Ball players from Puerto Rico show off skills

LA MARQUE — When Jesus Galarza walked onto the field at Minute Maid Park, his jaw dropped. Then in slow motion, without closing his mouth, he flashed a wide-eyed smile.

It was Galarza’s, from Ponce, Puerto Rico, first time to witness a professional baseball stadium. Naturally, he slowly turned his head and took in all the scenes. He was most impressed as the retractable roof opened and closed.

Galarza could envision himself somewhere between second and third base, playing shortstop, just like his favorite player, Jose Reyes.

“I’d love to play baseball, maybe get a scholarship to go play college,” Galarza, 12, said. “It’s going to be hard — there are a lot of good shortstops out there — but I just want a chance.”

Like many young United States citizens his age, Galarza wants to play ball. The field is his sanctuary, his happiness.

But unlike many Americans, Galarza does not have the resources at his disposal to achieve his dream. Leagues in Puerto Rico, especially in working-class areas like Ponce, often are unorganized and underfunded. Even if a player is good, few colleges, if any, scout Puerto Rico.

Asked to name the best Puerto Rican shortstop, Galarza thought for a moment. He could only come up with Dickie Thon.

That’s where Alberto Roque comes in. And it’s why Galarza found himself in Galveston County during Labor Day weekend playing the game he loves.

Roque, a native of Ponce who played in St. Louis’ minor league system, organized a tournament in La Marque involving eight teams, including one from Ponce with Galarza and 15 other players.

Roque’s hope is that this tournament is the beginning of an effort to show off Puerto Rican baseball to America and also bring the sport’s positives back to the island.

“I’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Roque said. “The goal is really to give Puerto Rican kids a name in baseball not just professionally but to colleges, to show off our ability. The other part is to offer these kids the tools to succeed in baseball and life.”

The tournament came to La Marque thanks to Spencer Williams, Roque’s college roommate. Williams, from Galveston, contacted Little Leagues in the area and found a desire to play a tournament.

La Marque/West Texas City Little League donated the fields.

“This is not just a great opportunity for Puerto Rican teams, but our kids,” Williams said. “How many times are they going to get a chance at this kind of experience?”

About 50 people from Puerto Rico made the trip. Williams estimated it cost about $20,000 for plane tickets, food, hotel and other travel. Some kids fundraised, while others paid their own way.

Roque hopes this event, the first of its kind, is a springboard to his organization, Rising Star Athletics. Currently, Roque focuses mostly on helping individual athletes, but he’d like to build an academy to help kids attain scholarships while also working on English and computer skills.

Roque has found a lot of support. The Puerto Rican government has given him a nice deal on a piece of land. The mayor of Ponce even donated the jerseys for the tournament this weekend.

Grisel Roque, Alberto’s mother, who helps run Rising Start Athletics in Puerto Rico, also believes organized baseball goes beyond money and professionalism. It’s a way to teach kids how to live a good life.

“Baseball is not just a way to achieve college scholarships, but as we say in Puerto Rico, keep the kids off the corner — away from drugs, alcohol abuse and stuff like that,” Grisel Roque said. “I mean, look at this field here and all the fathers around watching. It’s like a family reunion that includes a good healthy activity.”

For players like Galarza and Brian Rodriguez, a catcher whose favorite player is Pudge Rodriguez, it means an opportunity that might not have otherwise come: exposure and a place to hone their skills.

And that’s all they want: a fair chance to play baseball and compete among the best. Maybe, if they are good enough, then they will play in college or even professionally. If not, they’ll have had fun and learned about community, leadership and working hard.

“I want to prove that we — Puerto Rico — can play baseball, that we’re just as good as anyone,” Rodriguez said. “So when I come here, it feels like we’re not just doing this for me, but for Puerto Rico. If we can win or I can get a college scholarship, it’s that much better for my country.”

Alberto Roque feels the same way.