| LUIS POLLORENA |
" The Next Level"
FOR 360 SPORTS
Eating and chatting across a wooden
table one day. Talking about sports,
and the pains it takes to get to the next
level. The conversation took a turn
that has baffled my senses.
Speaking of all the baseball I been
around I mentioned of players going
FOR 360 SPORTS
Eating and chatting across a wooden
table one day. Talking about sports,
and the pains it takes to get to the next
level. The conversation took a turn
that has baffled my senses.
Speaking of all the baseball I been
around I mentioned of players going
to the bigs, and taking the next step to the next level. How those players were working to maintain their athletic
performance at the top every moment possible was the next thing I mentioned. How those athletes send me notes,
and comments on how difficult it has been for them. Not so much in the diamond, but in places they never had any
training at all. How to be a human being. That aspect is not part of any baseball camp or academy. It is something
that is passed from one generation to another.
Watching Luis Pollorena a product of Laredo schools, and Laredo baseball training. I keep looking at the levels he
has reached. All Star Little League for years in a row. All District in High School , and his senior year he ends up All
State in baseball.
Then he takes it to a level many in Laredo with the same talent would dare not take it. He took his wares in baseball
out of town, out state over there where there is no Taco Palenque to go to at night. I always called that Lonely
baseball . I myself traveled that round in my early 20's in a select team going from town to town in hoping our skills
would improve just enough to make it to the next level. It is lonely in that baseball dugout traveling those cities you
did not know existed maybe on maps, but not on the maps you had at home,or in your school as you were growing
up.
Luis took his baseball wares to a place for those of us that understand is a land of few morenos making it. NOt
because you do not have the talent, but because your morenito. Alabama the red state where Luis went for his
freshman year was eye opening. WHen I spoke quietly to his father. He reminded me that he did a SteppenWolf a
Ride on the magic carpet ride as a young man, and played select baseball across the Pacific coast of Mexico, and
the Southern part of our country in California , Nevada, and New Mexico. The baseball generation torch was being
passed to Luis from a place his father had traveled.
Luis gets to Alabama to perhaps the place many in Laredo understood he was going to play baseball at the next
level beyond high school. University baseball. This was no academy this was no baseball camp this was a university
not to many in Laredo understand exist. IT is a military university . The first day he gets there Luis got the G.I. shout
in your ear CADET here is your future for the next 12 months. Here are your army pants, your army t shirts your
army boots. YOur in a military institution first playing baseball is secondary at this university.
It would have broken almost everyone from Laredo. IT did not matter to LUis. He took the boots took the gear got to
his bunk. This is not a condo, this is no dorm room like in all the other universities. This is a military barrack, and
welcome to the future home of the officers joining the US ARMY. HOw about that sports fans.
LUis had to get up each day for one year at 5 Am just to get his bunk, and gear in order. He still had to play baseball
, but he had to play military "EL Casi Soldado Y bUena". He survived the brutal cold of the winter in Alabama in that
barrack without ever staring a singe baseball game down of his pitching mound that counted. He had to wait it out
tough it out until January.
When it started in January of his freshman year he found the only place he has known he can excel. The pitchers
mound , the batters box, and the base path. He ended up perhaps having a stealer year his freshman year that no
one expected only Luis, and his family. Few were the calls few were the how you doing besides the ever so
unfriendly FRIEND on Facebook listings.
He stuck it out he worked it out lead his team in pitching , strike out ERA you name it the man from Laredo whipped
those mid-western boys silly with the brand of baseball we all saw him play as he was growing up in Laredo, Texas.
IN that mix were people watching this 5'8" pitcher whip baseball players that were 6'2" , 6'3" etc. They noticed him,
and when he finished his year in May he went through his conference championships like no other.
Luis was the second leading pitcher leading the conference tournament in strike outs. HOw about that Sports Fans.
Luis EL Casi Soldado Y Buena whips those boys silly with his fall off the table curve ball, and his change up that to
the day those boys are asking to check the ball.
