Dímelo Luis Ep: 01 Sandy Alcantara

Dímelo Luis Ep: 01 Sandy Alcantara

The host, gentlemen. “EL Caballo.” Cy Young 2022.
With you, Sandy Alcántara. Please, an incredible round of applause. Thank you, thank you, Luis. Thank you, Sandy.
Look, you have a few questions for me here. -How many are there?
I don’t know, not as many innings as you’re getting. But I don’t know. How are you? How are you preparing for Opening Day?
-Look, extremely happy, grateful to God for the preparation I had during the offseason and my rehab treatment, as well as the workouts I had in Jupiter. You know, very happy and grateful to God for giving me the opportunity every day to get up, go to work, and be happy.
There are two days left until the lights come on and we do our job. How much do you want to be out there pitching after missing so many games?
-Imagine, it’s been like 17 months. You know , working hard, a lot of dedication, uh, difficult moments. You know, I didn’t know how to deal with the recovery, but at the end of the day, I am focused.
I worked a lot with the trainer who is no longer here, and I’m truly grateful.
We don’t have to talk about it anymore. We’re back. We have to focus on the positive now to finish a healthy season
and give our best every day. You know, that’s something I’ve always seen, your way of working, this a really good discipline. The work you do in the gym, I don’t think
anyone can surpass you. Ah, it can’t be, it can be. Yes, yes, because there are more people
who focus better than me, you know. Bodybuilders, there are people who are just starting to get strong
who spend up to 5 hours in the gym. Yeah, right? Well, just so you know, we were trying to
record this earlier, but the man was in the gym and didn’t make it,
didn’t make it in time, didn’t spend much time in the gym. Sandy, look, you’re very well known for your endurance
on the mound, right? So, tell us a little about that mentality of starting what you’re going to finish—that is, you finish what you start. Where did that come from?
-Look, I think it came from my childhood. I remember when I started playing baseball, I was like 5 or 6 years old.
I played baseball for fun, not thinking that I was going to become a professional and be where I am now. But I think the dedication I had before signing, you know, when I worked for a job after I signed, I also created my own routine, which I still do, and I think that’s what has taught me to stay consistent every day and get those
results that I’ve always focused on. So, do you have the same routine when you started?
– Always, always the same routine. Working hard in the gym. Before, you spent less time, but you did the same thing.
Now, you spend more time, but I do the same thing. So, would you say that maybe that’s like a key to success? Not just constantly following that routine?
– If you get results, you’re not going to change that, right? No.
-So it has to be consistent until one day I want to add another little thing, but I don’t add anything. I keep doing the same thing.
Is it really interesting to maintain the routine, eh, because it’s hard for me, it’s very hard for me.
You know why I’m not playing ball. -Not just you. There are many people who have a hard time too.
For me, mainly, there are days when I feel like I’m going to go to the gym, today I’m not going to do so many things.
But from the moment I get to the gym, turn on the light or turn down the music, everything changes.
I want to get in there and go harder than I should. I think I already have that, like… I mean, it comes naturally to you.
-Inside. It’s like an adrenaline rush. When I get to the gym, everything changes.
And so that’s that guide, so I imagine that everyone has motivation, not to do that.
I imagine that before it was to reach the Major Leagues, but more than that, there was another motivation? – Yes, I used to watch videos of Ronnie Coleman, you know.
I don’t know if you know who he is, and Arnold. What’s the other one? – Ronnie Coleman and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Yes, I watched all those videos, you know, I saw how they worked really hard in the gym,
they helped each other, they competed with each other, and I think that watching them, the dedication
that they put into lifting weights, no matter how much they weighed. You know, I think that was one of
the motivations that helped me to focus more on that. How much do you lift sideways like this?
I’ve seen you sometimes do it sideways like this? – Look, hey, it’s difficult. It’s difficult because if you start
forcing your shoulders too much, it can cause an injury or discomfort. I try to focus on a weight
that I think is, you know, recommended for me. 30, 35, sometimes I’ll do 20. If I want to do a lot of reps, I’ll do 15 or 20, you know? And then I feel good. I think I’ve seen you with more. One day I decided to do 50 lbs.
Look, what was I going to tell you? I’ve seen you, I’ve seen you good, facing a lot of people to continue talking about baseball, but who, who
maybe has given you a battle? Who has been the most difficult for me in the Major Leagues right now?
– The most difficult hitter. Look, I think at the beginning of my career, yes, when I was starting, kid,
I think everyone was difficult for me. Everyone? -Yeah, sure. You know how you used to hearing
that in the Big Leagues, you hit, that you can’t miss pitches. and things like that. But as time went on,
as I adapted, as I gained experience, as I took advantage of every opportunity I got.
I think everything was difficult for me before. You know, but now, right now, maybe two or three hitters will find it a little more difficult. You know, the experience they have facing me.
They know all the pitch arsenal I have. I can tell you about Juan Soto. Yeah, quite a few at-bats that we’ve had against me, Bryce Harper too. Who would be the other one? What would be his name? Freddie Freeman. Yeah, Freddie Freeman.
Those three hitters are the ones I have the hardest time with. Do you know how to get him out quickly?
I think the other day we were checking some statistics, wasn’t it the one from Colorado, what do you mean his name is?
