Hoping to quench my thirst for baseball during MLB's winter break, I've been listening to various podcasts (FanGraphs Audio; Up And In; The Baseball Show with Joe and Rany), which has been great fun all around, and very educational.
I just finished Carson Cistulli's conversation with Fernando Perez, former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder, published poet, and one of only 13 players in major league history to who attended Columbia University.
In a conversation that should fascinate even casual fans of the sport, Perez discusses his recent experiences in and out of baseball, touching on his roller-coaster journey as a would-be professional athlete, as well as what has sometimes been an equally confounding struggle for fulfillment (not to mention publication) as a creative writer.
Perez hasn't played in the bigs since 2009, and has bounced around from the Cubs' farm system to the Mets' in the interim. Displaying the self-awareness you'd expect from, well, from a poet, Perez describes his employment strategy for the 2012 season: trying to sign a minor-league contract with whatever team has the worst starting outfielders. Failing that, he might call up Rays executive Andrew Friedman to shoot the breeze, try to get his former boss laughing and in good spirits, and, when the mood feels right, make a play for a spring training invitation.
This vulnerability and openness is a welcome departure from the stereotypical image of the pro athlete whose unshakable confidence is a key to success within the bounds of competition, but who also seems allergic to (if not incapable of) authentic expression outside the lines. To some extent, I hold mainstream broadcasters and other sports media personalities responsible for this trend by filling so much airtime with cliches and useless chatter. In half-time and post-game interviews, players and coaches are either recycling the garbage spewed out by those speak for a living. Crap imitates crap.
Here's a crazy thought: what would happen if each league hired a Director of Creativity who would be responsible for organizing off-season poetry jams or dance lessons? By challenging personnel to stretch artistically, and integrating creative exercises into typical player development programs, pro sports leagues could help make millionaire athletes easier to relate to, or in the very least as entertaining as Fernando Perez. Some well-known examples of pro athletes who have crossed over to participate other pop culture forms include Miguel Batista (pitcher-novelist), Bernie Williams (outfielder-guitarist), Rick Fox (NBA swingman, actor), and, if you believe this amusing photo gallery, Andre Agassi (tennisser-pianist).
Look, I'm not saying we need to find more opportunities to heap attention and validation on star athletes. Truth be told, there are some who I'd just as soon not hear from at all unless they're breaking down game film. I just wish there was an easier way for fans to get more of a picture of what our favorite players are all about, and I want those representations to be more lyrical, colorful, and introspective than the status quo. Maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention, but it seems that even as more and more players find their way onto Twitter -- which has unquestionably made direct access easier-- most of the Tweets are shout-outs and inside jokes to former teammates.
I don't really know where I'm going with this. I think my earlobes hurt from frustration. Maybe I'll take a minute to turn on Bernie Williams' "La Salsa En Mi" to calm me down. Or watch an episode of "Oz." On second thought, maybe just the salsa music. I'll figure it out. In the meantime, here's hoping Fernando Perez re-signs with the Mets this season. I don't know if he can help them escape the National League East cellar, but if nothing else, he should be good for a few laughs.
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