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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘There is history here': For Laredo's baseball team, the US/Mexico border is their true hometown
The differences between attending a baseball game in the US and Mexico are difficult to miss. The on-field rules are identical, but the atmosphere in Mexican baseball stands is noisy, musical, constant and infectious. The two fan cultures are distinct enough that, were you to drop a blindfolded supporter into either crowd, they would be able to identify which side of the Rio Grande they stood within seconds – or so you might think. Reality is never so binary. Despite the often unyielding political debates about them, international borders rarely possess hard edges. This is particularly true in South Texas, and not merely as some writerly conceit - even that most material indicator of crossing a border, a checkpoint with customs officers, can be found 50 miles away from the actual national boundary. The Rio Grande may delineate where Mexico and the US officially begin and end, but the famous river simultaneously exists at the centre of economies, communities and individual lives that span both of its banks. Living with one foot in Laredo (on the US side) and the other in Nuevo Laredo (in Mexico) is so intrinsic to life here that it's even reflected in the name of the cities' beloved baseball team, los Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (the Two Laredos Owls). Like many things in border regions, the team affectionately known as 'los Tecos' enjoys multiple identities. As their name suggests, they play home games on both sides of the border, making them simultaneously Mexican, American and, perhaps most of all, representative of the blended experience that has always survived in the blurry lines between the two. Related: Venezuelan teenagers denied US visas for Senior Baseball World Series 'The US-Mexican border es una herida abierta [is an open wound] where the Third World grates against the First and bleeds,' wrote Gloria Anzaldúa, a scholar and South Texas native whose Borderlands/La Frontera is considered a seminal work on the subject. 'The lifeblood of two worlds merg[es] to form a third country.' This third country, to many, is the cultural zone known as La Frontera (the border). People on either side of many borders often have more in common with each other than they do with their compatriot communities deeper in their own countries' heartlands. This is the case along the Rio Grande and, as such, los Tecos can also be viewed as La Frontera's de facto national team. They are first and foremost, however, representatives of the two Laredos. 'Yes, there are fans in Matamoros, Reynosa, Piedras Negras [other cities along the Texas-Mexico border],' says Juan Alanis, a media official for los Tecos who also serves as one of the team's play-by-play broadcasters. 'The base, the nucleus [however] is in the two Laredos … there's a history here.' Los Tecos compete in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (the Mexican Baseball League, or LMB), a competition featuring twenty teams spread across much of the country, from Tijuana to Cancún. Club baseball lacks a standard metric for comparing domestic leagues à la European football but, depending on the criteria and source, the LMB is arguably the third- to sixth-strongest domestic competition in the world. Although LMB baseball falls well below the standard of play in the MLB and Japan's NPB, it is arguably as good as (or better than) leagues in Korea, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic (during the LMB's offseason, Mexico also hosts a smaller and shorter winter baseball league which some pundits argue to be Mexico's highest standard of baseball). What can be said about without debate, however, is that the LMB was considered a AAA competition (i.e., on par with the second-highest level of competition in the U.S.) from 1967 until the 2021 restructuring of minor league baseball. The LMB is also older than all the non-US leagues mentioned above – indeed, the league is now celebrating its 100th Tecos have been there for most of it. Related: Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase placed on leave amid MLB betting investigation Mexican baseball clubs bounce from city to city at least as much as their US counterparts, but a club called los Tecolotes has played in either Laredo or Nuevo Laredo for the vast majority of seasons since the 1940s. The current team may technically be the third franchise to bear the Tecos name, but such trivialities seem to matter little to fans. 'The entire place was a party,' fan Ricardo Ábrego says of los Tecos' penultimate championship in 1977 (two franchises ago). A 58-year-old carpenter from Nuevo Laredo, Ábrego attended the match with his extended family and smiles at the memory. Sporting a plushie Tecos mascot poking out of his breast pocket, it's fair to call Ábrego a superfan. When asked what los Tecos mean to him, he replies 'todo' (everything) before going on to recount the team's championship pedigree. With five titles under their belt, los Tecos are one of the LMB's winningest teams, roughly analogous to the MLB's Detroit Tigers in terms of post-season success (as well as their location on the northern border). Such success, when partnered with the team's longevity in the area, makes Tecos fandom a multi-generational affair. 'I've always liked them – my grandfather always liked them,' says 23-year-old factory worker Eduardo Espino. 'For my family, it's baseball more than football. I think it's because we are from La Frontera, we're very fronteriza [of the border culture].' In many ways, Espino exemplifies the Tecos' binational identity – despite living in Nuevo Laredo, most of his childhood memories of Tecos games are from the Texas side of the border. He speaks with the Guardian, however, while attending a match in Nuevo Laredo, where he prefers the atmosphere. Related: Vintage base ball: the charm of a sport where the 1860s never ended 'The people at the matches in Nuevo Laredo are more emotional,' says Espino 'The stands are full and the support is just… more.' Alanis and Ábrego both agree–a slight preference for the (much older) stadium in Nuevo Laredo seems to be a universally acknowledged but unwritten truth among Tecos supporters. 'I prefer the atmosphere in Nuevo Laredo,' says superfan Ábrego, before clarifying that he loves going to games at both sites. ' '[In Nuevo Laredo], the crowd is more passionate, fiercer, more grrrr,' notes Alanis the broadcaster. 