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A POINT OF PRIDE
For Latino players throughout the game, respect for the WBC runs deep
BY JERRY CRASNICK
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was born in Montreal in 1999 and was 4 1/2 years old when his father played his final home game for the Expos in 2003. As a sparse yet adoring crowd of 17,526 rained down cheers at Olympic Stadium, several of Vladimir Sr.’s teammates grasped the magnitude of the moment and nudged his cherubic little mini-me onto the field, leading to a heartwarming photo of father and son bonding through baseball.
Young Vlad has an appreciation for his roots, even if the memories of Montreal players slipping him candy in the clubhouse have grown hazy over time. He’s taken the Canada connection a step further with two All-Star appearances and a Silver Slugger Award in four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.
But when the conversation turns to international competition, there’s no room for sentiment or dual allegiances. As a Canada native with Dominican lineage, Guerrero has the option of playing for both countries in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. He does not plan to linger over the decision, if only because he has no interest in becoming a family pariah.
“Everybody knows I was born in Montreal,’’ Guerrero said. “But I’ll play for the team that my entire family wants me to play for. If they want me to play for the Dominican, I’ll play for the Dominican.’’
For the moment, Guerrero and other stars who plan to represent the established powers in the 2023 WBC in March will focus on the stretch drive while ballplayers from 12 less established baseball countries compete for spots. Over the next two weeks, at qualifying tournaments in Germany and Panama, four WBC participants will emerge from a pack consisting of France, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, Brazil, Argentina, Pakistan and New Zealand.
In March, many of baseball’s best players will take a break from spring training to represent the top contenders in the fifth WBC. Team USA, intent on defending its 2017 title, has assembled a powerhouse roster, with Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt, Pete Alonso and Nolan Arenado among the stars who have committed to participate. Shohei Ohtani has received the go-ahead from the Angels to play for Japan, a two-time WBC champion, and South Korea will look to rebound from two straight disappointing finishes after successful runs in 2006 and 2009.
For players from Latin-American countries, the WBC has special significance as an opportunity to congregate in one clubhouse, with a common purpose of advancing national pride. When Puerto Rico lost to the U.S. in the 2017 finals, 70 percent of the TVs on the island were tuned in to the game.
From Puerto Rico and the Dominican to Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico, among other countries, players take the responsibility to heart because they know so many people back home are watching.
"I believe that representing your country is something marvelous,'' said Rangers pitcher Martin Perez, who played for Venezuela in 2017 and plans to take part again next spring. "On one end, that name on your chest weighs a ton, but at the same time, you go out there anyway and represent it proudly ... it feels good to have that uniform that says 'Venezuela.'"
The Latino influence in Major League Baseball is reflected in the 99 Dominicans, 67 Venezuelans, 23 Cubans, 16 Puerto Ricans, 13 Mexicans and 10 Colombia natives on 2022 Opening Day rosters. The Dominican, with a population of 11 million people and a land mass roughly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined, has produced 860 big leaguers and four Hall of Famers -- Vlad Guerrero Sr., Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and Juan Marichal.
Young players on the island play the game with a sense of urgency borne of harsh economic conditions and the quest for opportunity. Many see baseball as a potential path to a better life.
“For us from the Dominican Republic, it’s everything,’’ said Phillies infielder Jean Segura, who played in the 2017 WBC. “For maybe half the country, the only opportunity to put food on the table and take care of your family is playing baseball. Baseball is one of the only ways a family can get out of poverty. Here in the U.S., you have football, soccer, hockey and basketball. In the D.R., it’s baseball. It represents a lot for us.”
After Japan won the first two WBCs in 2006 and 2009, the Dominican went on a roll, winning eight straight games and outscoring opponents by a combined 36-14 to take the 2013 title. It was such a momentous achievement, then-Dominican president Danilo Medina called to congratulate manager Tony Pena, tournament MVP Robinson Cano and star shortstop Jose Reyes just as they were finishing their news conference after midnight in the D.R.
The Latino influence on the WBC has an aesthetic component, as well. In the WBC, Latino players have historically felt more freedom to show their emotions. In 2013, the Dominican team’s exuberance in Miami led a public debate over the propriety of players charging out of the dugout to celebrate and punctuating big moments with fist pumps. Those adrenaline-fueled emotional displays contrasted with the more reserved and businesslike approach taken by players from the U.S.
“Whenever we see a Dominican fan out there, we start to feel like we’re in our own country,’’ said Mets outfielder Starling Marte, a 2017 WBC participant. “When you have a lot of fans like that waving flags and talking about the culture, it really gets us going. We want to go out there and have fun. It’s what we do.’’
Among some Latino players, WBC rivalries are inevitable. One of the tensest, most riveting games in the 2017 tournament came in the first round, when Eddie Rosario threw out Segura on a pivotal play at the plate, Yadier Molina drove in two runs with a single and a homer, and Puerto Rico beat the Dominicans 3-1 at Petco Park.
“In my experience, there’s nothing that compares to being able to play for your country,’’ Segura said. “It’s something so large, it’s tough to explain. I’ve never had the chance to play in a World Series, but I know how incredible a WBC is.’’
Puerto Rican players, like their Dominican counterparts, see the WBC as a showcase for their country, which has produced more than 300 major leaguers and five Hall of Famers -- Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez and Pudge Rodriguez.
Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios was 14 years old in 2006 when he watched Carlos Beltran, Bernie Williams, Carlos Delgado and other favorites represent Puerto Rico in the first World Baseball Classic. Now that he’s pocketed two WBC silver medals, he sees the fervor surrounding the tournament -- and the huge TV audiences back home -- as a way to capture imaginations and inspire the next wave of players from the island.
“For sure, that’s the one thing we can do with this kind of tournament -- motivate the young guys who are watching us and trying to be like us or better,’’ Berrios said. “That’s why we’re here. We have to be the role models for them and push them to be the best, and hope they enjoy it and watch every game.’’
The storylines can take some unexpected twists. In 2006, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. was scheduled to represent the Dominican in the first WBC, but he had to withdraw when three of his cousins were killed in a car accident in late February. He was too immersed in grief and conscious of his family obligations to give the commitment necessary to compete at the highest level.
Seventeen years later, his son is looking forward to playing in the Classic with the word “Dominicana’’ across his chest.
“My father could have played in the WBC, of course, but he didn’t have the chance,’’ Vlad Jr. said. “It’s an honor to represent your country. But more than that, it’s personal.’’
With apologies to the fans in Montreal who showered him and his dad with all that love so many years ago, there was never any doubt.