Lisa Guerrero: Stuff I learned about beisbol in Mexico
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Sadly, our Mexican adventure is over.
My husband (Scott Erickson) and I have been in Mexicali since Dec. 24 so that he could get back into pitching shape, throw his newly developed change-up in a couple of games and see if he could increase his velocity from the last time he pitched in 2006. He topped out at 91 mph last week -- pretty good for throwing only 15 innings.
His team, the Aguilas, just got bounced from the playoffs, falling 4-2 in its series against Los Mochis Caneros, but Scott is encouraged by his progress so far with seven weeks left before spring training.
That’s all well and good for him, you might say, but what has my lazy behind been doing since Christmas?
Well, I have been compiling a wealth of information about baseball in the Mexican Pacific League should you ever find yourself south of the border and homesick for America’s favorite pastime.... But, I warn you -- baseball is different there.
Stuff You Should Know
1. Don’t eat the hot dogs. Refrigeration is not a huge priority at these stadiums and at least 10 people warned me to pass on them. Besides, the carne asada tacos rock!
2. Fines are different in Mexico. When Benji Gil was late for a game, he was fined two bottles of tequila.
3. Speaking of Patron, players and coaches have been known to imbibe in the ...
... dugouts during the game. One starting pitcher drank half a bottle of tequila between innings and went on to win the game. Note to Barry Zito.
4. They boo the players differently. One Aguilas player was being razzed on the road with chants of ‘Chivo, Chivo, Chivo,’ meaning ‘goat.’
5. One of the most popular items that vendors sell during the game is deep-fried pigs’ tails with hot sauce and lime juice. Yes, it’s delicious.
6. Sometimes between innings the mascots bring two roosters out on the field for a cockfight.
7. Many fans wear ‘Nacho Libre’-style wrestling masks to the game. Scary.
8. Many fans wear Ed Hardy muscle shirts to the game. Scarier.
(Completely off subject: If you are a male and have only two clean T-shirts to wear -- an Ed Hardy shirt and a McCain/Palin ’08 shirt, choose the latter. And from me, that’s saying a lot. Only chicks should wear Ed Hardy. And even they shouldn’t.)
9. Beisbol fans really know their baseball.
10. Some fans throw batteries at the visiting team -- a little something they picked up watching American fans on television.
11. At any given time an entire bank of lights will go out, leaving the entire right side of the infield in complete darkness. Then, a man will shimmy up to the top of the lights without a harness and after 20 minutes or so will restore electricity and the game will resume. Every player, coach and official will be on the field to watch, spit tobacco and scratch themselves and mumble cuss words in Spanish during those 20 minutes.
12. You can buy great tickets for the equivalent of four U.S. dollars.
13. Who needs the seventh-inning stretch if salsa music is played between every single pitch? The fans will up and dance whenever they please.
14. Lots and lots of people smoke in the stands. Some players smoke in the dugout.
15. There is no last call at these stadiums. Booze is even sold after the games.
16. If you find yourself enjoying the Aguilas in Mexicali, stay at the Araiza Hotel. Great service.
17. The games take forever. There are more pitching changes per game, with 15 pitchers on each roster as opposed to typically 11 in the States. Also, there is no set limit to the number of pitches relievers can throw during their warm-up on the mound. In Major League Baseball, a relief pitcher is limited to eight warm-up throws from the mound.
18. Bundle up. The average temperature for the games I attended in Mexicali was 48 degrees. A Michelada will warm you right up (Clamato juice, Tecate beer, chili powder, hot sauce and lime). Cost: about $3.
19. Yes, don’t drink the water.
20. B.Y.O.T.P
21. Prepare to have fun.
If you can’t wait until April for your baseball fix, head to Mexicali on Feb. 2-7 for the Caribbean Series, pitting the champs of the Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan and Dominican Republic leagues. Arriba!
-- Lisa Guerrero
Lisa Guerrero has covered Super Bowls, the NBA Finals and the World Series, along with the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. As an actress, she has appeared on ‘Frasier’ and ‘The George Lopez Show’ and as Billy Baldwin’s long-suffering wife in the film ‘A Plumm Summer,’ which she executive-produced.
Top photo: The baseball stadium in Mexicali. Credit: Lisa Guerrero
Pop-up photo: Jack Black as a wrestler in the 2006 comedy ‘Nacho Libre.’ Credit: Paramount Pictures