Round 12: Baseball in the Sulaimán Family

 By Mauricio Sulaimán – WBC President – Son of José Sulaimán

There’s a reason baseball is known as the king of sports.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays gave us a World Series to remember with seven games full of drama, comebacks, clutch hitting, great defense, and one 18-inning game. Everything was decided in the seventh game, in 11 innings, and with a series of dramatic plays.

The Sulaimáns have played baseball since those golden years of the little leagues in our Mexico City, leagues that are unfortunately fading away. The Lindavista League, at Miguel Alemán Park, was the place where our family spent its childhood and where we formed a very close bond.

My father was the manager of the teams for Pepe, Héctor (always known as Güero), Fernando, called Fery, and me. He was also the league president for various periods. Doña Martha, my beloved mother, ran the league’s cafeteria for many years, and thus, along with other players’ mothers, we could all enjoy delicious, fortifying food between games.

Pepe was the most well-rounded: a great catcher and pitcher. He was an awesome hitter, connecting long-distance home runs, but especially in clutch moments. Fery was always the spirited player, with a great ability to get on base and steal bases, scoring many runs.

Time passed, we grew up, and destiny led Don José to meet one day with Sandro de Miguel, who was also a manager in the league. They decided to gather the kids, now a bit older, and form the Vagabundos (Vagrants) team, which for many years was the greatest joy for everyone. The former Lindavista players and a few guests would play every Sunday, then come back to my house for the snacks that Doña Martha had ready: beer, small sandwiches (tortitas), snacks and even carnitas when there was a special game.

Today’s baseball is very different from the one we played. Many things are good, others are not bad, but there is a great emptiness that affects those of us who are in love with the game. There are no longer signs from the catcher to the pitcher; now they communicate with technology, a change that ended a practice dating back to the invention of this beautiful sport.

Another change is video review on controversial plays, and perhaps the most dramatic of all is how information obtained through technology via statistics has led managers to base most of their decisions on numbers to analyze every batting situation.

It’s rare to see a complete game: the pitcher throws a certain number of pitches and is sent to the bench for the reliever to enter. You no longer see the bunt, the hit-and-run, or the stolen base; it’s a sport more oriented toward power, the home run, which provides great spectacle, but strategy is sidelined.

MLB has taken action to adjust to the present, to trends, and to the tastes of new generations. This is what the regulator of a sport must do. The NFL is a great example of how to take advantage of new technologies. Watching a game on TV is incredible: with the first-and-10 lines, statistics, and great interaction from the commentators.

The NFL has implemented rules; furthermore, they review them every year to adjust and seek continuous improvement. Many of these are not popular, but they seek the protection of the players. Even when fans complain, the reality is that it protects the quarterback and defenseless receivers. Do people miss those huge hits where helmets went flying?

Incredibly, yes, there are some who would still like to see it, just as there are those who would like to see 15-round fights or women fighting three-minute rounds.

In boxing, we face great resistance to change when it comes to introducing new rules or innovative concepts. It has always been this way; there is a misguided love for tradition and a rejection of innovation. The reality is that modern boxing is governed by the rules that the World Boxing Council has implemented through medical and scientific research. The number of rounds was lowered.

The weigh-in takes place the day before the fight, contrary to what was done for decades, which was just hours before. There are four ropes instead of three, 10 intermediate divisions have been created to avoid major sacrifices or to give wide advantages; in short, the list of changes that have been implemented is endless, but there is still much to be done.

Did you know…?

The world tournament called the Riyadh Season WBC Boxing Grand Prix has served as a laboratory to test a good number of boxing innovations, and they have been a total and absolute success: providing the official judges’ scores to the corners and the public, instant replay for controversies, a new scoring system to avoid draws, a buzzer that sounds 30 seconds before the end of the round to generate combativeness, five judges instead of three, and the use of 12-ounce gloves for heavyweights.

Today’s Anecdote

Fernando Valenzuela was one of Don José’s great idols. When he arrived at the Dodgers, he won his first eight starts by shutout! Thus, “Fernandomania” was born. Right around that time, the arrival of satellite dishes began, and everyone at home knew when my dad arrived from work, as the movement of the antenna would immediately start, since Don José would search satellite by satellite for where the Dodgers game was so he could watch his “Toro” Valenzuela. There is no doubt that he has been more present than ever; since his deeply felt passing, the Dodgers have won two World Series.

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