Magic, Miracles and Mexican Baseball: The Amazing 2005 Season of Los Leones de Yucatan

184 Pages·2007·65.98 MB·English

by  Julia Kalmon

)ulio Kalmon
Born in Oklahoma, I
spent much of my adult
life in Arkansas where
I worked as a nurse,
science teacher and
volunteer frre-fighter/
first responder for my
rural community. I have
lived in Merida for nine
years and reside with
my partner and our two
dogs.
Nacida en Oklahoma,
pasegran pattede mi
vida adulto en Arkansas
donde trubojd como
enfermera, moestra de
cienciosy voluntario
/
en primeros auxilios
bombero de mi comuni-
dod.Hevividoen Mdrida
pornueveafloscon mi
pareJa y nuestros dos
Perros.

Magic, Miracles, and
Mexican Baseball
The Amazing 2005 Season of Los Leones deYucatdn
Julia Kalmon
Copyright @ 2W7 by Julia Kalmon. All rights reseryed.
Prinfed in Mexico by:
Factor Imprime S.A. de C.V.
Av. YucatdnNo.447 porT y 9
Mdrida, Yucat6n C P. 97 I35
www.factorimprime.com
For permission to reproduce selections from this book, or for ordering
multipb copies, email the author at [email protected].
Bookdesign and layout by Winn Kalmon
Spanish franslation by Monica Mamrfo Medina
Photography by Alejandro Escalante, except as noted
Contents
Acknowledgments lv
Chad vi
Prologue: My Son
Foreword ix
March 2005 1
Food at the Stadium 4
April2005 10
Gamers 15
Dancers and
2005 18
May
Leoncio 22
25
June -Mid'season
TheFans 30
Juty 34
Baseball in My Past 38
Playoffs 42
The
The First Playoff Series: Los Leones Versus Los Guerreros
Oaxaca 43
de
Superstitiont 49
The Second Playoff Series: Los Leones Versus Los Olmecas
Tabasco 51
de
The Third Pla-yo ff Series: Los Leones Versus Los Tigres de
Angelopolis 57
Epilogue 63
&.
A color photo section follows page
tv
Acknowledgments
when Los Leones went into the playoffs in 2005,I began sending
nightly reports by email to my siblings. It helped me to wind down at
one in the morning. After several reports my brother Ted commented
that someone needed to write a book about this baseball team and all
that had happened. so I did. My sister winn edited the manuscript,
designed these pages, and taught me about the business of writing and
publishing. My mom gave me the writing gene.
Alejandro Escalante ("Paxux"), in the front office of Los Leones,
always, without fail, showed srch enthusiasm for my project and
helped me in every way he could. He took almost a]l of the pictures in
this book. Aurelio Canales Gonzllez(the.,official voice,'of Los
Leones), who some people probably know as the announcer of Los
kones games on local radio, also keeps detailed and comprehensive
records of every game, making it possible for me to go back into the
team's website archives to do research. He and Alejandro also
facilitated my interviews with some of the players. I want to thank
Luis Arredondo, Pedro Castellano, Scott Bullet, Luis Borges, Said
Gutierrez, and willie Romero for giving me their time and answering
my questions with generosity and humor. Gaspar L6pez of Diario de
Yucatdn, the daily newspaper in M6rida,also supported my project
with helpful advice and past articles from the archives.
I have to thank my son for giving me a glimpse into the inner sanctum
of baseball-what a pitcher might be thinking on the mound, the job
of a catcher-and for letting me go over to the ballfield with him on
surlmer mornings to play catch and take some batting practice. Not
every mom is that lucky.
At Kukulcr{n Stadium, the parking attendants treat me like a queen
when I arrive, and the ticket seller, Emilio, gleets me warmly. The
ticket takers welcome me almost to the point of open arms. I have