Oh yeah, yeah, too. That’s my dad. No, no, not my dad, but yes, yes, He’s had good results with me. Yes, of course. I always remember
the at-bats that he took from me . Uh, CJ Crom. Yeah, that day I didn’t know, I didn’t know what to throw.
That day I didn’t know what to throw. I threw a changeup: hit. He threw the slider: hit. I threw him a fastball, the sinker, and everything. Everything was hit. Yes, I gave him my respect.
Look, talking about dad, how is the family? -Everyone is fine, yes. The wife is fine, my kid is fine.
The family in Dominican Republic is fine. I think there’s no reason to worry.
If the family is fine, we’re going to be fine. And dad in the Dominican Republic. I had the opportunity, well, to meet your dad, your family,
since the beginning of your stay here, 2018. I know you have a huge, big family.
-Yes, we are.
How many siblings are there? -There are many of us. If I want to play a game one day, I can bring my whole family. In total, we are 11 siblings. Seven females and four males. Thankful for the family I have.
How many females are younger than you? -There are three younger than me. Yes, three.
Are you jealous, jealous, are you protective? -No, no, no, nothing like that. But yes.
How was it? What was the house like with Sandy, with such a large family? How did they have to share the house? -Are you asking me about the old days? Of course, everyone was young. -Look, those were difficult times, you know, but at the end of the day, happy and thankful. You know, those moments that happened with my brothers and sisters. You know, we had to share a bed. It was a two-room house. One room for my mom and dad, and I slept with two younger siblings, right?
Then there was another bed that we had to divide for almost everyone. Yes.
And then my dad sacrificed himself and bought a mattress. You know, the mattress for the bed, not the bed, but the mattress.
And we joined them and there we all slept in a row like hot dogs, right on top of the bread. And how, how did that connection come about? I imagine they had a greater connection, they had to all sleep together. During the daily sacrifices, right? Apart from your dad, your mom too, a very important person for everyone in your family. -Yes, my dad and my mom always, my mom is no longer here,
but my dad and my mom were always merchants. My dad worked on a farm.
My dad had animals. We lived on a corner. Right? And that corner was our house, and we had a patio,
you know, quite large. And there he was. He had a cow right there in the yard in our own house. He had his cow. And you took care of it? – Not me. He took care of the cow. You know, he milked it all morning at
4:00 and 5:00 in the morning. So, for breakfast, we each had a glass. A glass. Yes, a jug, like, I don’t know if you call it a jug too, right, a glass.
Yeah, the jug, yes, the jugs.
– Okay, we would wake up in turns. My dad would start at 4:30 and 5:00 in the morning
to organize his animals to start milking them, to get the milk out to give to a company that bought the milk.
Okay, we would take turns. I would get up, my dad would pour my milk into my glass,
I would drink it with a piece of bread, and go to bed. Now I had to get up without having to look for anything else to eat. Straight from the cow’s teat. The same thing happened with each of my other brothers. We would wake up, she would pour milk into the glass, we would drink it with bread,
and then we would go to bed. My mom always made money, you know, by trading. There at home she had a small business
that opened a window and sold things like chicken and rice, a mini-market, as we say here, a mini-market. But entrepreneurs, I mean, they were looking for… -ways for us to be able to eat every day. But my mom did that, she had that small business. As I told you,
they’ve always been merchants. From there, my mom also started out, like buying eggs in cartons, right?
She would buy them from the company that sold them the cheapest. She would put them up when she saw them,
and we would each go out to the street to sell them. You know? For example, she would send me my three cartons,
she would give me a knife, a small pot of salt, a bag of cut lemons, and I would go out to the street to sell my lemons.
Sorry, my eggs. I would go out, depending on the time, from 11 to 12 to 1 in the afternoon. In the morning, I would go out, sell my eggs, and return home. After I returned, you had to eat, storytell with your siblings, and play a little in the yard. I had to take a bath again.
Take a bath to go out and sell plantains. That was in the afternoon, right?
-Yes, it was in the afternoon because people would buy plantains to make their dinner, their fried, mangú,
and things like that. I got home, I had to take a bath to go out and sell the plantains.
And I wasn’t the only one who did that. Other siblings. -All my siblings did that. Female, male, even my older sister, who’s 40, 41, 42. She did that too. My oldest brother is also 37, and he did that. You understand? We already had the neighborhood mapped out. Look, I go to such and such a neighborhood, such and such a corner, that’s mine there. You don’t go through there.
Did everyone have their own area?
-Yes, but I’m truly happy with those moments. Those moments will always be here in my heart for the rest of my life. Truly, and thank God for all the opportunities He gives me every day.
To be able to talk with my brothers and sisters, and truly grateful. I imagine it must be a wonderful experience to see where you are right now, and then maybe also remember where you come from. -Of course, that’s why they say “Never forget where you come from.” Never. And that will always be with me. Even though one moves from the neighborhood and things like that, but that always has to be there. Have you returned yet?
-Of course, I always go. I don’t make much fanfare, you know, because things have changed, but I do go. We still have the house.
The same one? -We have the same house over there. My dad rents it out to different people. I don’t know what he does with the money, but he rents it out to different people.
