A VENEZUELAN INFLUENCE
Recent arrivals find sense of belonging on Public League baseball teams
When Mayller Millan was growing up in Venezuela, one of his subjects at school was English.
‘‘I take it but I never pay attention,’’ the Steinmetz senior said with a smile.
But in the three years since coming to the United States, Millan has come a long way with his second language and his new life.
He was comfortable enough to conduct an interview in English as he discussed his experience as one of a number of Venezuelan natives playing baseball in the Public League and beyond.
This spring, Venezuelans also are playing at Farragut, Mather, Clemente and Kelly, among other schools, using the sport as a way to make friends and find a sense of normalcy at a time of great change.
‘‘My transition and my first year was hard, difficult because I had to learn how to speak English,’’ said Millan, who is the Silver Streaks' starting catcher and leadoff hitter. ‘‘I [didn't] know how to communicate with my teammates.’’
‘‘He had trouble focusing because there was so much going on,’’ Steinmetz coach Renato Roldan said.
‘‘I started to feel more comfortable in my second year when I started to communicate with my teammates,’’ Millan said.
He excelled academically and, with an outgoing personality, became part of the school's social life.
‘‘He assimilated really quickly,’’ Roldan said. ‘‘At every dance he was the life of the party.’’
Millan met friends not only in the halls at Steinmetz, but also on baseball diamonds in the city and suburbs.
Roldan took cellphone photos of Millan with other Venezuelan players. Every week, the gallery in his phone has grown larger with photos from the city, Hoffman Estates and Loyola, among others.
Millan appreciates the opportunity to bond with others who share his background and his journey.
‘‘When I play with them, there were some times it was more difficult for me,’’ he said, noting the advanced skill level of Venezuelans compared to some players in the city. ‘‘Because they got the same hunger that I got to play. It's like when I play with them, it's like I play with me. That was cool but that was [also] more hard.’’
Someone who understands the challenges and successes of the Venezuelan players from a broader perspective is Matt DeMateo, the CEO of New Life Centers, which helps migrants adjust to life in Chicago. He has seen the positive effect baseball has had on kids of all ages, from Little League to high school.
‘‘A core part of the challenge with Venezuelans is not knowing anybody,’’ DeMateo said. ‘‘Baseball is a natural connection point.’’
He has seen that as the father of two Farragut players who are teammates of Venezuelan native Yoel Guerra. The sophomore infielder was named Player of the Year in the Public League North conference last season as a freshman, when he batted .359 with 31 runs and 24 RBI in 29 games.
Guerra, like Millan, plays the game with an obvious enthusiasm and a fair amount of flair. Between pitches, Guerra is prone to bust a few dance moves.
‘‘They bring a different charisma to the table and a joy to the game,’’ DeMateo said. ‘‘Now you've got somebody who has a straight passion for the game.’’
The migrants in general — Venezuelan baseball players in particular — and the Public League have a mutually beneficial relationship, according to DeMateo.
‘‘Public League sports greatly benefit from the influx of new players, new arrivals,’’ he said.
Baseball's popularity in Venezuela means kids play when they're very young, making them more experienced than many of their new teammates.
The newcomers have raised the bar for Public League baseball, said DeMateo, who noted, ‘‘You add a stud player, it brings their natural desire to play up.’’
Guerra has built a network both on his own team and beyond.
‘‘Every time he's played against Venezuelans, they recognize each other,’’ DeMateo said during a conversation in which he served as an interpreter for Guerra. ‘‘He's made a lot of new friends. He gets all their numbers after games so he's connected with them now from all different teams.’’
Guerra has had plenty to adjust to from the language difference to Chicago's often cold and rainy springs. But one thing that hasn't changed is baseball.
‘‘He said it has been like a refuge for him and a place that he can come to if he's got problems in life or things that he's facing,’’ DeMateo said.
That's true for other Venezuelan players, such as Mather sophomore Enyerson Serrano.
‘‘Baseball has helped him to take some of those bad things out of his mind that he went through just to get here,’’ said Mather assistant coach David Goytia, who served as an interpreter for Serrano. ‘‘And it has helped him to clear his mind and forget about some of those bad moments that he had, trying to get over here to the United States.’’
Serrano is in his second season with the Rangers, playing DH, catcher and third base. Fellow Venezuelan Jadier Castillo, a freshman second baseman and pitcher, is one of the newest arrivals, having come to Chicago weeks before the start of this season.
He's already feeling more comfortable in his new city and new school, and sports is the reason.
‘‘Baseball is helping him learn to communicate because he speaks with his teammates,’’ Goytia said, serving as an interpreter. ‘‘He has to learn how to say things and it helped him feel a little more comfortable.’’
Serrano and Castillo — whose first name is a nod to Cardinals great Yadier Molina — have made an impact at Mather and their fellow Venezuelans' influence can be seen across the Public League, according to Rangers coach Alan Jankowski.
‘‘There's definitely a bunch of talent that is coming in,’’ Jankowski said. ‘‘Baseball is pretty universal around the world. But it's a nice influx that diversifies the sport.’’