Two weeks ago I had the honor to be asked to play in the first ever Gringo vs Gigante baseball game. I have played in many sports in my life. Skiing has probably lasted longer than any other now that I write this. Somehow growing up in Texas I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to go skiing at least once a year until I moved to the mountains at the age of 26. But Baseball was very consistent from the ages of 4-19.

I was a pitcher most of that time. My all-time hero was Nolan Ryan, the greatest baseball player to have ever played in my opinion. I always asked for the number 34 at the start of every season. Sports in Texas were always very important. I tried football but never liked it. I never played soccer. The first time I stepped onto a soccer field I got hit in the nuts so I gave up on that real quick. But baseball stuck with me. I loved going to practice. Getting to the field and just having fun with my friends was the best. We all wanted to be better and practice makes perfect but everyone including most of the coaches never forgot that it was actually a game. I was lucky in that respect as well.

I did not know what to expect when I showed up here. Nicaraguan time is funny. I was told to be there on Sunday at 930. So, I arrived ten minutes before so I wouldn’t miss anything. The game actually started at 11:30. Nothing really starts down here on time. It usually seems to work out although I hope the hospital works a bit different in case I happen to need it. I started to watch the Gigante team warm up. I started to realize that it was going to be a joke. They were good! This was truly a semi-professional team made up of guys in their late teens to late thirties. Their pitcher threw hard. Every time I heard that catcher’s mitt I kind of peed a little.

Our team was not made up of professionals. Although a few had actually played before. Adam our coach and fearless leader grew up playing and actually managed some pro teams in Hawaii. Then AJ showed up. AJ played division 2 college ball somewhere in the south and had graduated 4 year ago. He was itching to play and I was stoked he was on the team. We didn’t have quite enough gringos to make a team so we got a couple of locals that were better than most of us.

The first few innings were ridiculous. It was hard to believe but they went scoreless on both sides. We all got very stoked that we shut them out. The Gigante team seemed ignited by the pressure. Inning three saw 2-3 runs for their team. They cooled down a bit once they took the lead. But then something kick ass happened. We actually got a couple of hits and managed to score a run. Then AJ the college pro stepped in on the mound and shut them out til the 6th inning where we tied the friggin game. Then in the 7th we scored another and were in the lead. At the bottom of the 7th they scored another run on an error. Into the 8th we went where both teams held it at zero runs. We were all stoked at this point. Then it happened. They called it a tie. A TIE! I believe they did because they were a little worried we might win. But we freaking tied them.

For some reason I have been thinking about it all day. I have been surfing a lot since I got here but that was some of the most fun I have had here in Playa Gigante. And for all you guys that I grew up with playing baseball year after year I say, Cheers to you. And if you haven’t played fast pitch baseball in a while you are missing out.

One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something.

– Nolan Ryan

I have been a photographer and videographer in Vail, Colorado for a few years now. I have most of my equipment down here but it was a joy to leave all of that at home and participate in one the world’s greatest games. Here is the only photo that I could find that relates to me and baseball. There was no press at the game.

 

Cover photo courtesy of espn.go.com