He’s been buying, maybe he bought other cows. -He’s already tells apart that we already have a farm,
we have animals over there, it’s safer and really many things, many things in childhood that happened that make one feel happy. How nice, really, yes. I also know very well that after your mother physically passed away, your older sister didn’t take responsibility for many of you. Tell us a little about your sister. – I’ve always lived with my older sister. Always since
I was like 6 years old. 6, 7 years old. She lives in Monte Plata, which is like 40, 45 minutes from Santo Domingo. That’s where I was raised, that’s where I met my wife. Brothers went and everything. She didn’t take responsibility for everything, but she was there. You know, to give us our discipline, as we say. You know, to support us since she also needs support. You know, she tried to give us what she could,
but since my mom passed away, we have our dad there . You know, we’re all grown up.
The youngest in the house is 16 years old right now, almost 17. I think his birthday was today, yes.
He’s the youngest.
– Yes, he’s the youngest. I think he turned 17 today. Is he playing ball?
– Yes, he is playing. He hasn’t had many opportunities because he lives with my other sister, not the older one, but another one in Constanza.
I don’t know if you know where that is, yes. He’s there with her. She took responsibility for him and
he’s happy. He’s happy out there, he has his girlfriend out there. Yes, he’s studying.
He’s studying and we always keep talking. Yes, a little bit, you know, outside of…
About baseball or his…
– Yes, because there aren’t many opportunities out there. There aren’t many opportunities, you know?
I want to try to support him more, but imagine, no, no. Sandy. So, for example, your talent, you would say
that it was something like a gift, apart from being a gift from God, right? But you also, do you think that you developed it more or was it something like a, well, if I can explain myself a little better, that is,
those players, no, how would I say, like a Barry Bonds who says that, oh, it’s easy for him to
see the ball and hit it, maybe for you… -Look, I think I’m where I am because
I think it’s a purpose. I think there’s a purpose because of being 11 brothers, the only one who came out,
you know, who has had good, good results, is me. And I think that’s why I focus a lot. You know?
That’s why I try to take advantage of the opportunities they give me. You know?
Not to just go out there pitching and everything’s over. No, I do have to go out there and give my best, because,
“Hey, I’m going to pitch until I finish my game.” You know? And I believe God put me here to
help my family, from the youngest to the oldest, succeed.
And who —I mean, I don’t know if you could maybe name a few, but since God gave you this opportunity,
the position you’re in, maybe someone you have in mind right now who you’ve helped or guided,
maybe, but maybe in general, I don’t know, maybe you’ve done it more in baseball,
maybe you’ve also done it in your more personal life. The thing is, well, everyone talks about Eury, right?
It’s like, well, you’ve always helped Eury a lot. Or I don’t know if there are other players you’ve helped besides
Eury Pérez that you think of. – It’s just that Eury’s situation is different now. Yes, Eury’s situation is different.
We’re already in the same company. You know? We haven’t dealt with part of what it’s like on the field.
I help whoever wants to be helped. Because I’m not going to force you.
If I want to help you, I’m not going to force you. Do you understand? Eu. y learned and is learning
from the way I behave on the field, in the clubhouse, and off the field. You know?
That’s why I try to do things right so they can learn. You know? They can learn the way I learned too. Because I got here just like they are, they’re looking for an opportunity.
You understand? I remember I got here in 2018 at Spring Training. Everyone was new.
There was Realmuto, there was the first baseman, what’s his name? Justin Bour.
​​There was also, uh, there were a lot of them, you know? José Ureña. You know? I had to look because I also came from an organization
that I also looked at, and I saw the trajectory of all those people, you know?
From the approach they had, and I think that in that same way, not only Eury can learn. You know? All those new kids coming up can learn from me and each of my
other teammates as well. You understand? Not only can he also tell us that Sandy, since he’s the Marlins’ man,
we’re going to look to see what he does. No, but they can also look at who? Norby.
They can look at Hill. They can look at Otto. You understand? They can look at Jesús Sánchez. You understand?
But yes, there will be a difference. Yes, you can hear it, you can see it, they seem relaxed this year. They’re really relaxed. I said it the other day, making good on the la. What do they call this, the kite?
We call it the parrot, we call it in Venezuela. -We call it chichigua in Dominican. These people started making a
chichigua in the middle of the game. I mean, they’re there and I’m like, what’s going on?
Putting the sticks together? They started cutting the leaf afterwards. It’s a matter of, I even have photos of them so you can see that they’re relaxed, calm, right?
-Of course, those are moments that one has to take advantage of, you know? That was already childhood. And that’s still done in our countries. There are still people over 50, 40 years old who do it.
I was surprised by the skill, how quickly the got it to fly. -The experience, because we have it. We have since we were children. Since we were children, you know how to do your thing, eh,
but that decision came from Eury. Eury started doing his thing there at the hotel and blew up his things in the hotel. And he introduced me to him. We tried to fly it a long time ago. Before you saw it. We tried to fly it and it didn’t work. There’s the trick, there’s the trick.
-“Eury, throw that away, that’s no good, it won’t fly,” he says. “Calm down, there’s no breeze, boy. What is it?”
Wasn’t it the tail, wasn’t the tail too short? Yes, the tail was a little heavy, but that’s where the male joined in. Look, let’s make a new one. Oto arrived. What was the other one? Sánchez, Otto Eury, and I. We made it.
Well, engineer, there, all building. -And we went out and flew it and yes, good results. Yes, people were surprised. Of course, because that’s not normally seen. What are they doing back there? -But look, those are moments that one has to do it, you know?
