Baseball Season Comes Early to Latin American Youth Center

Opening Day isn't until April 2nd. But baseball fever was in the air today when Washington Nationals Manager Manny Acta and two of his players, centerfielder Nook Logan and pitcher Mike O'Connor, visited LAYC, talking baseball, taking questions and signing autographs.

Acta, who was named manager in November and grew up in the Dominican Republic, alternated between Spanish and English during the visit.

Welcomed by LAYC Executive Director Lori Kaplan, the Nationals talked with youth in LAYC's workforce program and students from The Next Step and YouthBuild Public Charter Schools, both founded by LAYC.

Acta urged the young people to stay in school and pursue their dreams, sharing his own experience arriving in the United States in 1987, at age 18, to play Rookie League, and not knowing a word of English. Just two months later, Acta explained, he was able to communicate well in English.

Acta said he had a simple dream -- "to become a baseball player, come to the U.S, and buy lots of jeans and sneakers." He's living the dream. He told the young people to take advantage of opportunities, saying you can be "whatever you want in this country."

Acta also encouraged the young people to look past skin color and language differences, saying, "We're all the same."

O'Connor, who grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland, and played for four years at nearby George Washington University (GW), described the hard work that eventually led him to the major leagues. In high school, O'Connor said, there were better players on his team, and when he arrived at GW, it wasn't clear he would even make the team. He kept at it, and today he's a 26-year old pitcher in the majors.

Logan, who came to the Nationals from the Detroit Tigers last September, talked about growing up in Mississippi in a tough neighborhood, where people looked out for him and helped him find his way. He said he tries to make it up to the people who steered him in the right direction.

In closing, Acta said that it sometimes takes courage to walk away from tough situations and old friends who are doing bad or dangerous things, but that it's important. Sometimes, we need to "separate ourselves," he said.

The visit to LAYC was part of the Nationals' 2007 week-long Winter Caravan, which provides fans throughout the DC metro area a chance to meet with members of the Nationals before they depart for spring training in February.

And that home opener against the Florida Marlins is just around the corner.