Nats Speak Out on Diversity in Baseball
By Kevin Bonner
Diversity in baseball was the topic as Washington Nationals outfielder Roger Bernadina and first base coach Tony Tarasco fielded questions from a group of students from the University of Maryland.
The two Nationals took time to speak with George Solomon’s journalism class prior to their 8-1 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds. The group focused on Bernardina’s recent participation in the World Baseball Classic as a member of the Netherlands national team, and Tarasco’s experiences playing baseball worldwide.
Bernadina was born in Curacao, which is a constituent country of the Netherlands, making him eligible for the national team. This technicality doesn’t diminish the pride he feels in his country, as he told the class that in the World Baseball Classic “I was representing my family and friends at home.” It’s a separate type of pride from when he puts on a Nationals uniform, which he explained is a life goal of every kid in his country.
While the World Baseball Classic had yet to be created while Tarasco was playing, he was able to gain a global experience by spending a year with the Hanshin Tigers, in the Japanese Central League. It was obvious that Tarasco held enormous respect for the players in Japan and the work ethic they brought to the game each day. He told stories of teams setting up batting practice in hotel ballrooms, and heading to the weight room at midnight following a game. “With baseball not starting there, there’s a sense of wanting to prove that you can play too,” he said.
The recent release of the Jackie Robinson movie “42” was also a topic of discussion, and Tarasco pointed out that Robinson was more than just a role model for African-American players. He said it showed players worldwide that anybody could make it if they had the talent, no matter which country they came from.
Bernadina explained that former MLB star Andruw Jones was a similar role model for him. Jones hails from the same home country as Bernadina, and the two were able to play together in the WBC this past spring, an experience he described as invaluable.
Before their time was up, Tarasco was also able to touch on the point of declining numbers of African-American youths playing baseball in the United States today. He attributed part of the problem to the time and money the sport takes up, in an era where families are working long hours just to put food on the table. Most families simply can’t afford to put their sons on the now popular traveling club teams that dominate the sport at a young age. Bernadina noted the stark contrast in Curacao, where most kids are playing on parking lots with whatever equipment they could find.
After the final question, the two were rushed back to the locker room to prepare for the nights game, in which Bernadino collected a pinch-hit single in the 8th inning.