Since that childhood we did that a lot. And we made it dangerous too because we put razors on it.
The little blade. -We put that razor on the tail. Yes, we put it on the tail because you
fly it and you put it in a kite figh with another person and it cuts it. Yes, but those are moments that one has to take advantage of a nd do it. I mean wow, imagine the skill. So you have the two kites up above the kites and with the blade you knock down the other one.
And be careful with the power lines, the power lines too. -There are many, there are many there in the Dominican Republic,
I don’t know if that also happens in Venezuela. They put a tail on every quarter, they put a razor on it. And if they see one around
that isn’t a friend or colleague who’s flying it, they throw it at it and cut it off. And they cut it off
and that’s laughable there, but imagine. That, that shows a lot of passion. There’s also passion there to be able to do it, a lot of dedication to put it on… -Of course because if you don’t dedicate the time, you don’t know how to put the sticks, how to tie it, how the cover goes. What you’re going to do is crazy, if I don’t do it like that, it won’t go up.
Look Sandy talking about the Dominican Republic, baseball already, what can I say, is very awesome. I’ve been several times.
You haven’t pitched in the Domican Republic? Would you like to go back? The World Baseball Classic is right around the corner.
I don’t know if those are the plans you have. -Of course, of course. I would like to, I would like to.
Since I had the opportunity many years ago, 15, 16 I think it was. Yes, yes, we’re looking at that.
-And who wouldn’t, who wouldn’t like to go pitch in their country. The adrenaline is very different. You know? The fans are different,
pitching with those fans heckling you. I think that’s something that separates you from what the Major League is with our league in our country. You know? The fans are very different.
There, you have to give more. You give it your all here. But there in the Dominican Republic, you have to give double. Yes, that’s why every Dominican, every Latino wants to pitch in their country. So that the fans can see that you want to do it. When you were there, did you feel more nervous when you pitched there
or when you pitched here for the first time? -When I pitch here for the Marlins or in the Majors for the first time?
Yes, in the Majors. In the Majors for the first time. -Here, here, the nervousness is different, of course. Yes, 100% Calmer, more peaceful. You did it there in St. Louis.
-And it’s different. You go there and he’s nervous, but the fact that you throw the first pitch you hear, “throw strikes!”, it’s different. But here I still remember myself. when I’m sitting in the bullpen when that phone rings, That my heart went like this. Above my jersey like that I said, oh my mother, don’t be me. No, “Allcántara” for me “huh?” Warm up!. Over there in San Francisco, that stadium, you know, with like 50,000, 1,000 fans, 30 something, I don’t know. – Hey, I was really warming up the bullpen. And I don’t even know how I was throwing strikes with the catcher, because at that time, they had the bullpen on the field. The catcher down there with his front facing over there to where the other catcher is who’s in the game and we have another person standing in case you throw a pitch that catches him and how can he not throw here? And I, I don’t know how I was throwing strikes. I don’t know. I warmed up really quick. They put me in the game. I did my job, they sneered at me and that’s it.
That’s cool! Well. you did it! You’re here now, a Cy Young. This one, ready for next year. For sure. We’ll see you around here with the World Baseball Classic,
against Venezuela at some point? You don’t know if it’s against Venezuela or Puerto Rico.
We don’t know yet. You know, we have to see, we have to see, we have to get there and win and advance. That’s what we want. Do you believe in fake news, fake news? There’s a lot, a lot of fake news everywhere on Twitter, Instagram, a lot of news. The last World Baseball Classic , there was like a fake news story out there that came out, I don’t remember what it said. I don’t know, it was a question of you, like, you had made a comment. Saying you knew the Venezuelans, something like that, but it was fake news.
– That’s what we’re going for. Come on, of course, 100%. Luis, 100%. Because if you go to YouTube and look for the
interview they did with me, at no point, and look, what I’m going to say now,
they would never have asked me that question anywhere, I’m going to refute a lot of people who are talking a lot of [__] out there. At no point, if you look for the interview on YouTube, which is all out there,
do you see me offending Venezuelans at any point. I know everyone.
I’ve played against everyone here in the Major Leagues. That’s what I said. Right? I have no reason to feel nervous, I don’t have to panic, I know everyone. At what point did I say that you guys are a [ __ ]? At what point did I say that you’re no good at batting?
Not at any point.
-You have to see that first, the interview, educate yourself, know how to interpret things, and then you have to judge the other person.
Do you understand? Because there are a lot of people out there in the news, not news,
on Instagram and Twitter who are talking a lot without knowing or without seeing the video or knowing what I said in the interview.
Yes, but that’s what happens. So there’s an interview and then they sort of grab something the person says… -They edit it. There are a lot of people who edit it
because right now, with the artificial intelligence that exists, everything can be edited. Everything.
You, you upload a selfie, right now, you upload a selfie, anyone takes that, that selfie shows you a girl behind you, you’ve never seen that. That selfie you took on the beach with the open sea, right?
And in the sea they show you a girl coming out of the water like that, so you can see Luis.
An emotion over there. Maybe they’ll show the selfie at Sandy’s Beach.
-Put it wherever you want, Luis, because, hey, no, that’s why, no, there’s no reason to believe everything you see on the media. Do you understand everything? And you have to watch the video and see at what moment I disrespected someone.
Yes, I wanted to tell you that because I remember that it was a matter of just coming out…
-At what moment?