'But respectful, always respectful … If the fielder of the other team makes a good play, the fans applaud.' This is more than just the positive PR of a marketing professional. On several occasions at the games this correspondent attended, Tecos fans applaud the away team's defensive efforts. This, however, happens at games in both Laredo and Nuevo Laredo – as ever, either side of the border have much in common. Yes, the stadium at Nuevo Laredo is a bit louder than its counterpart in Laredo (especially owing to the presence of a regularly hand-cranked raid siren). But, to someone used to East Coast baseball, home games in the two Laredos are more similar than they are different. On both sides of the border, many plays (even simple strikes early in the count) are greeted with a stadium-wide chorus of twirling matracas, wooden mechanical noisemakers that one spins and were common sights at British football grounds a half-century ago. Hand-pumped airhorns are also popular and regularly activated. 'In Mexico, compared to MLB, there's always noise, noise, noise until the pitcher pitches, [when] it's silent,' says Alanis. 'You have 12 seconds with the pitch clock, [so] the DJ knows he can play music for ten seconds. It's very normal in Mexico.' Indeed, either English-language pop music (think Michael Jackson and Clearance Clearwater Revival) or Spanish-language genres popular in La Frontera (think Selena and Grupo Frontera) are loudly piped through the stadium's speakers until just before the pitcher begins his windup. The music's constant fading in and out can cause a sensory overload but, given how many fans are actively dancing and singing between pitches, it palpably adds to the atmosphere (and, in line with what every interviewee above said, there is certainly a bit more dancing in the crowd at the game in Nuevo Laredo). Aside from the acoustic experience, attending an LMB game is a nice mix of the best elements of both major and minor league baseball in the US. As with the minor leagues, a Tecos game is cheap and family friendly; parking is free and just four dollars buys both a hot dog and a small beer, even at the Laredo stadium. Like the US major leagues, however, LMB games feature in-stadium replays on the big screen and significant emotional investment all around the ballpark. Pitchers pound their chest emphatically after a strike out and fans with worried faces clasp their hands in prayer. LMB baseball's existence at la frontera of minor and major league baseball appeals to players as well fans. 'It's been fun – everywhere I've been has been awesome,' says Stephen Gonsalves, a pitcher for the visiting Charros de Jalisco who previously played for the MLB's Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. Gonsalves is part of a recent wave of US players who've opted to play in the LMB. 'There are fewer jobs stateside,' he adds, referring to the nationwide reduction of minor league teams in the US in 2020. 'So, now … there are a lot of older, veteran guys that have played in the big leagues. Every team has at least three or four former big leaguers on it… It's good competition.' LMB players also seem to enjoy a higher quality of life than their minor league counterparts. 'Minor league baseball was a hassle,' says Andrew Pérez, another pitcher from the visiting Charros team who spent six years with Chicago White Sox organization, including significant time with their AAA affiliate. 'I was in the minor leagues when you had eight guys in an apartment.' Now, for players like Pérez and Gonsalves, the most annoying logistical hurdles seem to be the multiple border crossings and hotels during away stands at the two Laredos (home games alternate between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo). This cross-border shuffling seems to be a common complaint among visiting teams, and may even represent a homefield advantage for los Tecos. For many, many residents of both Laredos (including los Tecos), crossing the US-Mexico border is simply a bureaucratic fact of daily life, much like toll roads or paying for public transport in other cities. Recent surges in media coverage may suggest the presence of some new crisis at the border but, based on those responses of those who live around it, it's business as usual. Every person interviewed for this article said that they hadn't noticed a significant change at the border in recent months and, if anything, seemed a little amused by my questions on the subject. In the two Laredos, the border has always been a part of everyday life and will continue to be long after the surge in interest dies down. By claiming both Laredos as their home, los Tecos' fronteriza identity represents an older, historical and undivided Laredo that predates the United States and was only bifurcated in the 19th century as a result of the Mexican-American War. Here on the Rio Grande, questions of national jurisdiction seem temporary compared to the longevity of many families' and communities' presence in the area. Los Tecos represent the reality of those people. Walking back over the bridge to the US from the game in Nuevo Laredo (the CBP officer, a fan, asks about the game), the river look remarkably un-grande.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Venezuelan Little League team denied U.S. visas
"The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela was unfortunately unable to obtain the appropriate visas to travel to the Senior League Baseball World Series," Little League International said in a statement, calling the development "extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes." "It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogota with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship," the team said in a statement to the Associated Press. "What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?" The Little League Senior Baseball World Series is a different event than the Little League World Series that takes place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with the Senior version involving players aged 13-16 and play taking place on a larger field. The Senior Baseball World Series is being held in Easley, South Carolina, from July 26 to Aug. 2. The more well-known Little League World Series, which is for players aged 10-12, is set for Aug. 13-24. President Donald Trump's administration on June 4 listed Venezuela and six other nations as being subject to partial travel restrictions, while 12 more nations were given full-scale travel bans. While Cacique Mara was denied the necessary visas by the U.S. Department of State, teams from Australia, Canada and the Czech Republic will still participate, along with Santa Maria de Aguayo. The final participants in the International bracket hail from Puerto Rico, which is a territory of the United States. Little League: New Jersey Little Leaguer suspended for bat flip; dad files restraining order The Venezuelan team is the latest example of the sports world colliding with the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and