a brass and percussion military marching band. Without a public address system, the anthem is barely audible. Without proper illumination, the Mexican flag beyond the centerfield fence blends into the background. The game begins.
Banda, norteño, reggae- ton, as well as Spanish and American pop play throughout. The music only stops when the pitcher sets and until the ball pops the catcher’s mitt. When African-Americans from the opposing team come to bat, the home team plays 1970s funk. Scantily clad cheerlead- ers down the foul lines bump and grind during game pauses. Vendors sell cecina (beef jerky), sugary piña coladas, cotton candy, flan, churros, and Tecate.
We poke fun at the fans Cameramen film the vari- ous characters of Inau- guracion. When there is a pretty woman on the jumbotron, the produc- tion team plays a song about a beautiful woman. Some of the women blow kisses, some show off their behinds or worse, while others uncomfort- ably avoid eye contact with the lens. The crowd, when the game drags, relies on the jumbotron, dancing girls, and mas- cots for entertainment. Before an out has
been recorded, the first people on the scoreboard television for Toros 2016 season is an elderly couple. The man makes out with his wife on camera. She’s embarrassed. The crowd loves it. Toros right fielder Texas-born Dustin Martin watches and smirks from his position. Ernesto Alvarado is
part of the production team on Toros’ jumbotron. He specializes in camera work. “The main objec-
tive of our work is to invite fans to support the team in a fun way,” he says. “We know baseball games are too long, so we are there to help make the game more fun. Most of those attending the games are not baseball fans. They’re people going somewhere to spend an afternoon or evening in a good atmo- sphere for family fun. That’s why we poke fun at the fans.” For instance, when a
man with a ranch workers hat appears on the screen, the production team plays “Jefe de Jefes” (Boss of Bosses) by Los Tigres del Norte, a band which plays accordion-heavy, polka- rhythmed norteño music. The team films people
while they eat, and incor- porates a dance cam and kiss cam. Alvarado admits not everyone likes the images the production team projects. “The jum- botron can cause some controversy for the die- hard baseball fans, but, overall, the work shown on the screen is very much accepted by fans and other franchises in the league.” He brags that the
experience at a Toros game is the best in Mexico. “It’s why Toros are more than baseball,” he says, referencing the team’s slogan in Spanish ‘Somos mas que beisbol.’ Tecate logos decorate
the uniforms, and Tecate beers are sold through- out the ballpark for 30 pesos — about $1.50. (It’s $7.25 for a beer at Petco Park.) There’s no last call. (No alcohol is sold after the 7th inning at all Major League Baseball parks.) Periodically, a deep pre- recorded voice over a drum beat yells “Toma! Toma!” (English: “Chug! Chug!”). Kids love “Chu Chu
Wa Wa,” a march which functions like the seventh inning stretch, but hap-
pens between the sixth and seventh innings. Whenever a runner gets on base, Joel Higuera’s “El Baile de la Toallita” plays. Juan Gabriel’s “La Mera Mera”, a song commis- sioned by Tijuana’s tour- ism board, plays a promi- nent part at Toros games. Mera mera (or mero mero) is a local expression that translates roughly to the very best. “Lo mas bonito de San
Diego es…” the stadium’s loudspeakers plays Juan Gabriel singing the song’s first lyrics. And, in their best moments, the crowd yells in unison: “Tijua- naaa!” This works espe- cially well when the game is going in Toros direction. English: “The most beauti- ful part of San Diego is... Tijuana.” Interestingly, Tijuana,
home to 1.8 million inhab- itants (Mexico City has 17.4 million), has pro- duced more Major League Baseball players than any other city in the nation of nearly 130 million. They are: Andrés Berumen, Jorge Campillo, Benjamín Gil, brothers Edgar Gon- zalez and Adrian Gonza- lez, Esteban Loaiza, Oscar Robles, Freddy Sandoval, and José Silva.
Pochos The Toros’ American players are predomi- nantly from the south- west: Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.
Infielders Oscar Robles and Emmanuel Valdez hail from Tijuana. Fir st b aseman
Roberto Lopez and start- ing pitcher Alex Sanabia are from San Diego. For the younger players, the dream is to play in the big leagues. At Inauguracion 2016, perhaps many fans noted the increasing num- ber of Mexican-Americans on their border team; indeed, this was indica- tive of recent changes in Liga Mexicana de Béisbol. When Pooky Gomez
first started baseball free- lancing a few years ago, taxistas picking him up at the border did not know who Toros were or who they played. Now they do. The closest Mexico
organization to his home in Los Angeles, Toros acted as an inroad for Gomez, a former player in the Mexican minor leagues, into the baseball business. He networks with Mexican teams that come to Tijuana and has personal relationships with some Toros players. He played in the minor leagues in Mexico. Gomez, 36, some-
times sits behind home plate with team owners and other executives. He’s fluent in Spanish and Eng- lish, but he’s not Mexican. His main hustle seems to be selling MaxBats, maple bats manufactured in Minnesota, to players. When we speak, he’s
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San Diego Reader April 6, 2017 17
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