What the Game is All About

November 2009 Taken from St. John's Stormfront Student Newspaper

It is every young little league baseball player's dream to play for a Major League team. The ambition to play professionally drives young children to do great things in any sport. The only problem is that the odds of making a professional baseball team are not just slim, they are nearly impossible. This past summer, Staten Island has a loval team compete in the Little League World Series. The boys from South Shore Little League advanced all the way to the semifinals before losing to the Southwest Regional Champions from San Antonio. According to a study done by the NCAA, only 0.5 percent of high school senior baseball players are drafted by a Major League Baseball team. Being drafted by a professional team doesn't necessarily mean you will play for the team because you must work your way through the team's minor league system and eventually graduate to the Major Leagues. The same study found that 0.015 percent of high school senior players actually get to play in the Major Leagues.

This past July, while on vacation in Mexico, my grandmother mentioned that one of the workers are the resort was a professional baseball player in Mexico. We arranged a meeting so I could learn about his life as a baseball player. I sat down with Abraham and I didn't have to ask many questions because he was eager to tell me about his playing days. Abraham has been playing since he was a young boy. From what he told me, I determined that he was a speedy centerfielder with a strong arm who hit for average rather than power. He explained to me that he would rather hit for average than for power, like Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter do. Abraham told me about his ratty glove and unstable cleats. He said that at the time he was drafted by a Mexican team at sixteen years old, he was still using the same glove and cleats as when he was a little kid. Abraham had to make a decision whether to leave home and pursue his dream, or stay home with his family. As his mother cried and begged him to stay, Abraham knew that he had a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The first team Abraham played for was called Plataneros de Tabasco, which was located in Southern Mexico. Abraham played for four different teams in his eleven years as a professional ballplayer. The most famous team he played for was called Diablos Rojos de Mexico. This team from Mexico City has had players such as Rodrigo Lopez, Esteban Loaiza, and Joakim Soria go on to play in America for Major League teams. Before Fernando Valenzuela had tremendous success with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Abraham had the chance to face him in Mexico. Abraham was able to get hits off of Fernando, but he laughed while describing Fernando's curveball. He told me that it was the toughest pitch he has ever faced. Four of Abraham's close friends went on to play professionally in America. Some famous players from Mexico that are currently in the MLB are Alfredo Aceves, Jorge Cantu, and Yovani Gallardo. It is easy to wonder how many other great talents are hiding somewhere in Mexico, just waiting to be discovered.

In 1988, Abraham played his last season because both of his knees were worn out and it was tough to stay in shape and run. When I asked Abraham what he missed most about playing, he told me that he misses the friends he made throughout his career. He told me that he loves to see MLB players having fun because having fun is what the game is all about. Abraham had fun and enjoyed playing the game the same way the Little League team from Staten Island did. They are two separate teams from two different countries, but the game is played for the same reason. The game is played for the right reason.