IN the stands more than one game were a few fellows from a NCAA DIVISION ONE baseball program that saw his
talent and could care less he does not fit the SO CALLED NCAA FORMAT OF BEING OVER 6' TALL PITCHERS.
LUis El Casi Soldado Y buena, again makes the next level of baseball. From Little League , to high school to
University, and now to a NCAA Division One baseball program.
Now Luis El Casi Soldado Y buena turns in his military uniform , his combat boots his early 5 Am wake up calls to go
eat breakfast together with the rest of the military dudes. He heads to Laredo in May, and here he is in front of me at
this wood table with his brother chowing down food like young man can. Big bites talking about everything but
everything. He starts to tell me about going to OHIO to go play summer baseball with university players in a very
famous summer league. What was my mind saying . Wait. He just went through the pure white of Alabama . Now he
wants to go to OHIO . For sure there is no Taco Palenque in OHIO (YET).
I was familiar with the summer baseball league. I know the level of talent at that league during the summer. This is
one is different . IT is a wooden bat league as wood bats as like the Tecolotes use , and the major leagues uses.
Humm another level I am thinking. Now he starts, and send us greetings with his stats, and his adventure in a
wooden bat league. IN a far away place, and this time LUis is now adjusting to the new league as he has done at
each level he has played. He is playing for the Copper Heads in Ohio, and here is where he belongs as well in
center field.
performance at the top every moment possible was the next thing I mentioned. How those athletes send me notes,
and comments on how difficult it has been for them. Not so much in the diamond, but in places they never had any
training at all. How to be a human being. That aspect is not part of any baseball camp or academy. It is something
that is passed from one generation to another.
Watching Luis Pollorena a product of Laredo schools, and Laredo baseball training. I keep looking at the levels he
has reached. All Star Little League for years in a row. All District in High School , and his senior year he ends up All
State in baseball.
Then he takes it to a level many in Laredo with the same talent would dare not take it. He took his wares in baseball
out of town, out state over there where there is no Taco Palenque to go to at night. I always called that Lonely
baseball . I myself traveled that round in my early 20's in a select team going from town to town in hoping our skills
would improve just enough to make it to the next level. It is lonely in that baseball dugout traveling those cities you
did not know existed maybe on maps, but not on the maps you had at home,or in your school as you were growing
up.
Luis took his baseball wares to a place for those of us that understand is a land of few morenos making it. NOt
because you do not have the talent, but because your morenito. Alabama the red state where Luis went for his
freshman year was eye opening. WHen I spoke quietly to his father. He reminded me that he did a SteppenWolf a
Ride on the magic carpet ride as a young man, and played select baseball across the Pacific coast of Mexico, and
the Southern part of our country in California , Nevada, and New Mexico. The baseball generation torch was being
passed to Luis from a place his father had traveled.
Luis gets to Alabama to perhaps the place many in Laredo understood he was going to play baseball at the next
level beyond high school. University baseball. This was no academy this was no baseball camp this was a university
not to many in Laredo understand exist. IT is a military university . The first day he gets there Luis got the G.I. shout
in your ear CADET here is your future for the next 12 months. Here are your army pants, your army t shirts your
army boots. YOur in a military institution first playing baseball is secondary at this university.
It would have broken almost everyone from Laredo. IT did not matter to LUis. He took the boots took the gear got to
his bunk. This is not a condo, this is no dorm room like in all the other universities. This is a military barrack, and
welcome to the future home of the officers joining the US ARMY. HOw about that sports fans.
LUis had to get up each day for one year at 5 Am just to get his bunk, and gear in order. He still had to play baseball
, but he had to play military "EL Casi Soldado Y bUena". He survived the brutal cold of the winter in Alabama in that
barrack without ever staring a singe baseball game down of his pitching mound that counted. He had to wait it out
tough it out until January.
When it started in January of his freshman year he found the only place he has known he can excel. The pitchers
mound , the batters box, and the base path. He ended up perhaps having a stealer year his freshman year that no
one expected only Luis, and his family. Few were the calls few were the how you doing besides the ever so
unfriendly FRIEND on Facebook listings.
