Diego Ettedgui a strong voice in Philadelphia
By Tab Bamford
Sitting on the stairs that lead up into the visitor’s clubhouse at Wrigley Field, Diego Ettedgui was sweaty from a morning run. Wearing his “Phamily” T-shirt and bright red New Balance shoes, the Phillies’ interpreter looked like he could take the field against the Cubs.
As the Phillies arrived for the matinee conclusion to a competitive four-game series, each greeted Ettedgui in a unique way. Andrew McCutcheon knocked fists with him. Odubel Herrera flicked his ear, prompting Ettedgui to comment about the center fielder’s gaudy backpack.
Maikel Franco shared an elaborate handshake with Ettedgui, ending it with a pat on the back of Ettedgui’s head. Based on the parade of players walking up the stairs one might think Ettedgui was running for mayor.
He isn’t a politician. He’s the Phillies’ Spanish language Interpreter, becoming an important part of the team.
Growing in the Game
The Venezuela native is in his fourth season with Philadelphia. After graduating from Northeastern University, he spent a few years as a soccer coach before coming back to his love: baseball. He has been working in professional baseball since 2014.
While working in Boston he started to develop relationships with players. When the Red Sox acquired Yoenis Cespedes, Ettedgui enjoyed working with the Cuban outfielder. However, when an opportunity opened up work with the media relations team in Philadelphia Ettedgui jumped at the chance.
Over the past three-plus years, however, he’s seen his role become more than just the guy who translates in the clubhouse.
Last year, Ettedgui started to become a more integral part of the staff. Before games he works out with the players, serving as a first baseman for the infielders during batting practice or as a second baseman when a first baseman needs to work turning two.
Cespedes gave him a hard time when he saw Ettedgui on the field working in uniform. No longer in a suit or sitting in the press box, Ettedgui now looked like part of the team.
Helping lead
Before the 2018 season, the Phillies made a few important personnel changes. Shortstop Freddy Galvis, who had been one of the leaders with the Latino players in the clubhouse, was traded to San Diego. The team added former Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, but the loss of Galvis was significant.
The Phillies also named Gabe Kapler manager. He quickly identified Ettedgui as someone who connects well with Latino players. Kapler also saw that Ettedgui understood and conveyed the needs of both the coaching staff and the players well.
“If there’s a better communicator out there than Diego, I don’t know,” Kapler said. “He’s on top of his game as it relates to translating the needs – not just the words – of the players. One way he helps me is helping me understand what the players need and helping [the organization] know what the players need.
“As an organization, as a team, we need to consistently be getting messages to the players. It’s not just about saying the words that are coming out of our mouths, but it’s about translating the feelings and the emotions, the intent of the communication. Context is enormous.”
More than translation
Communicating effectively is paramount when players change addresses. While the moves involving Galvis, Arrieta and Kapler were important before the 2018 season, this past winter was an entirely different approach in Philadelphia. “Stupid money” was being talked about, and the ramifications directly affected many players on the roster.
Some of the young Latino players in the clubhouse spent a lot of their offseason listening to trade and free agent rumors that specifically impacted their role with the team.
“I try to reach out to them every week or so just to see how they’re doing,” Ettedgui said. “That way it isn’t always bad news when I call or text them.”
Once the Phillies acquired shortstop Jean Segura and reliever Juan Nicasio from Seattle on Dec. 3, either Franco or César Hernández would have been the odd man out in the infield if Manny Machado had chosen the Phillies.
A couple days after the trade with Seattle, Ettedgui got a call from Kapler. The Phillies were now going to trade Luis Garcia to Anaheim.
That was an emotional day for the players and Ettedgui. Garcia was a big personality in the clubhouse. He served as the team barber during spring training. And, as our Los Compadres series showed last year, Garcia, Franco and Neris are incredibly close friends.
Kapler reached out to Ettedgui before the deal was announced to gauge how the trade might hit Neris and Franco.
“I think Diego is excellent at nuances, and there are nuances to those conversations when you acquire a new player or a player is dealt,” Kapler said. “He understands that a player will be especially emotional during that time and that it’s important to convey not just the words but the messages behind the words.”
That emotional intelligence from Kapler has impressed Ettedgui.
“Diego attacks his role like a coach,” Kapler said. “For me he’s not a translator or an interpreter. I see him as being every bit as important as any other member of our coaching staff. He’s vital to the culture of our clubhouse. He makes everything around him better.”
As the Phillies battle to stay in the National League East race, Ettedgui will continue to be an important part of the leadership in Philadelphia.
Featured Image: La Vida Baseball