A Carnaval of Triumph

MAZATLAN, Mexico—The Serie del Caribe blends my two passions, baseball and Hispanic culture.

It was the sixth time that Sinaloa state had hosted the event, and the 35th Serie of the modern era. The fact that it would be played during Mazatlan’s huge Carnaval had everyone preparing for an unforgettable week.

I went to my first Serie in Puerto Rico in ’03. I skipped the Dominican Republic, but no way would I skip this one. I first visited “The Pearl of The Pacific” when I was 11 and have had many wonderful trips there. We had our honeymoon there in 1997.

The area around the stadium was a pure Fan–fest. Mariachi bands, games for kids, restaurants and a tremendous selection of souvenirs. The large Sr. Frog’s Bar, 15 steps after walking into el estadio, was an immediate good sign.

I’ve been to three Final Fours, two Olympics, several Real Madrid soccer matches, NBA All–Star Game, MLB World Series and playoff games. I was at Pac Bell Park when Barry Bonds hit homeruns 72 and 73. But they all pale in comparison to the fun in the stadiums of the Serie — dancing, bullhorns, cheers, flags, even a full–blown Norteño band playing live off the first–base line — and not just between innings.

One of my favorites was the 5–year–old kid who periodically danced up a storm to some hip–hop music.

Did I mention the beer vendor never far away with his two 5–gallon buckets full of ice and bottles of Pacifico or Corona for $1.35? Still not sure why they call him “Hüero,” but the old guy was rarely seen not opening & pouring.

Mexico won its first three games and Mazatlan was prepping for something special. I kept hearing how Mexico had won four Serie del Caribe crowns but never en casa. A monstrous “jonron” by Venezuela’s Alex Cabrera in Game 4 put them tied with Mexico at 3–1 in the standings going into the fifth round.

Then, a rainy Saturday threw the Serie into disarray. The notorious lack of communication left almost everyone without any clue as to when the games would be made up. I went down to the Olas Altas section and dived into the Carnaval fun all night.

So imagine my surprise when I awoke at 11:30 p.m., turned on the TV and saw a game in the fifth inning. The Confederation had decided to play all FOUR games on Sunday, starting at 10:00 a.m. Every team had some form of a doubleheader.

Mexico was positioned to win the title with a victory in the final game, but the powerful dominicanos still barred the way.

I didn’t go to the stadium until 7:00 p.m. The third game was barely started, so my buddy and I grabbed a couple of free Pacificos and strolled out of the stadium to the nearby Malecon, where thousands were waiting for the Carnaval parade. Venezuela and Puerto Rico ended up going 12 innings.

After some closing–ceremony dancers, the final game STARTED at 11:15 p.m.

Mexico had their ace, Francisco Campos, on the hill. The hosts went ahead 4–0 on an Erubiel Durazo homer in the fifth. It stood that way until the ninth. Hits from Luis Polonia and Miguel Tejada started a rally that chased “Pancho Ponche/Frankie Strikeout” and made it 4–2 with the bases loaded, no outs. There was a “this can’t be happening” look on many faces. But a double play got us all fired up and dancing again.

The final out was a weak dribbler to Mexican closer Luis Ayala that turned into a tight footrace to the bag. At 2:20 a.m., it was over and the final celebration began.

I’d say the place “went off,” but, hell, we’d been going off since the first inning. “We Are The Champions” was blaring and a victorious Mexican team took a victory lap with the championship cup aloft, Euro–soccer style. A couple of old guys danced on homeplate, waving huge Mexican flags.

I was so happy for my new friends. All of the fans around me also had the six–day passes, so we shared the experience. For a week, I was a “Mazatleco” and completely immersed in Venadomania. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity to participate in that historical time.