He stuck it out he worked it out lead his team in pitching , strike out ERA you name it the man from Laredo whipped
those mid-western boys silly with the brand of baseball we all saw him play as he was growing up in Laredo, Texas.
IN that mix were people watching this 5'8" pitcher whip baseball players that were 6'2" , 6'3" etc. They noticed him,
and when he finished his year in May he went through his conference championships like no other.
Luis was the second leading pitcher leading the conference tournament in strike outs. HOw about that Sports Fans.
Luis EL Casi Soldado Y Buena whips those boys silly with his fall off the table curve ball, and his change up that to
the day those boys are asking to check the ball.
IN the stands more than one game were a few fellows from a NCAA DIVISION ONE baseball program that saw his
talent and could care less he does not fit the SO CALLED NCAA FORMAT OF BEING OVER 6' TALL PITCHERS.
LUis El Casi Soldado Y buena, again makes the next level of baseball. From Little League , to high school to
University, and now to a NCAA Division One baseball program.
Now Luis El Casi Soldado Y buena turns in his military uniform , his combat boots his early 5 Am wake up calls to go
eat breakfast together with the rest of the military dudes. He heads to Laredo in May, and here he is in front of me at
this wood table with his brother chowing down food like young man can. Big bites talking about everything but
everything. He starts to tell me about going to OHIO to go play summer baseball with university players in a very
famous summer league. What was my mind saying . Wait. He just went through the pure white of Alabama . Now he
wants to go to OHIO . For sure there is no Taco Palenque in OHIO (YET).
I was familiar with the summer baseball league. I know the level of talent at that league during the summer. This is
one is different . IT is a wooden bat league as wood bats as like the Tecolotes use , and the major leagues uses.
Humm another level I am thinking. Now he starts, and send us greetings with his stats, and his adventure in a
wooden bat league. IN a far away place, and this time LUis is now adjusting to the new league as he has done at
each level he has played. He is playing for the Copper Heads in Ohio, and here is where he belongs as well in
center field.
NO the fence is that tall. This is how Laredo has become the center
for athletes to play at the NCAA Division One level.
WHen Luis left our lunch meeting he said something to me in the
end that has stuck with me.
As we were leaving I was saying my "laters" to his brother, and I
turned to him. I said you know people in Laredo are going to start to
asking you for your autograph.
He stopped walking turned half way around and said " no I am still
Luis what I do in baseball is just that baseball. I am not that way I am
just LUis."
Well "Luis", no your not . YOur a talent breed in Laredo, TExas .
Yes your father was a professional baseball player, but that was
him. You are a talent that is going to levels no one in Laredo has
gone before except for Freddy Benavidez. . It's your turn to be ok
just "LUIS", but this time your one step closer to being the second
baseball player from Laredo to play in the major leagues. Freddy
your dream is coming true. One of Freddy Beanvidez dreams is to
have another baseball player from Laredo make it to the bigs. His
name is "LUIS El Casi Soldado Y Buena!. Pollorena.
for athletes to play at the NCAA Division One level.
WHen Luis left our lunch meeting he said something to me in the
end that has stuck with me.
As we were leaving I was saying my "laters" to his brother, and I
turned to him. I said you know people in Laredo are going to start to
asking you for your autograph.
He stopped walking turned half way around and said " no I am still
Luis what I do in baseball is just that baseball. I am not that way I am
just LUis."
Well "Luis", no your not . YOur a talent breed in Laredo, TExas .
Yes your father was a professional baseball player, but that was
him. You are a talent that is going to levels no one in Laredo has
gone before except for Freddy Benavidez. . It's your turn to be ok
just "LUIS", but this time your one step closer to being the second
baseball player from Laredo to play in the major leagues. Freddy
your dream is coming true. One of Freddy Beanvidez dreams is to
have another baseball player from Laredo make it to the bigs. His
name is "LUIS El Casi Soldado Y Buena!. Pollorena.