You said to me, what’s this thing? What’s going on? -And a message, Luis, a message from the same professional players. Luis. A message from the players. And since I’m a professionally educated person, you know? Who knows how to behave. What did I do? I ignored it, nothing happened.
I think it was also a learning curve for the rest, for the rest too. I mean, whoever saw that and threw you out, you know what I mean? I think they also have to learn, like, look, I can’t just keep believing
everything out there. – It’s not like right now people believe everything, Luis.
Yes.
– Now look, sorry to interrupt you right now. you and I are talking. And you saw that I told you a minute ago about [ __ ]. Right now they think I’m talking [ __ ] about you. Or about any other person.
Exactly. Maybe they put that on you and they’re talking [_] in it and …
-He looks at you, this one is already talking, do you understand? Because people first have to know how to interpret things in order to judge.
I think that exactly you have to see the, the, what they call the big picture here, like for one to be able to have it very close. -After this interview you go and watch the video and you go and look for me there during the game or after the game and he says to me “Look, nothing comes out here. You didn’t say anything here.” That’s what I said. No, don’t make anything up. Don’t make anything up.
-No, no, no, don’t make this up at home. Sandy, then, how do you control that passion then also that those emotions of the game, well, my question is, have you cried in a game because of anger, because of emotions, because…? -Look, I haven’t cried, I haven’t cried for him, the only moment…
Or was it of joy too? That I’ve cried was when my mom died. You know?
But I’m a tough man, I have a heart like stone, as we say, you know? I don’t cry for any game that goes badly for me.
Yes, I get angry if I make a face, but no. No, I don’t cry. Why if this is a game?
That’s what we’re here for, to have ups and downs. To learn from the mistakes you make,
and always keep your focus, your head held high. Yes, I imagine that’s the question. I’m a crybaby.
Well, I don’t know if maybe I’ll cry a little bit, crybaby. -Yes, one day, one day it did happen to me. In the 2020 playoffs. That’s where I wanted to go. That’s where I wanted to go.
-Against Atlanta there in Houston, you know? The way we lost, I don’t think it was very pleasant for me or for the team, you know?
And that filled me up inside and I had to sit down in my locker and vent.
That was a day that yes, you know? But it wasn’t like that for a reason, no. Yes, that’s where I wanted to get to,
that’s why I was doing that because it was so frustrating that day, uh, because nobody wants to lose.
-And not in the way we lost, Luis, you know?
Losing the first, losing the second, and going home. Because at least if we win the first or win the second, we’re, you know?
Battling, but it was pam pam pam. There have been successes. There have been successes. That 2020 was crazy, but it was a successful season. -It was really crazy because we lost all the veterans, we lost all the best players.
All of them. And Cervelli, who wasn’t helping that much, uh, they took him out of…
-All the best players, Luis. All of them. But that doesn’t happen either because we’re the idiots we are. Because if we are in a COVID situation, what are we doing eating in the same place? Can you imagine, yes, everyone eating there? Eating in the same place, sharing, but no, we don’t think,
we never think about that, Luis. We think we’re not in the hotel. We’re just among ourselves.
And everyone was negative too. Yes, we were all negative because we were on the team. We had the rules right, we followed them very well. No, that’s not going to hurt us because we’re always together and we’re sharing here. And there they started the call the other day..
“ring, your positive up! Ring your positive. Yo, oh my God! Yeah but imagine that These are things that one learns Look, it hasn’t happened anymore. And in 2023, what we did was very nice. He was over there in the middle of the action.
We are here recording with full game in a full game eh with the Yankees
we are playing an exhibition and if you listen to a little noise so you can see that this is in full action
We are live, and direct. -Feeling the adrenaline from.
Okay, me talking about that I asked you about your talent but about your talent that God gave you,
but what if he hadn’t given it to you at all. Sandy was throwing 70 miles per hour only.
What would become of Sandy today? I don’t know Luis. I don’t know that I think he would have the same dedication.
But he wouldn’t have the same results. Do you understand?
Because what I am today is not the same A pitcher, a good pitcher who knows how to pitch who throws 100 who throws 99. That’s a pitcher who knows how to throw 80 85. Do you understand? I think they’re two different things. It’s like I told you,
if I didn’t have what I have now, I don’t think I would be here. I don’t think I would be here. I don’t know if I were pitching for the Independent League. Or nobody knows. But if I didn’t have that talent for baseball, what else would you have done? I was a good student. I was studying because in our countries, you study and play baseball. Or play another sport in case you don’t make it in school, you make it in the other sport. But in our country, the Dominican Republic,
the year I signed right now is completely different. Now you sign, you go to the academy, there they give you classes, you finish your studies at the academy. Not before. Before, you signed and you had to leave school.
You had to leave school and that was it. No more studying for you. Now focus on the academy, work, dedicate yourself to get as far as God lets you go.
Yes, and now they have a little cushion there to at least finish high school? -Yes, no, yes, like I’m telling you, now they give you the class, they give you the exams in there, you can take your class online.
At the time when I filmed, there wasn’t that. None of that. Well, yes, you went to the Marlins academy a little while ago. Very nice. -Yes, very nice. I think it’s, if not the best, I think it’s one of the best. Right now, the Academy is in the Dominican Republic.
No, it looks like they’re doing good work. -Yes, good work the engineers did and the owners made a good decision.