foreign visitors. In June, the Senegalese women's basketball team abandoned plans to hold a training camp in the U.S. after a significant portion of their roster and staff were denied visas. The Cuban women's volleyball team suffered a similar fate weeks ago after being denied visas to participate in the NORCECA Women's Final Four tournament in Puerto Rico. Earlier this month, Brazilian table tennis player Hugo Calderano was unable to participate in a tournament in Las Vegas, reportedly due to a 2023 visit to Cuba for an Olympic qualifying tournament. Athletes, team staff members and relatives were supposedly exempted from the travel ban, with the Haitian national soccer team able to participate in the recently concluded Concacaf Gold Cup. The soccer world has been particularly concerned about travel difficulties, with the Gold Cup and Club World Cup taking place simultaneously this summer. Trump was a visible figure at the Club World Cup final, and one version of that tournament's trophy remains at the White House. The United States is set to host the 2026 men's World Cup next year, and there are unanswered questions about whether every qualified team will be able to participate. Iran, one of the nations subject to an outright travel ban from the Trump administration, sealed its qualification in March. Of the other nations subject to full bans or significant restrictions, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo and Venezuela are all currently still alive in World Cup qualifying.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Venezuelan Little League team denied US visas for World Series
A Venezuelan Little League baseball team will miss the Senior Baseball World Series held in South Carolina after it was was denied entry into the U.S. because the players were unable to obtain visas. Cacique Mara Little League team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, qualified for the World Series after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico, but will not be able to compete in Easley, S.C. because they were unable to 'obtain the appropriate visas' to travel, according to Little League International. Little League International said in a statement to The Hill that while this is 'extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes,' the tournament committee has decided to advance the second-place team from the Latin American championship, Santa María de Aguayo from Tamaulipas, Mexico. The league said the replacement will ensure the 'Latin America Region is represented in the tournament and that the players, coaches and families from Mexico are able to have a memorable World Series experience.' A senior State Department official told The Hill on Saturday that U.S. consular officers are currently 'working to review the case to confirm proper procedures were followed and necessary appeals were submitted by the visa applicants.' Venezuela is on President Trump's list of countries where the entry of their nationals is partially restricted or limited. Six other countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkmenistan — are also included. In early June, Trump also fully restricted the entry of nationals from 12 nations: Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The administration pointed to national security concerns when announcing the travel restrictions. The Venezuelan baseball team went to Colombia two weeks ago to apply for travel visas, according to The Associated Press (AP). 'It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship,' the baseball team said in a statement, according to the AP. 'What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children.'
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Venezuelan baseball team denied visas into U.S., Little League International says
A Venezuelan baseball team was denied visas into the United States and will miss this year's Senior Baseball World Series, Little League International confirmed Friday. The Cacique Mara team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was scheduled to participate in the tournament after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico. 'The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela was unfortunately unable to obtain the appropriate visas to travel to the Senior League Baseball World Series,' Little League International said in a statement, adding that it is 'extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes.' The Venezuelan team traveled to Colombia two weeks ago to apply for their visas at the U.S. embassy in Bogotá. The embassy did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment. 'It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship,' the team said in a statement. 'What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?' Venezuela is among a list of countries with restrictions for entering the U.S. or its territories. President Donald Trump has banned travel to the U.S. from 12 other countries, citing national security concerns. Earlier in the month, the Cuban women's volleyball team was denied visas to participate in a tournament in Puerto Rico. 'They told us that Venezuela is on a list because Trump says Venezuelans are a threat to the security of his state, of his country,' said Kendrick Gutiérrez, the league's president in Venezuela. 'It hasn't been easy the situation; we earned the right to represent Latin America in the World Championship.' The Senior League Baseball World Series, a tournament for players aged 13-16, is played each year in Easley, South Carolina. It begins Saturday. The tournament organizers replaced the Venezuelans with the Santa Maria de Aguayo team from Tamaulipas, Mexico, the team that was a runner-up in the Latin American championship. 'I think this is the first time this has happened, but it shouldn't end this way. They're going to replace us with another team because relations have been severed; it's not fair,' Gutiérrez added. 'I don't understand why they put Mexico in at the last minute and left Venezuela out.' Rodriguez writes for the Associated Press.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
US Denies Visas To Venezuelan Little League Baseball Team
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Venezuelan little league baseball team has been denied visas into the United States ahead of the Senior Baseball World Series. Little League International confirmed Friday that the Cacique Mara team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, were set to compete in the tournament after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico. They will now be forced to miss the games. Little League International called the decision "extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes." This is a breaking news story, updates to follow.
