Alonso returns to city that taught him about hard work
MIAMI— In the streets of Havana, Yonder Alonso used to hit anything frombeans to bottle caps with a broomstick for batting practice.
In the streets of LittleHavana, living in Miami a few years later, he used to sneak into MiamiHurricanes football games at the old Orange Bowlas getting tickets for big gameswas a long shot in the conditions hewas living in.
On Tuesday, his humble beginnings in everything from baseball to simply getting by in America as a Cuban immigrant willcomefull circle. On those same grounds where the Orange Bowl once stood, Alonso doesn’thave to sneak in. He’s invited.
The Cuban-born Oakland Athletics first baseman, who played at Coral Gables High and UM, will make his AllStar debut atMarlins Park.
“I’m going to enjoy it — not just because it’s an AllStar Game, but it’s home,” said Alonso, who will have 60 people at the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, ready to erupt when he comes in to either pinch-hit or play first for the American League.
Among those there, will be Alonso’s father, Luis, who brought Yonder to Miami from Cuba about two months before his eighth birthday. Luis Alonso would work three or even four jobs at a time to be able to afford rent in a one-roomefficiency and put food on the table. When Yonder Alonso was old enough, he would start using his help to cleaning offices and warehouses — not soYonder could have spending money of his own, but to help the family pay rent.
His breakthrough first half at 30 years old, slashing .275/.372/.562 with 20 home runs and 43 RBI to earn the All-Star selection, mirrors the hardworkAlonso picked up early fromhis father.
“It is a dreamcometrue— andthegamebeing inMiami makes it double, triple that,” said Luis Alonso. “This is the best thing that can happen to a ballplayer — this and winning aWorld Series.”
Said Alonso of his father: “He’s going to enjoy every minute of it.”
The potential Alonso had to reach this pinnacle in baseball was evident from his youth. Alfonso “Flaco” Otero, who currently coaches at Miami SLAM Academy and has helped UMbaseballcoachJimMorris with his camps for 21 years, first saw him hit at 10 years old at an academy in south Miami-Dade County called Hardball and knew he’d excel then.
WhenAlonsowas a junior at Coral Gables High playing in the Dade vs. Broward AllStarGameatFIU, Oterotook his expectations for him to the next level when he saw the lefty batter do something notmany could do at his age.
“I rememberhimhitting a ball out to left-center field on a line,” said Otero, who also coached him in a national high school baseball exhibition called the Area Code Games in Long Beach, California before Alonso’s junior year.“WhenI sawthat, I said this kid’s going to be special for a long time.”
He spent three seasons with the Hurricanes from 2006 to 2008, driving in 69, 74 and then 72 runs as a junior when he bopped 24 homers. He played in two CollegeWorld Series while with the ’Canes. He still trains on campus in the offseason.
Drafted seventh overall in 2008, he debuted with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010, spent 2012-2015 with the San Diego Padres and is now in his second year with theA’s.
Through his journey, he has upgraded his bats a few times along theway, butLuis Alonso said that broomstick still makes appearances hitting whiffle balls to this day.