Mouse. 

Correa, who you may recall asked his girlfriend Daniella Rodríguez to marry him right after Game 7 of the World Series, got someone to open Minute Maid Ballpark so he could have a dramatic photo taken with his Valentine. Now that’s clout. 

Featured Image: La Vida Baseball