As so often, one wishes that the English-language media could capture the creativity and intelligence of Latin players. Batista's column is a particularly interesting window on a team whose largely hostile media filters the players' words to fit its own agenda. No one sympathetic to players, for example, would take a statement by Pete Walker that he wants to help the team in whatever capacity he can, and try to twist it into a plea for an increased role.
The column's name is El Montículo del Poeta, or "Poet's Mound", which refers to Batista's well-known writing hobby. In the column, Miguel is revealing himself to be a player with a wholehearted belief in his team and his teammates, as well as a writer with a deft turn of phrase. At least, such a gift shines through even my rudimentary, primitive Spanish skills.
His description of his teammates' first exposure to Wrigley Field is lovely - "walking up the dugout steps, you see the lush, rich, lovely turf, the great buildings behind the ballpark, and the green ivy on the walls that surround the park, that give a matchless touch to the stadium."
Speaking of Halladay's injury and the team meeting in Texas that followed it, he describes leadership in action. "Our catcher, Gregg Zaun, was the most enthusiastic, communicating to each of us on the pitching staff the importance and responsibility of the burden that has fallen on our shoulders."
There's insight into other players, too. In a recent column about Johan Santana, the two pitchers (one Dominican, one Venezuelan) talk about the World Baseball Challenge. Santana - a passionate soccer fan - talks about the competitive aspect, but also notes that "I believe the most interesting thing is that like the (soccer) World Cup, it will unite a great number of people from all social classes and races to enjoy an event unconcerned with skin color or beliefs, where we can be brothers, something that this world needs."
In that piece, both Santana and Gustavo Chacin speak of Santana's achievement as something for Venezuelans to feel pride in. It is easy to forget, or gloss over, the deep cultural importance baseball has to the players and peoples of Latin America - another element of Latin baseball culture that the English-language media tends to gloss over as it caricatures Spanish-speaking players as clowns, simpletons or enigmas.
Batista, like a lot of players and indeed like a lot of fans, has been clearly preoccupied with the impending trade deadline. Once that passes and the real pennant race begins in earnest, he'll no doubt get back to writing about baseball (real baseball) in his interesting, affable way.
I know it's in Spanish, and most of us don't know Spanish from Pig Latin. But I'd challenge you to try reading it anyway. You never know what you might pick up.
