2 days ago
Mets program helping Ronny Mauricio and other Latin American players learn English: ‘I feel like we have one of the best programs'
While in Los Angeles last week, Ronny Mauricio was struck by the amount of palm trees he saw. They line the streets from the beach to about 100 miles east in the suburbs, they dot the landscapes on every corner, and they're featured prominently around Dodger Stadium, the biggest and loudest stadium Mauricio had ever experienced.
The Mets infielder, called up to the big leagues for the first time since September 2023, struggled to remember the translation for the trees, so he described them in detail using stellar English.
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A native of the Dominican Republic, Mauricio already possesses some high-end tools, and he added another one while he was sidelined in 2024 with an ACL injury by working on his English. Describing the visual images of the iconic Southern California trees was important for Mauricio, who is trying to continually talk to his teammates, coaches and even the media in English to become fluent and conversational.
'I'm trying to talk everyday with the guys in here and with my teacher too,' Mauricio told the Daily News. 'So we try to just speak in English. If there is something I don't know, I try to ask somebody to learn more.'
Mauricio is utilizing a program offered by the Mets designed to ease language barriers between players and staff. The 7 Facts Learning Management System offers resources in both Spanish and English, and is available for members of the team at all levels of the organization to support player development.
It addresses language learning and baseball development using seven components: Leadership support, multilingual support, mobile-friendly learning, video-based training, cultural adaptation and acculturation training, and and through progress tracking and feedback. It integrates AI learning, helps with baseball-specific terms, addresses social media and personal branding, nutrition and fitness, and interview preparation.
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The program drew high praise from manager Carlos Mendoza, one of only three active MLB managers born in Latin America.
'I feel like we have one of the best programs when it comes to the education of our Latin American players,' he said.
The Venezuelan skipper was encouraged by his mother, an English teacher, to learn the language growing up. Mendoza is lauded by just about everyone around the Mets and Yankees for his strong communication abilities in both languages, with his bilingual abilities playing right into that.
But even Mendoza had to get used to public speaking and talking to the media when he came to Queens, since his previous job as a bench coach didn't require dealing with reporters on a daily basis. It's intimidating, and Mendoza knows this first-hand.
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'It's not easy at all,' Mendoza said. 'Credit the players, and credit our program. Whether it's player development or here at the big league level, we continue to educate those guys. Not only giving them the ability [to communicate in English], but to go out there and face you guys with the cameras and all that, it's not easy.'
At a time when new consumers and athletes alike struggle to understand what function media plays in sports and how to differentiate between different types of media members, the Mets are helping their young Spanish-speaking players navigate a key part of professional sports.
The media is present on the road and at home, with a traveling media party that consists of in-house media like SNY and the team radio broadcasters, as well as newspaper beat reporters and sometimes even national insiders. Fans typically get to know players through social media and through writers and reporters.
Players can benefit from the media by using them to set the record straight when a false narrative takes hold, they can add color or context to a story, or take accountability when it's needed. MLB teams are required to provide players with full-time translators, but having a third party present for interviews isn't always ideal. Sometimes, you just want to tell your own story and make your own connections.
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Outside of baseball, it's a way for Mauricio to connect with his son Liam. Now 5, Liam is learning English right alongside his dad. Knowing his baseball life would primarily be in the States, Mauricio enrolled him at a school in Florida where he stays with the infielder's mother.
'For my son, I want him to go to a school where they're teaching him how to live life [here] and everything,' Mauricio said. 'He's started speaking it now, he's in school learning English.'
Liam's English is coming along, and he's happy in the school, even if he misses his father.
'He just told me, 'Papi, when are you coming back?' Papi, when do I see you?' Mauricio said.
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The 24-year-old Mauricio will soon bring him to New York so he can see him play in the big leagues again, and remember it this time as well. During his last call-up, Liam was too young to fully grasp the magnitude of the moment. If it works out, maybe he'll get to see his dad do something just as impressive as hitting a home run: doing an interview on-camera in a different language.
'You've got to remember that,' Mauricio said.
