SEATTLE - Baseball is something that runs in the Álvarez family. Ever since a little kid, Francisco Álvarez was set on one day making his dreams come true. Now as a 22-year-old, the New York Mets exciting young star sat down with The Latin Times for an exclusive interview where he talked about his experiences of playing at the best baseball league in the world.
On what he has learned since joining MLB
"It's been a beautiful experience. In my first year here I learned more than what I learned in the minor leagues. This year, I am more committed to following my routine. I am paying attention to all the small details, like what makes a player a good hitter, those type of things."
On the role his family played early in his childhood
"My parents have always guided my siblings and I towards the good paths in life. I used to watch my brothers play baseball and that motivated me to play too. I remember I was very energetic as a kid so my grandmother took me to the park one day and I started to practice throwing the ball. The coach had me playing with the little kids as I was just three or four years old. Since then I started to practice, practice, practice."
On how he ended up being a catcher
"I used to play third base. I didn't run too much and my physique wasn't that of a third baseman. Everyone used to tell me 'you have to be a catcher, you have to be a catcher!' and that's how I ended up in that position."
On moving to the United States as a teenager
"I still live in Venezuela during the offseason. I came to the United States as a 16-year-old and you obviously miss the people...it's really hard to come to a country where they don't speak the same language. As a catcher, I had to understand the pitches and all that stuff but I had trouble understanding English, so I had to learn it."
On the differences between Venezuelan and American ballparks
"In Venezuela, there's always that extra passion around the ballpark. Here in the United States, I feel like people go to just to have a good time."
On one of his favorites memories as a player
"I have had lots of great and beautiful moments since I joined the Major leagues. The first time I caught a game against Max Scherzer was one of those great moments. Also the first time I was behind the plate, I remember I was so nervous that day."
On his short and long term goals
"I think my short term goal is always to win the next series, to win two out of three, every time. In the long term, I want to win a World Series title."
On adapting to a new country and a new language
"The team helped me a lot with classes. Sometimes they would send me to watch movies in English as a way to learn it and I also had the help of an interpreter when I first arrived. English is not my first language so one can always make a mistake when talking. I like having them there to correct and to explain things to me in Spanish."
On a cool experience made possible by his baseball career
"One time I went to the Billboard Awards and it was a beautiful experience. I was able to talk and meet Eladio Carrión and Arcángel."
On playing for the Mets and living in New York
"We have an amazing fanbase, they are always demanding and I like that. They are hard to understand but I like playing for them. And something I love about playing in New York is the food and the fact that there are lots of Latinos everywhere."
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