One aspect of baseball that I find interesting is the sport’s multicultural nature.
When I was a kid I collected baseball cards of my beloved Los Angeles Dodgers. Stars like Duke Snider, Wally Moon, and Don Drysdale had easy names to remember and spell.
Today, the Dodgers’ roster contains Hispanic players’ names like Miguel Rojas (Venezuela), Andy Pages (Cuba), Enrique “Kiké” Hernández (Puerto Rico) and Teoscar Hernandez (Dominican Republic).
This fact certainly could impact certain aspects of “America’s Pastime.” For example, during the seventh inning stretch, (a point in the game when numerous baseball fans are commonly injured since it’s the first time they’ve exercised since last season) they may some day sing, “Buy me some cacahuetes and galleta salada jotas, I don’t care if I never get back.” It has sort of a different ring to it, don’t you think?
Another more recent change in the Dodgers’ roster is the growing number of Asian players. Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki are quickly becoming household names, though possibly in a variety of pronunciations.
Due to the different languages in the game, I’m puzzled as to why the pitcher and catcher hold their gloves over their mouths when they have a conference on the mound. What are the chances that the Padres’ Manny Machado will be able to read Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s lips?
The Dodgers currently employ two Japanese-language interpreters assigned to their star players. While standard MLB interpreters earn between $80,000 and $150,000 annually, star player personal interpreters do much better, with earnings ranging from $300,00 to $500,000 per year.
It’s an incredibly attractive job for a bilingual baseball fan when one considers benefits such as team allowances, travel stipends, and bonuses. Not to mention, getting to hang out in the dugout during games and the thrill of walking out to the mound in front of thousands of fans.
One drawback to the various nationalities so ubiquitous in MLB is the difficulty companies now have trying to fit players’ last names on baseball jerseys for fans to purchase.
Since it was certainly easier fitting “Moon” than “Yamamoto”!
