A young ballplayer never stops learning.
That's especially true on this night for Mariners catching prospect Israel Nunez and a dozen of his fellow minor-leaguers from Latin America.
They've already spent the day blocking balls in the dirt, throwing in the bullpen and trying to hit off-speed pitches.
But now they're on to something really important. Like figuring out what they should never joke about in airports.
"Bombs!" shouts Nunez, a native of Mexico who arrived in the United States last year to play rookie-league ball.
The teacher at the front of their makeshift classroom, felt marker ready at a white board, asks him to spell the word.
"B-O-M-B-S," Nunez says, proudly, enunciating each letter.
"Wow, that was great, Israel!" replies the teacher. "Keep this up and you'll be done needing this class. You're this close!"
The players are all rookie level and Class A Mariners prospects, ages 18 to 22, sent to the evening class to work on their English and learn about life in the United States. Not just as ballplayers who have to understand on-field instruction in another language, but as civilians needing to order food in restaurants, learn local dating etiquette and figure out how not to get arrested when walking through airport security.
Baker also finds comedy gold.
"What happens if you can't find your gate, you don't know where to go?" Schnakenberg asks. "What's the phrase you would say?"
"Do you speak Spanish?" a player deadpans.
Entertaining stuff. So is the rest of the article.
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