Yes, no, look, you’re a [ __ ] that I’ve seen you, for example, in 2018, eh, I think there’s a photo out there that I don’t know what I was doing, eh, no, 19, when I was interpreting for you in an interview. I don’t know why I’m acting as your translator there. But your English is very good, it’s improved a lot over all these years. I told you again, this year your English is great. -Of course, Luis, because you have to learn it. But how did you work on that? I mean, because you’re telling me you didn’t have the high school
education they’re offering right now in the academies. But you have a level of English
that you really put your heart into, right? You worked hard. How did you do it?
-Of course, because when I arrived here in the United States, especially there in Jupiter, there aren’t many Latinos. When I arrived here, it was very difficult for me. You know? Going out to
order my food, my dinner. You know? Communicating with my classmates. Sorry. I think it was something I put into my head, and thank God we’re already advanced. Not that I have perfect English, but I do
know how to communicate with my classmates, not just with my classmates, but with anyone out there. You know? I think I focused a lot on that. And I think it’s very important not only for me,
but for all those Latinos who are arriving here in the United States and in our countries.
Right now in our country, they’re teaching a lot of English. There are many people who are speaking English as a second language. Yes, especially in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Mexico.
There are many people who speak perfect English. Yes, no. And in the end, you have to defend yourself here, right? And the way to defend yourself is by learning English. Because I remember how, when I arrived here, I’d already been here for a
few months, and I had to go out and order food. At that time, there was no Uber Eats or anything like that.
At that time, Uber wasn’t even the Yellow Cab. I don’t know if you remember. Those taxis. The Yellow Cabs. Yellow Cabs? They brought food to the house. They were Ubers. I was so panicked and scared, I hardly ever called. I didn’t go out, I didn’t order my food online. I had to walk to Publix, which was a two-minute walk from the hotel. And right there was Chipole, which was about five minutes away. Look, one question also, what’s the obsession with Chipotle? What’s that thing? Why do all Latinos have… – Look, that doesn’t matter to me anymore. You know, I can eat whatever I want . But before, yes, before, that was what helped us and it’s still helping a lot of young kids who are coming from the Marlins, from St. Louis, from Houston. You know? Kids who don’t have the money to buy a good lunch or a good dinner. They go to Chipolle which costs $7-$12 bucks, the most expensive. Like, you see, do you understand, and it’s a meal? which is healthy. I say healthy because they throw in a lot of vegetables.
You know, a good sponsor for the podcast when we talk like this.
Chipotle has been building baseball players since 2012. -Yeah, yeah, Chipotle already knows everyone. You see the van stops over there and they ask, “Hey! Bring the rice! Yeah, Luis, look, I think Chipotle has helped
a lot and it’s still helping. Not for free, but because you have to pay, but because it’s cheap. You know? And going back, my fear before was that I had to go out . Go out, and I didn’t want to make a mistake, like talking to someone and offending them without knowing how to communicate. I would put a zipper on my mouth, using my cell phone, which I had to use. I would go to Publix or I would go to Chipotle,
the way I ordered, because at the Publix in the back where they have the cheeses and salamis and
that thing. You know? Deli there. Yeah, and there they have like a mini Subway, I think it’s something like that, right?
A chicken tender sub. Hey, and I would get there and they would ask me like, “Hey, what do you want?” And I was like, what are these people telling me? “Hey, what do you want? What do you need, homie?” And I would wave my finger at him. He would say that and I would do it. But thank God things are different now.
Now I go to any kid who needs help, I help him. Yes, I remember, I don’t know which baseball player it was, brother. There are so many true stories. There was a baseball player who I think went to, I’m not going to say his name, but he went fishing once and they asked him why he caught a catfish. And he would ask him… – The fish with the whiskers? Yeah, and I would say, “But what did you catch, what did you catch?” And he would say, “A fish.” A fish. A fish. What fish? A fish meow. A fish meow. There are many of those. There are many stories like that. -Yes, there are many stories that if you start telling them, look, they are yes, many stories. Brother, talking about a lot of baseball, all that, but how is your perfect day, like, a day when you’re not playing? Like, how could you describe your day? perfect? ​​
– A perfect day for me would be being at home relaxing, you know? With the family resting. Without stopping in the kitchen.
You know? Chilling. Playing video games, watching TV, reading a book, reading the Bible.
Communicating with your children. I think a perfect day for me would be that, you know? I do read the Bible, but I’m inconsistent. You understand? I don’t know if you understand what I’m saying.
Of course, you read it more like, that routine you have or you go and look for it like for peace of mind, to look for some kind of guidance, orientation, I don’t know.
– I think for peace of mind, you know, you know, distance yourself a little bit from what the media. You know? Thinking crazy things like…
No, and sometimes it even talks to you, like suddenly you’re like, you read a verse and it’s like it’s talking to you?
-Pretty strong. Recently, well, I started singing on the Clubhouse to try to cheer you guys up a little. So, every episode I want to ask each player more or less a question of music, right? Well, a couple of questions. Who are you listening to? Who do you like to listen to in music right now lately? -But you say in general or before the game or during the…
No, not during the game, right? In general like that. Maybe as if I were listening to music for your house. Or maybe before the game. Or are they different
types of music that you listen to? -Well, at my house, no, we don’t listen to music.
