By Héctor López Neri
We all had the same objective 22 years ago and our paths brought us together at Amphitheater High School in Tucson, Arizona.
The six of us were athletes: we played baseball in different leagues in Hermosillo and decided to emigrate to the United States to pursue the dream of one day playing in the Major Leagues.
To begin our journey, we had to follow the rules of the American school: study and get grades above seven to be considered part of the Panthers representative team.
Each of us faced different situations that strengthened us, like when Rolando was deported for not having his papers in order and had to find a way to return to school.
Other situations were more relaxed, like after one of the first practices when I came with my teammates to ask them who the hell "Fellas" was, that player who always stood out and who in every practice the coach said: "good job Fellas" (good job guys). Since then I've been Fellas and the protagonist of one of the stories we tell every time we see each other.
Under the pretense of baseball, the six of us from Sonora started in the state of Arizona a stage that defined much of what we are today and that each of us, in our own way, plays in the Major Leagues.
Two months ago, Pablo decided to gather in a WhatsApp group (which he named "Los Mueltos") the six baseball players who in the 90s met at Amphi. At that moment, it was a virtual reunion to stay in touch, to know where each of us was and what we were doing.
In the first messages, we caught up and shared photos from our playing days and our families.
I knew roughly where each of us was; I had run into Rolando two or three times, who kept me informed about the lives of his two compadres: Efraín and Maytorena, who live in Sonora.
I had seen Pablo almost 10 years ago near Los Angeles, California, where he works as a veterinarian and has two children.
Rolando works at a communication company in Los Angeles, California, he's married and has four children.
Efraín lives in Guaymas, Sonora, with his wife and three children and works at a private company.
Maytorena has lived in different states of Mexico and returned to Hermosillo a few years ago, where he lives with his wife and two children.
The sixth player is Erubiel, he played baseball in the Major Leagues for several teams and in 2001 won the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Yankees.
He was in the WhatsApp group for a few days before being dropped for inactivity.
After several hundred messages, Pablo proposed getting together with our families to spend two or three days together.
The idea was soon seconded and in less than two weeks the venue for the I Summit of "Mueltos" ex Panthers was ready: San Carlos, Sonora.
It would be a weekend of fellowship where someone else brought up the possibility of playing a baseball game against a local team and reliving the best years when we had an enviable physical condition.
Each of us played a different position.
Efraín
He was a pitcher and one of the best prospects in the country at his position. At Amphitheater he threw a perfect game. His career ended when he dislocated his shoulder sliding headfirst into a base.
Maytorena
Also a pitcher, with a strong fastball and forkball that got him out of trouble against opposing batters. He even won a home run derby in Las Vegas.
Rolando
The lead-off batter of the team thanks to his speed. He played center field and was selected for the Mexican national team.
Pablo
He didn't have the greatest talent for baseball, but he never gave up and found his place on the team staff.
Erubiel
He was the fourth batter of the team. His path to professional baseball was through the Mexican League and not through the student draft.
Me
I finished my studies in Tucson and was selected for two all-star teams.
I was offered a partial scholarship to play at Pima Community College, but the aid percentage was insufficient to remain in the United States and I returned to Mexico in 1993.
The almost 20 kilometers between Guaymas and San Carlos automatically made Efraín and his family the hosts.
The plan was to play a seven-inning game.
We tried to get back into shape a few weeks earlier and find an opponent who would provide competition without showing too much our lack of practice.
The opposing team turned out to be a nine-player team between 20 and 25 years old.
My objectives were clear:
But the plan changed.
We weren't so "Mueltos" (Broken Up)
The game started with us on defense.
Soon we were down 3-0 due to our own errors.
But little by little we gained confidence.
Pablo hit a perfect squibber down the third base line and managed a single that we celebrated like it was a home run.
Maytorena pitched two innings without allowing a clean run and hit two singles.
Rolando and I played the entire game.
We entered the seventh inning down by one run.
I received a walk and then Rollie hit a line drive between left and center field.
I scored the tying run.
Rollie kept running and made it to home plate with the go-ahead run.
We finally won 7-5.
Nineteen years later, the ex Panthers got back together.
The last time had been at Rolando's wedding.
The best memories of the reunion have to do with those baseball days and how we overcame living in a country different from our own.
After a few beers, the "what ifs" also appeared.
But one thing became clear:
Each of us is what we are thanks to that trip to Tucson.
And the biggest mistake we made was letting 19 years pass before getting back together.
"I like running and traveling; if I can do both at the same time, it will surely be a great experience."
At age 17, I emigrated to the United States to study and play baseball. I did both, and after graduating, I decided to return to Mexico to continue my Bachelor's degree in Communication.
I continued playing baseball at a lower level (I went from training every day to a couple of times a week). I enrolled in university, and there sports were far from a priority. I had enough time to maintain good grades, take care of my half-scholarship, and train in baseball.
At the university, the baseball level was low, very low, so I decided to join the track and field team to satisfy my desire to compete and stand out. I participated for a couple of years in sprint events, 100 and 200 meters, and on one occasion I sneak into regional competitions in these events. However, my priority was school and baseball.
During that period, I enjoyed my best physical condition, and it was reflected on the diamond, where I could easily get an extra base thanks to the speed I developed through track and field.
I graduated, started professional projects, and drifted away from sports for almost five years before returning to athletics, this time recreationally with light jogs whenever work allowed it, about three times a week. Even so, I signed up for several 10-kilometer races. A real challenge.
In late 2011, I dared to set myself a bigger challenge: to run a marathon in 2012. It would be in November and in New York. During those months of training, I was able to do what I like: running and traveling, or rather, seek competitions in other cities, go and run.
In this space, I share what this new phase of sport has meant in my life, which, although it wasn't far from what I did in my student days, did involve adjustments worth documenting.