Alejandro Kirk and Jonathan Aranda go from Tijuana ball fields to the all-star game

West Sacramento, California – Jonathan Aranda received a text in Spanish late in the morning. It contained a mysterious request: “Let me know if you hear from the all-star team.”

The news came from the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse. Alejandro Kirk was found in a meeting of the Hitter with iPads and advanced reports on July 6th and found that he returned to midsummer classic. The catcher's teammates exploded in the room when manager John Schneider broke the news. It is the first all-star game in which he was able to take part with his 2-year-old daughter Emilia, Kirk thought.

Then his spirit joined a long -time friend and Tampa Bay Rays Infielder. When the meeting ended, Kirk reached for his phone to write Aranda.

The two Tijuana native played together when they were 4 years old, started in Little League and traveled together to national showcase games before signing with various franchise companies in the American League Ost. They see each other every winter and meet in the field as a divisional opponent. But when Aranda found out that he was selected for the Al All Star team, a real reunion was determined.

“I can't believe that,” said Kirk by Blue Jay's interpreter Hector LeBron. “To think about two small children who have known each other for so long, played small leagues together, signed professionals, made it into the big leagues and now went together to go to an all-star game. It is just incredible.”

I also can't remember when he played together for the first time – Kirk and Aranda swung the same bats and manned the same field as long as they can remember. They were brought together by the family, with older brothers playing in front of them as teammates. Kirk's father Juan Manuel was the manager of the Little League team – the caring skipper full of motivational speeches. When Aranda's parents were unable to accompany her son to a national tournament, Juan Manuel took care of him. Aranda's father was also a coach in his staff. He brought hard love, said Aranda.

The infields played together for 12 years and still meet every day in the low season. They train in the same gym in Tijuana, run through exercises on a field and their families combine for dinner at least once a week. If necessary, you will find an excuse to organize a party. They are also the sponsors of the other's daughters.

“Above the baseball, this family connection was really what this was done,” said Aranda by the interpreters Melissa Rodriguez Strozza. “So I know that it will be something special for the families to share together at that moment.”

Kirk is the image of calm when he steps into the box for a ninth inning bat. In the shelter between Innings he is a unhealthy stoic. A smile is rare, a laugh that is unknown. But thinking about the all-star show case games Kirk and Aranda, who played all over Mexico as children, and the Catcher in Toronto broke and giggled.

The couple was always the best rackets in their team, but the showcase events showed tailor -made competitions. They often earned medals. Aranda played in the Basering exercises while Kirk held the Homerun derbies.

“Obviously he was faster than me,” said Kirk with a dental smile.

Neither Kirk nor Aranda went obvious ways to the big leagues. Big League clubs did not really notice the two players until Scouts came to the city to watch other players. At a time when the top international prospects earn millions of dollars, Aranda signed $ 130,000, and Kirk received $ 30,000. Neither of them got deep into their career as a minor League career. Neither imagined that one day they would be MLB all-stars.

When Aranda found out that he had made the Al team, the Rays -infieler Kirk shot an immediate text: “We will share a field together.” In a way, it is normal – you played together every week for over a decade. They run infield exercises every winter. But they never dreamed of sharing a clubhouse during the midsummer classic.

“I think when we were small,” said Aranda. “I don't think we can imagine that. I don't know that we did it.”

(Topoto by Jonathan Aranda, left and Alejandro Kirk, Center: Jessica Ventura)