No, at my house, music is not listened to. At my house, the TV is on because the kid is watching his cartoon,
but no, we don’t listen to music at home. If I’m driving, I put on some music and then everyone goes.
Everything? Don’t you have anything specific? Do you have a playlist? Now I’m going to give you another thing, look. If they’re going to give you a million dollars to set up a stage, do a concert, you have to sing a song. What song do you sing? -For a million dollars?
Of course, because you’re a very famous artist.You’re bigger than Bad Bunny. -I think I would sing “Cree En Él.” Yes, it’s about God. How does that go?
-It says “He who believes in Him, believes in him…” I don’t know if you’ve heard it? Oh, believe in him, believe in him. I like it! I like it! Millions of dollars and sing that music? I’d make 2 million there. What movie are you maybe thinking about and you see it and you say, well, I’m going to see it again, you can see it up to 1,000 times… -Not a thousand times, Luis. I can do it again twice, not on the same day, but…
no, but that’s why I say one, the first one, so you don’t get tired of it, or something. -My favorite is I am Legend by Will Smith. Hey, you met him last year, right?
-Yes, that movie from the first day I saw it many years ago, that old movie. And now they’re releasing the sequel. No, Will Smith already died in the first one. I don’t think so.
-Yes, it was really sad that he had to break the neck of his own dog.
Hey, it’s true.
-Yes, but imagine, that’s part of his role, right? Yes, the dog, okay. You can come to Bark at the Park too if you want. Okay? Yes. That movie is very good. Yes, I would do it again. I’ve already seen it like three times. Very good. I really do. I like the part when he’s already delirious, he goes to a supermarket
to buy something and sees a girl, but it’s not a girl, it’s like a mannequin that he sees with
hair and stops and says, “Wow, wow.” You know, like talking to him.
And he tells you when people go crazy when they don’t have… – Yes, delirious like he was. Then I also liked another bit where
he’s driving and suddenly stops and sees like another mannequin that he left in the store and says,
“What are you doing here if I already left you in the store?” You understand, and maybe a trap.
Yeah, but it was really funny. He was driving the man crazy. And there’s no TV series
like that that caught you, you say… – Yes, uh, there’s one that I already finished completely. It’s called “The Walking Dead.” I saw that in a month, I finished everything.
No, but it’s long. That’s long. How many episodes are those, like…
-The first episode has like 12, the first episode, sorry, it has like 12 chapters. Oh, the first season.
-Yes, the first season has like 12, like 12. Do you understand? And it’s like, I don’t know how many,
like 15 seasons I think. I don’t know, it’s a lot. You have to watch The Last of Us.
-Ah, The Last of Us. I only saw one episode.
The new season is on the way. Yes, but I haven’t started watching it completely.
That’s one that you try to save for when you’re traveling. You have your trip, your laptop, all quiet.
What do you do on trips, when you’re on the plane? -Chilling. Chilling. I usually arrive, grab my fruit. I always carry my bottle. I don’t like to be asking for a drink, bothering anyone. On the plane,
“Look, give me this drink?” To the flight attendant, “Get me this?”
No, I always carry my bottle. I always carry my Don Julio. With my Blue. I don’t know if you can say this here, tequila.
We need sponsors. -Yeah, you edit that. And I sit there chilling in my chair, ask the flight attendant for an ice cube with a lemon inside, and I take my drink chilling there, watching my movie. I don’t stand there except to play cards. I stand between times to walk to the back, you know, to mess around , see the back, mainly with you. When we go to West Coast, when we have to go to the other places, to Los Angeles… -I’m chilling, Luis. Chilling there, sitting there.
That’s something I really remember… -You know, I’m chilling.
It’s very chilling, and by the way, sometimes you see how the players sometimes change, you know? And I’ve seen that. Sandy has always gone to the back of the plane to greet the staff. Since I’ve been here with you guys in 2019. One time we were even playing Heads-up. Do you remember? When we agreed to Heads-up.
-Yeah, about that little thing where you start saying the names that appear on the phone.
-Kyle told me “You’re an idiot.” He told me that day because it was, I think it was Ted Williams,
the answer, and him and the best hitter. That’s the question, and I was like, “What?”
David Ortiz from Boston. David Ortiz and no, “Ted Williams, you idiot.” Uh, well, you talked about video games, let’s talk about that part.
You’re a guy who seems to be really good at that stuff.
-I’m not, I’m not the best, but I think I’ve had quite a bit of experience playing the same game.
Yes, I do consider myself a gamer. I have my setup at home. I have a room with everything:
the camera, sound equipment, lights, everything. And where can we follow you then to see that, what are the handles, is that Twitch? -I have Twitch. Before in the off-season the year before last, I did it a lot. Last year I did it a few times. Uh, I do it on Twitch, I do it on TikTok, I do it on Facebook, I was doing it on Twitter. Yes, I think I was one. I was one, I think, when they updated that Elon Musk bought Twitch. Yes. “X”. They put there that they can now do broadcasts.
I was one of those who started making videos on Twitter to broadcast. Uh, I also do it, and I already said TikTok, right, and all those things like that. Yes, TikTok, on YouTube too. Yes, but I’m not that consistent in doing it,
but it is something that I like to do, you know? I think I share with the fans. What I don’t answer is questions. A lot of fans get in there and say to me, “Look, a question for you.” I say, “Yes, tell me, talking to him and playing.” And when they do an interrogation, I say, “No, don’t ask me baseball questions here.” Yes because really that annoying guy you’re there blowing a bunch of people’s heads off, “piu piu piu” and you and suddenly they want you… -Hey, what do you think, what do you think about Barry Bonds? ” I said, “Hey, no baseball questions here.” I put it like that and he keeps playing. I’m here to play, have fun, get away from everything and enjoy.
