San Francisco Examiner February 8, 2001

Feeding that 'special hunger'

Latinos pay homage to legends of game
By CHARLES McDERMID

For many Americans, Latin American baseball evokes images of poverty stricken youths playing happily with cardboard gloves on makeshift diamonds. While this perception is sometimes true, the difficult part - especially for the 61 percent, of American men that at some point dabbled in organized baseball - is attempting to comprehend what Cuban Ocatvio "Cookie" Rojas once called that special hunger".

Simply put, baseball in many Latin American countries always has held political and cultural implications that simply so not exist in the United States.

For the past and present Latin Americans, making into the big leagues requires ded- ication, ability and sheer temerity.

"It took guts for us to come here." Said the San Francisco Giants' Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda who was 20 when he arrived in the major leagues in 1958.

Samuel O. Regalado, nephew of former major leaguer Rudy Regalado, wrote in his 1998 book "Viva Baseball" that it was a path out of poverty; it helped bring distinc- tion to to their homelands; it was a means to ease the pain and suffering of kinfolk and compatriot; and it provided a silver of hope to many younger Latinos, who otherwise have envisioned a dim future.

Their determination to succeed in the face of an unwelcome culture reveals the human spirit of the Latino player.

Since 1871, when Cuban Estban Bellan became the first Latino to play professional baseball in the United States, Latino accomplishments have been illustrious.

"The Latin player brought passion to the game," said Gabriel Avila, founder of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum.

"Just as other races brought their own things to baseball, Latinos brought flavor, color and flair."

Players like Roberto Clemente, and Sammy Sosa even have transcended the game, becoming international superstars.

Even lesser-known talents such as Cuba's Martin Dihigo, Orestes "Minnie" Minoso and Rod Carew of Panama, who toiled in relative obscurity in the United States, were considered heroes in their respective countries.

The cultural exchange has enriched base- ball in the United States and has added greatly to the post colonial identities of countries like Puerto Roco, Cuba and The Dominican Republic.

Yet only seven are Latino in the Hall of Fame, and none of the 30 players an- nounced as baseballs All-Century team during Game 2 of the 1999 World Series, were Latino.

"In this country every time people talk about baseball they talk about Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hoe DiMaggo, Lou Gehrig," said Giant's center fielder Marvin Bernard.

"It's time to start talking about the Cepedas and the Clementes. It'll be great not just for Latin people but for all people to understand that Latin players have been around the major leagues for a long time."

Stepping into history:
Former Giant Orlando Cepeda
was one of the first Latinos
to make it big in the Majors.

"Latino players have been
involved in the game for more than
100 years, and today they dominate it.
Here is a look back..."
(CLICK HERE)

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