Straight Outta Naguabo, Machete’s Fans Find Joy through Astros’ Maldonado
HOUSTON – Although he was facing toward the diamond a few feet behind the batting cages during batting practice, Martín Maldonado easily heard the familiar voices over the buzz of autograph seekers crying out for their favorite Astros.
“Machete! Machete!” yelled his childhood friend and former Little League teammate Omar Garcia.
After hearing his nickname, the Astros’ catcher turned back and smiled after seeing Garcia and Vanesa Travieso, who is one of Maldonado’s mom’s best friends from their hometown of Naguabo, P.R.
Maldonado ended a chat with Astros ace Gerrit Cole, walked toward the exclusive Diamond Club seating section at Minute Maid Park and summoned Garcia and his mother Travesio to a corner behind the home dugout.
Garcia and his mother weren’t some random Astros fans. They’re longtime family friends. Travieso and Maldonado’s mother were always at Little League games when Machete and Garcia were teammates.
Garcia wasn’t afraid to admit that he’s living vicariously through Maldonado these days.
They were batterymates back in Naguabo, after all.
“It’s a sensation that we wish I could have gotten there,” Garcia said. “The dream was to reach the majors. Seeing him out there it’s like I accomplished a goal too. I was a pitcher, and he was my catcher in Little League.
“It gives me a sense of pride. Since he was 13 and 14 years old he was already a top prospect. We graduated from high school together. We were there when he was picked by the Anaheim Angels and throughout his whole career. This is special.”
Travieso relocated from her native Puerto Rico to Killeen, Texas, which is almost 200 miles from the Astros’ Minute Maid Park, after she was displaced by Hurricane Maria two years ago.
Her son joined her in Houston six months ago. They were ecstatic when the Astros acquired Maldonado at the July 31 trade deadline. They made a trip to see Maldonado play at Minute Maid Park soon after he rejoined the Astros for the second time in as many seasons at the deadline.
They wanted to stand out, though, so they ordered some custom t-shirts in honor of their hometown’s big leaguer.
With an open Astros star logo on the right side in the middle, the front of the orange t-shirts read:
STRAIGHT
OUTTA
NAGUABO
LIKE
MACHETE
MALDONADO
Garcia designed it and ordered it in Killeen, which is also home to the Army’s Fort Hood.
“We had the idea that we needed to have something different than the last time we visited,” Garcia said. “Naguabo likes Machete because we have Machete mania.”
After visiting with his hometown friends, Maldonado returned to the field, grabbed a batting practice baseball, sought a pen from a journalist and then tossed an autographed baseball to them.
“I’m very good friends with Martin Maldonado’s mom,” Travieso said. “We went to Little League games together. His mom and I would make arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) so that the kids could eat all day without nagging us. We’re very proud of Martin.”
Few people know the sacrifices the Maldonados made to help Machete accomplish his childhood dreams quite like Garcia and his mom.
Travieso remembered how they all depended on others to attend most away games because neither family had a car. The boys spent many hours playing baseball at Parque Villa Esperanza in their town.
“He’s from Villa Esperanza in Naguabo,” Garcia said. “It’s a humble barrio, from the bottom, poor. We know what it’s like to get to the ballpark carrying a box of balls from one side to the other so we could practice. …
“We would call him a slave to the ballfield. He was always at the park practicing, practicing and practicing.”
And when he wasn’t practicing, Machete was usually eating Travieso’s famous arroz con pollo, she said proudly.
“He was very playful as a child,” she said. “He was a very humble child. He was a very good kid with his mother and father’s instructions. He always loved the game.”
Featured Image: Jesus Ortiz
Inset Images: Jesus Ortiz