 12/01/2003 7:46 AM ET
Baseball Festival courts fans
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By Joe Connor / Special to MLB.com
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MEXICALI, Mexico -- Up until recently, Alfredo Flores didn't know much about baseball, having been raised in a country where soccer is king. But Flores' sports interests changed dramatically on Nov. 22 and 23, when the 11-year-old Mexicali native participated in the two-day Baseball Festival at Estadio Nido de Los Aguilas, an event organized by Major League Baseball International and sponsored by Tecate.
Designed to explain the game of baseball to new fans in a fun, interactive outdoor setting, the Baseball Festival enables youngsters to participate in a series of games for a chance to win great prizes, including Major League baseballs, hats, pennants and T-shirts. These activities include taking swings at a T-ball station and taking hacks in one of two batting cages. Additional "stations" where participants collect points to win prizes include a mini-field and two pitching cages.
For Flores, the highlight was definitely the pitching cage, where he had enough success firing fastballs at the strike-zone target to proclaim his new favorite position.
"He'd like to be a pitcher," said Michael Cafaro, MLB International event coordinator, who acted as Flores' interpreter. "He says this experience has given him the confidence and the desire to play baseball now."
Cafaro is a firsthand witness to the positive impact that the Baseball Festival is having on wooing converts to the sport. Responsible for coordinating events throughout Latin America, Cafaro managed the 200-by-200-square-foot setup throughout Mexico and also in Puerto Rico, where MLB International hosted the Baseball Festival as part of 2003 Expos home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. Since 1997 the Baseball Festival has visited other sites in Latin America, including Maracay and Caracas, Venezuela, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as well as other parts of Mexico, including Navajoa, Monterey and, earlier this year, Mexico City.
"The kids just love it," he explained. "This brings out all of those elements of why we love baseball, and does so in a really fun forum."
As in Puerto Rico and with other events, the Baseball Festival in Mexicali was held in conjunction with actual games -- in this case, Mexican Winter League games being played at the stadium. Cafaro and his crew set up shop on the third-base side of the main concourse. Participants enjoy the stations at no charge, and Cafaro added that his crew is usually located outside a ballpark, in an adjacent parking lot, so a ticket to that day's game is not required, either.
Once inside the Baseball Festival, participants visit the registration table to fill out a "game prize card." This automatically enters them into raffles that are held throughout the day. The card also serves as a station checklist for participants, with each activity assigned a value based on participants' success.
Mexicali resident Alejandro Gonzalez, 9, liked the format, especially at the mini-field, where he smacked five home runs. The little league first baseman was soon carrying around a plethora of Major League Baseball pennants and hats after he turned in his game prize card at the "prize dugout."
"My favorite thing is hitting home runs out of this field," said Gonzalez, pointing to the outfield where he crushed five long balls. "It's great coming here. I also liked the batting cage and pitching machine."
More than 3,000 youngsters, mostly under 13, took part in the Baseball Festival over its two-day run in Mexicali. Cafaro emphasized that every participant took home more than one prize, regardless of performance. Participants are also allowed to go through the stations as many times as they want.
But perhaps the biggest highlight of the Baseball Festival isn't the games themselves, but player appearances.
Mexicali Eagles players came out to sign autographs, and at events in Puerto Rico earlier this year, the likes of Jose Vidro and Roberto Hernandez came out to greet fans. Cafaro said that the Puerto Rican fans were particularly grateful for the appearances ofm two of their native sons, as Vidro is from Mayaguez and Hernandez is from Santurce. Vidro even put on an impromptu fundamentals clinic for youngsters.
"The highlight for everyone is the player appearance," said Cafaro. "We try to do player autographs for 15 minutes, twice a day."
The Baseball Festival originated as a result of the annual Major League Fan Fest held during All-Star Game festivities. Since the festival's inception, it has visited Europe, Asia and Australia, including Nuremberg and Frankfurt, Germany; Bristol, Brighton, London, Manchester and Nottingham, England; Tokyo, Japan; Beijing, China; and Sydney and Perth, Australia.
Joe Connor is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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