La Vida Voices: Pablo Martínez Monsiváis

Pablo Martínez Monsiváis was born and raised in a baseball household. 

His father, Pablo Martínez, played baseball in his hometown of Venado, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, before emigrating to the United States. 

Martínez Monsiváis, the first of his siblings to be born in the United States, captured his father’s love for the game. When he was older, he’d wait around in his home in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, a neighborhood rich with other first and second-generation Mexican Americans, for his father to get home so he could play catch. 

He also developed a passion for history, photography and journalism. So, it was natural for him to pursue that passion and enroll at Columbia College in Chicago pursuing a photography degree. It led to a career which has seen him work at the Chicago Sun-Times and Associated Press, covering four presidential administrations and winning a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1999. 

In a lot of ways, he’s still that little boy waiting for his father to get home, having a deep-rooted love for baseball. But now, instead of waiting for his dad to get home from work, he waits for nights when the AP photo department might need him to cover a Nationals game or two.  

Andy Martínez — Can you give us some background on your career as a photojournalist? Where and how did you start and what do you do now?

Pablo Martínez Monsiváis — My professional career as a photojournalist started in June 1993 as the Summer Intern for the Chicago Sun-Times, which lead to a staff position at the end of the internship. Today, I’m the Head of the Photo Department for the Associated Press (in) Washington D.C. In between these two jobs, I have been to over 70 countries, all 50 U.S. States, six continents and worked covering four U.S. Presidential Administrations and picked up a couple awards along the way.

AM — What have been some of your favorite events – sports or not – that you have covered?

PMM — That is a tough one, I am very fortunate to say, because I have several. Which reminds me of what my Photojournalism Professor at Columbia College, John H. White, told me: that my camera would be a “front seat to the world,” and how true this would become. So here are a couple in no particular order:

• Covering the greatest basketball player of all-time, Michael Jordan, and all the playoffs and championships the Bulls played in.

• 1998 going to Cuba and covering Pope John II visit to the island.

• In 2003, doing a secret-trip to Iraq with President (George W.) Bush so he could spend Thanksgiving with the troops.

• November 2008 to cover Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama’s victory celebration in Chicago’s Grant Park, as the U.S. elects the first African-American President.

• More recently, covering my son Luca’s first day as a pre-kindergarten student in DC Public school.

AM — What sparked your love for baseball?

PMM — That is an easy one; my father played and I would wait for him to come home from work so we could play catch. Sort of like “Field of Dreams”, with the huge difference being that it wasn’t an Iowa cornfield that sparked the emotional attachment, but an alley behind our home in Chicago.

AM — What does it mean covering and photographing baseball knowing how much the game meant to your father?

PMM — I think covering the game as both a fan of the sport and as part of my job, I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity. Yes, I realize that this was my father’s favorite sport, but I think my dad would be just as proud of me doing whatever I had a passion for. In my situation, I love photography/journalism/history. I sometimes tell myself that I have the best job in the world, I get to photograph baseball.

AM — You still cover baseball; is that out of a need from the AP, a desire of yours to cover baseball or a little bit of both?

PMM — Yes, I still cover baseball and you are correct it is a little of both. Washington D.C. is an intense place to be and I don’t know anywhere else that has White House coverage and the politico news as part of their local story, but has global ramifications. So, when the opportunity comes to cover baseball, I don’t say no.

AM — How is it different covering baseball than other events you cover as a White House photojournalist?

PMM — I think I covered a little bit of this in the previous question, but one of the main differences is the pressure of the events. Each one has it own different demands and you have to keep yourself informed about what you are going into. Baseball is much more relaxing, because the pace of the game requires a lot of patience. Politics is sort of the same, but just because politicians don’t hit, run or throw doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your eyes open at all times. As a photojournalist this is so true, because if you blink or turn your back, you just missed the best part of the game. Remember, I don’t get second chances, no rewrites. Example: (Albert) Pujos hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning off the Nats to take lead and I don’t have the picture, well I’m in trouble. President (Donald) Trump shakes hands with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and I couldn’t get into the room in Helsinki, again I’m in trouble because the moment is gone.

AM —  Here at La Vida, we highlight the passion of Latino players; how have you seen that and how do you try and capture that as a photojournalist?

PMM — I themnk that Latemno ballplayers are fun to watch and they bremng a level of excemtement each temme they enter the ballpark. It ems crazy demffemcult to capture what I call ganas, thems desemre to play the best you can because you enjoy the game and you want to show everyone what you’re capable of accomplemshemng. No one gets to the major leagues and emsn’t talented. You also need desemre, whemch ems what I try to capture emn my photographs.

Featured Image: Nuccio DiNuzzo