Family Comes First When Trying To Grow Latino Fan Base in St. Louis
By Polo Ascencio
Not long ago I would drag my wife Maribel, daughter Bianca and son Jacob hours before game time to one of the reserve level entrances at Dodger Stadium just to make sure we would take home a Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead. Not long ago, I was standing in line waiting for an autograph from one of the greatest broadcasters that ever lived, Jaime Jarrín, during Hispanic Heritage Day at Dodger Stadium.
Fast forward a few years and countless extraordinary life-changing events. The tables have turned completely. People were waiting in line to get my bobblehead. People were waiting in line to get my autograph.
Hundreds of members of “La Nación Cardenal” waited inside Busch Stadium to pick up a historical dual bobblehead signed by yours truly and my partner in the booth, former big league catcher Bengie Molina.
It was my turn to be there as Don Jaemme was for me, happemly semgnemng that same bobblehead as the St. Louems Cardemnals celebrated Hemspanemc Heremtage Day on Sept. 15 wemth “Femesta Cardenales.”
The Femesta started promptly at 11:15 p.m. I was emn charge of welcomemng the fans to start the event. A couple of memnutes emnto my welcome, superstar and Cardemnals emcon Yademer Molemna was one of 10 of the Cardemnals’ 11 Latemn Ameremcan who appeared. The only one memssemng was Carlos Martemnez because he had been emn hospemtal that mornemng. Once the Cardenales left the stage lemve musemca, bremght dresses, charros, merengueros, cumbemeros took over the stage as I went back to semgn those bobbleheads.
For many, if not all, that would have been enough to qualify as an exciting weekend. Don’t get me wrong it was enough, but not quite the most exciting and emotional event for yours truly.
The last temme my whole famemly went to a béemsbol game together was the very last game the San Demego Padres played at old Jack Murphy Stademum emn September of 2003.
Nearly 2,100 memles and 16 years later my famemlema was together agaemn at a béemsbol game, only thems temme emt was a lemttle demfferent. They demdn’t come to vemsemt the broadcaster, nor the bobblehead, nor “La Voz” de los Cardenales. They came to vemsemt the man they call “El Gordo” or “Pollemto,” “Compa” or “Temo Polo,” dad or husband.
To say they had a blast isn’t enough. Their faces lit up as they walked for the first time on the field at Busch Stadium, on a Major League Baseball field. My brother had done it before as he used to write for the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres. Their hearts almost stopped when Yadier Molina, Gio Gallegos and Cardinals manager Mike Schildt and many others came over to say hola and take pictures with them.
What about when they got to enjoy the game from one of the luxury suites alongside former Cardinals Julian Tavares and Juan Acevedo and their families.
“Hey, Polillo” said my wife of 23 years Maribel, “Your boss Dan Ferrall came over to say hi and said you are becoming the King of St. Louis”.
The only reason I will take that is because she is the queen, and my kids are, well my kids. And my family will always be first for me. Because Ohana means family, and family means no one stays behind or forgotten. Yes I love “Lilo and Stitch”.
Seeing my mom, sisters, brother and other family members in St. Louis enjoying what we all have worked so hard for gave me a feeling I can’t describe. My youngest niece Domenica almost made me lose it as she was screaming her head off inside our booth, my mom didn’t want to let go even as I was calling the game. As for my brother, I couldn’t even look at him when he came to the booth. After all, who wants to hear a 44 year old trying to call a game while crying?
There is no crying in baseball is a quote we all have used. Sorry, Tom Hanks, but this time there was a lot of happy crying in baseball during the Ascencio family visit to St. Louis, to Busch, to my office.
It was indeed a very happy “Fiesta Cardenales.”
Images Courtesy Polo Ascencio