This interview was conducted in Spanish and has been translated.
In his 20-year MLB career, Adrián Beltré has become one of the most respected players in the game. But his journey hasn't always been easy. Signed as an international free agent at just 15, Beltré shares his struggles with learning the language, ordering food and relating to teammates. He spoke with Marly Rivera about his transition to the U.S. almost 25 years ago.
Was it hard for you to break into the U.S.?
In my time, a lot of people in the Dominican Republic saw baseball as a way out of poverty, to bring food to the family, to set an example for the country. For me, for David Ortiz, for [Albert] Pujols, it was already a little easier because Sammy Sosa and Raúl Mondesí had already gone. They opened the path for us, and the world already knew that the Dominican Republic had good players.
What was the biggest culture shock when you got to the U.S.?
The number one was the language. I knew very little [English], although the Dodgers' farm system stressed trying to teach players the main things you will face here in America -- how to cope, what to order for you to eat, how to communicate with other players, etc.
What was it like to order food in English?
At first, it was not difficult because in my case we were staying in Dodgertown. I had a lot of help with everything. They have various coaches who speak the language and who help you little by little. But as soon as the season started, it started to get a little more difficult.
I lived with several Latinos, and they did not speak English, so we adapted little by little. We started by ordering food at McDonald's or at Subway after the game. We did a little bit of everything to order. What helped me was arriving at the place, pointing at a photo [of food], saying something as if I were murmuring, letting them answer me, and saying "yes." But I didn't know what they were going to give me. Whatever came, I tried to eat it.
I went hungry a lot because I've always hated pickles. A lot of times the food at McDonald's came with a lot of pickles, and when I ordered I'd just grab the food, go to the hotel, sit down to eat, and open it to find pickles. I'd immediately throw it in the trash.
What was it like not to speak the language?
I tried very hard to learn the language, although I knew it wouldn't be an easy journey. I wanted to not only stand out in baseball, but also to have the freedom to express myself and to ask for what I wanted. One of the things that bothered me most wasn't not knowing the language but not being able to express myself when I wanted to say something. I had to live with my internal voice because I didn't know how to say something.
In my first year in the United States, there was a player who was of Cuban descent named Dan Ricobo who spoke Spanish and English well. So I asked him for a favor: [I asked] if I could bring him one English word a day so he could teach me how to use it in a sentence. That's how I learned little by little, and I was never afraid that people would make fun of me when I said a wrong word.
How long until you felt comfortable speaking English?
After the first year you already feel comfortable with peers because there's a relationship where you feel like you know them, even though you don't express yourself the same way. After the second year I started to do better. I felt confident about expressing myself, and I wasn't afraid that they wouldn't understand me or would make fun of me; they'd correct me. I focused on that a lot. I thought that if I wanted to succeed in America I'd have to learn the language. Then I had more confidence to start saying the words that I'd supposedly learned.
What is the biggest difference between media in the U.S. vs the DR?
I think that social networks have changed everything. In one aspect it is good because everyone knows everything that happens in the world in a second. Players become more famous because people know who they are; they have their Twitter, their Facebook, their Snapchat. They communicate and they have a closer relationship with the fans. But at the same time it's not good, because everything negative or positive comes out in the media. If you say something in the moment, or if you're a little angry about something that happened, that goes out on all the networks in the world. So because of one moment of frustration people can stereotype/categorize you as a different person. For the record, I don't have social media or Facebook. It doesn't interest me. People who want to talk to me have my phone number and can call me.
How are Latinos fans different than fans in the U.S.?
I think the Latino fan feels the game more; the Latino fan wants to be involved in the game. They believe that whatever they believe is the way things are. Latinos are a little more boisterous than Americans. We always love the game that pushes us. What I noticed playing in the winter and playing here is that Latino fans involve themselves in the game more. They like to shout, they always like supporting their players, and in that way they're different from the Americans.
Is that because of the Latino love for baseball?
I believe that the love Latino players have for the game is incomparable to another. I say this through experience. We're blessed with the salaries they pay us -- obviously it's a very good salary -- but it's a job for some. For me it's a hobby -- a hobby that I obviously enjoy. But at the same time it brings you a lot of stress, a lot of dilemmas, because after a point you become an example to follow.
The Latino player has an incredible love for the game, and that's what motivates us to become much better than the Americans. Obviously we're on foreign territory, and maybe it's true and reasonable that if the Latino and the American are doing the same job, they're going to give the job to the American. That's how it was when I was in the minors. Sometimes I'd talk to the boys in the minors and explain that this is a way to force yourself to do better. I don't want them to see it as being on par [with the Americans]. They have to be better.