As a fan, I always gravitate toward ballplayers who seemingly play the game with their hearts on their sleeves and a smile on their faces. The ones that exude passion, joy and fun in every at bat and on every play.
Steward Berroa is one of those ballplayers and I had a chance to sit down with the Vancouver Canadians outfielder (#19) before a game during the last homestand.
Born in the Dominican Republic, the 23-year-old has been in the Blue Jays system since 2016. A well travelled ballplayer, Berroa has played in Dunedin (Florida), Buffalo (New York) and New Hampshire (New Hampshire) just to name a few landing spots.
For now, we have him here in Vancouver, and fans of baseball are luckier for it. What follows are a few snippets from our conversation, edited down a bit because my evil editors won’t increase my word count.
I asked him to describe his style of play and he confirmed what I see when I watch him on the field:
“Honestly, I love to have fun. We never know when it’s going to be the last time we’re gonna be playing this beautiful game. No matter what, no matter how I just like to find a way to have fun.”
It’s no secret that Berroa is one of my favourite ballplayers. And I’m always intrigued to find out who my favourite ballplayers, favourite ballplayers are:
“I love to see guys who’ve got a good respect of the game. Because you can have fun, but at the same time, you have to respect the game. And some guys that I grew up seeing and love the way that they play are Jose Reyes and Derek Jeter, the Captain”
I asked him about playing baseball in Vancouver:
“I’ve been playing in different cities, playing baseball in whatever city is fun, because you do what you love and this is a beautiful, beautiful game to play. But at the same time, playing for Vancouver, I think is something special, because we play for a nation, you know? We play for an entire country,” Berroa said.
Because I’m a nerd and a stickler for the rules, I wanted to know his opinion about the Pitch Clock:
“I really respect that," Berroa explained. "Because [the clock] is something that the MLB and MiLB are doing to get a better show for the fans. But at the same time it’s something that we have to adjust to. Because that’s something that accelerates you a little bit…so you have to be ready in your mind because it’s something that speeds you up a little bit.”
In closing, I wanted to know if he had any advice for young, aspiring ballplayers. His answer, like always, did not disappoint:
“Never give up. And I’m a big example of that. Never give up. I come from the Dominican Republic, where there’s not a lot of opportunities, but you can create your own opportunity. And you guys, if you’re hearing me right now, don’t give up. Always get better, at least one thing every day. Always go home with one new thing and one thing that you think you’ve improved. You're gonna find a lot of people who don't make it and they’re gonna tell you what you can’t do. But that's just because they didn't do it. So don't give up. Follow your dreams and never stop.”