And do you play with any teammates? -No teammates from here, from us.
Or from another team?
-None, but with many teammates from the Dominican Republic, from Venezuela, from Mexico, from Colombia, Puerto Rico. Yes, I have many teammates. In the game, yes. Because in a game where you can talk, you play with 100 players. But if you go on the plane because they all leave on a plane and from the plane they have to jump to the map. If you put it on everything there you hear everything. From everything, you hear there, bad words, everything. And you go talking with your four teammates because they are a squad of four. You go, you talk to your teammate, look there one here, there’s another there, there’s an enemy here.
Come help me here. But when you don’t have a teammate and you put him in everything,
you can talk to him because he comes closer. It’s a game that is well organized.
Which is that one? PUBG?
-PUBG.
You don’t play that more than Call of Duty. I hardly play Call of Duty. I do play on bad days but PUBG is day and night. I dedicate up to 7, 8 hours to it.
For example, I remember 2020 was with Pablito, Pablo López, he really liked that Call of Duty.
I don’t know if right now I have time without playing that. And Eléiser. Elieser Hernández.
-Elieser played PUBG. I don’t know, I don’t know what happened. Yes, it seems like he stopped playing it.
Awesone. And now they are pool players. -How so?
Down there, the table you put, now they go to play pool.
-Ah, you say in the clubhouse, yes. I had that table at my house there in Jupiter. And since I didn’t want to leave it there alone. You know? I would arrive and play alone there at home. I said, “Let me take this to the clubhouse to see if at least one of us can have some fun. You know? And look, it did give good results.
We’ve played a lot. The guys like it. But what are they playing? What’s that system like? Well, I saw
there that it was kind of complicated. I mean, they play normal stripes and solids.
-Yes, it was a little complicated because you don’t want to lose. There you have to try to make the table
crazy as much as you can. Yes, because if you fail and fail badly, you can give your opponent an advantage. Of course, you make it very easy for them.
-You understand? But I was playing with Sánchez with Eury. Yeah, we had a good time. I mean, now you have to, what’s 28? And I took one off you. 29. I took one off you. And I was looking at Kershaw’s numbers, Max Scherzer’s numbers, Verlander’s numbers. I say, you have
a chance to put up some very good numbers by the end of your career. So imagine when that moment
comes, you don’t stop playing baseball, how do you want the fans, the fans in
general, to remember you? -That they remember me, just like they remember that legend, you know, mainly in my country. Juan Marichal. A Juan Marichal, a Pedro Martínez. Here, how do they remember, I don’t know, this pitcher Roger Clemens. You know? A person who dedicated everything, you know, on the field, off the field, with the fans, with his family. A person who liked to compete. He liked to compete without It doesn’t matter the game situation. You know? That they remember me that way. The same way I worked out there. A worker. You know? Who was dedicated.
And how do you think the people in the front office, that is, the staff because the coaches, also the players, are going to remember you? -I think as a good person. A good teammate. You know? Mainly
the teammates, the coaches who deal with me every day. Not just the staff up here in the front office. You know? I don’t share much with them? But my career does continue to sell the way I perform out there. But my teammate and the staff who have treated me
down there, I think that way. A good teammate. A person who was dedicated and a good worker.
Yeah, well, what I know about you, like that, eh, no, you’re a [ __ ] who
doesn’t say much. I mean, maybe you keep to yourself a little bit and when you say it at another
time. But you are a guy who, with actions, shows who he is.
-Yes, I remember that I got my first tattoo like 10 or 12 years ago. Like 10 years ago I think, yes. It says “Work hard and quietly and let yourself make the noise.” My first tattoo was done here. That’s
here. I won’t show it to you because this doesn’t go up. And I think based on that tattoo, I think I
reflect myself. You know? Because I like to work. Let the person tell the lie they want. Let them talk
as badly as they want about me. Let them talk all the [__] they want about me. But I know what
I’m doing. I know what I want. I know the dedication and I know that when I go out there I give
the best of myself, you understand? That’s why I think I got that tattoo because I think it’s part of
myself. You know? I work, you see me working. You do something wrong, I’m not going to
correct you. And to end today, another question I want to ask everyone.
I think it helps a lot, mentally. What would you say to Sandy of 2012?
– What would I say to Sandy in 2012? Look, I’m very proud, very grateful for him. You know? Despite everything that happened. Everything that’s happened. The good results. The good things. You know? Everything he’s done for his family. The sacrifices. The hard work. I think that’s what I’ve felt, I’m very proud of him. And I hope he continues doing it if he’s still in this. If he’s still in this, keep doing it. Because if God put him there, he can go far, right?
Great. Thanks, brother. No, thanks to you, really. That’s what we’re here for. To talk, have good conversations. To make great memories. To talk about our memories, you know? From childhood. Yeah, that’s what podcasts are about, to talk and vent.
And have a good conversation, and well, let’s hope that many more people join us here in this space, as I said. And well, thank you all, really. [Music] [Music]

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