Javy Báez: Struggling yet still loved
By Ramona Arce
On August 2, 2017, Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Steve Blass and his colleagues were talking about players they like to root for. “Oh, anybody but Javier Báez,” said Blass in a serious tone of voice.
It’s sad, but not too surprising, that some older, non-Latino baseball fans disapprove of Javy’s so-called “Latin flair.” Too many take offense, thinking he’s a cocky player who is being disrespectful to the game of baseball.
If you watch closely, Javy doesn’t play dirty, and he’s certainly not disrespectful of his opponents. If anything, he simply swings at too many bad pitches, going 0-fer in the first eight games of this postseason.
Otherwise, he plays the game his way, just as he did when he was learning it in Puerto Rico. Born in Bayamón, he grew up in a hotbed of baseball, close to the northern coastal towns of Vega Baja and Manatí that produced legends like Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez and Carlos Beltrán, respectively. In that part of the island, you better have game.
If you can put aside your assumptions and stop comparing him to the low-key style practiced by many past players, you might instead appreciate Javy’s obvious love for baseball and find it infectious. Or even likable.
There’s an irony here, since Báez honed his game in the States. His family moved to Florida in 2005 when he was 12 so his sister, Noely, could get medical treatment for spina bifida. They lived in the Jacksonville area, which has more in common with the Deep South than with Miami and the Caribbean.
During his senior year in high school, Javy hit a whopping .771, tallying 64 hits in 83 at-bats. His all-around talents drew the scouts’ attention, and he was selected by the Chicago Cubs as the ninth pick in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft.
As both a lifelong Cubs fan and a Puerto Rican, I was beyond excited when Báez joined the organization and folks began touting him as a potential game-changer. I watched Javy’s journey through the minors with anticipation, expecting him to end up at Wrigley Field, where he’d make spectacular plays to help my Cubs finally end their legendary dry spell.
The Cubs finally promoted Báez to the majors on August 5, 2014. That day, in his very first game, he blasted a solo home run in the 12th inning to give the Cubs a 6-5 victory over the Rockies at Colorado. Talk about making a grand entrance.
However, a broken thumb combined with a free-swinging style and too many strikeouts led to a demotion back to the minors. Things didn’t click for Javy until the following season, during the 2015 playoff run, when he hit a home run in Game 4 of the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals. And once he became a staple in the 2016 lineup — boy, did he deliver. He is as much part of the Cubs’ championship team as anyone else.
Chants of “Javy! Javy! Javy!” were this summer a daily occurrence at Wrigley Field. And what’s not to love about him? From game-winning home runs to ridiculous defensive plays, he’s elegant and magnificent on the field. And let’s not forget the gall he had to steal home during the 2016 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers — a postseason first for the Cubs. It’s no surprise that he was named co-MVP of that series; he was a human highlight reel.
Javy represented Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic this past March. Who could forget all his memorable plays? The most noteworthy would probably be the no-look tag at second base of Nelson Cruz and the instantaneous celebration of said tag — a moment that went viral and became an instant meme.
But as a Cubs fan who has followed Báez for some time now, I can tell you that these types of tags have become routine for Báez. He already has lengthy compilation videos showcasing his lightning-fast moves and distinctive pizzazz.
To me, Báez’s electricity and passion seem so Puerto Rican, like when he wagged his finger at another passionate Latino, the Dodgers’ Cuban right fielder Yasiel Puig, after tagging him out at second base. The pure joy, excitement, and style that Báez brings to the game remind me of the unique qualities of boricua life — our special sazón, or seasoning. It’s the same zest for living that we bring to everything, from our salsa music to our flavorful dishes like arroz con gandules and pasteles.
From a bat toss after an electrifying home run to raucous fist bumps after he tags out a base runner to jumping up and down in the dugout when a teammate does something spectacular; everything Javy does has sazón.
When I watch Javy, I feel connected and proud of my heritage. When I watch Javy, it takes me back to my childhood, when I first became passionate about baseball. As an adult, I am the Cubs fan who celebrates every home run, or yells excessively at the television after a missed call. I’m passionate and extremely loud. It’s like I’m managing the game, second-guessing everything manager Joe Maddon does.
Baseball should be fun. It’s a game, a game I have loved and cherished since I was a young girl playing first base and outfield at the Boys and Girls Club.
Javy understands it’s just a game — a sport that he loves and respects, but at the end of the day, still a game. Baseball is still one of the most important sports to Puerto Ricans, and watching Javy succeeding on the biggest stage while staying true to himself, is admirable.
Soon after the Cubs’ World Series win last year, Javy had a street named after him in Chicago’s Humboldt Park, which has a sizable Puerto Rican population. There was a huge turnout of fans, predominantly Puerto Ricans just trying to get a glimpse of the star. Javy has become a source of boricua pride in Chicago — a role model for kids and an inspiration for the rest of us.
As a boricua, I love watching someone who represents where my family came from while representing the team I’ve been rooting for all my life. It’s especially satisfying to see that all they needed was a little boricua sazón to go all the way.
Featured Image: Jaime Squire / Getty Images Sport
Inset Image: Jimmy Greenfield