"THE LITTLE GIANTS" "OK, Lockie, we're done with this." "I've been thinking... there are enough kids in this town for two leagues,... and a dozen good fields." "With luck you'll still get just one." "We'll teach them a kind of baseball... that's never been seen here before." "Hey, kid, leave that notice alone!" "Very typical!" "How do you like training a gangster like that?" "Ah, you scream when you're hurt!" "Not long ago, a group of Mexican children, players from Little League... crossed the US border to challenge their powerful neighbors for the first time." "Here, along with the children themselves and their coach César Faz to tell the tale, we present the story of what happened." "Baseball reminded me of the United States... where I wanted to go." "For Lockie, Little League meant settling down in Mexico." "On my way home..." "I met a tall kid who really knew how to hit." "Why not play further away from the corner?" "Why not look where you're going?" "You broke his bat." "That's what you call a bat?" "Well, yeah, once it was a bat." "And we don't have spikes, either." "Take this." "Go get a good bat... and a ball." "Quiet down." "A Mexican Yank like you, we should fling the money in your face." "You're nuts." "The kid took me for a Mexican Yank." "I also took note of him." "An undisciplined rabble, like all these street kids." "That afternoon, the kid who had stolen the notice was waiting for me." "He had a friend with him." "A shy kid, name of Ángel Macías." "Didn't I tell you he'd be here?" "Go on, ask him." " Hello." " Is the young lady in?" " Just a minute, Mr. Faz." " Thanks." "Go ahead, ask him." " Mr. Faz, do you know Little League is about to start?" " Sure." "Well, I'd like to pitch, but I'm not sure." "Sure about what?" "I don't know which arm to use." "That's the first time I've heard that." "It's true, check this out." "Right-handed." "The other hand." "Left-handed." "What do you think?" "I can't tell you which arm to use." "That's for you to decide... but I can tell you you're twice as bad, since you have no control with either arm." "Ah, what do you know?" "He was the best pitcher in the neighborhood, with either arm." "Nail a bucket on the wall, practice throwing strikes." "Were you waiting long, César?" "For you, it's never too long." "Then Lockie showed up with some newly-arrived rule books." "My wife, who has eye for these things, says that lots of kids will show up." "These boys are used to playing in the streets." "They use their own rules." "You'll never get them to play by the book." "That's what coaches are for." "Coaches?" "Ángel followed my advice." "He practiced day after day while his grandfather looked on." "He practiced with both the right and the left." "Ángel continued to practice with the bucket until he got tired of throwing... and then proved his skill with a harder target." "You dare to strike a chicken?" "So it was that we had chicken for dinner." "The chili stew came out tasty, right?" "I hope that Ángel kept throwing strikes at chickens." "Better if he didn't." "It would be very expensive." "Coco, the salt shaker." "Out." "Señor Faz, what do you think of his manners?" "Bad at the table." "But on the diamond, a good catch." "His mother told me he was a sensitive boy... different from the others." "He wanted me to give him my frank opinion on his pitching... and she asked me in case I thought he wasn't any good... to break it to him gently." "There was no need to pretend." "Do you think I'm good enough?" "If I don't see you at registration, I'll order a search for you with the police." "Take it easy." "Form a line." "Calm down." "Your name and address?" "Fidel Ruíz, military barracks." "And when will we be playing?" "Soon." "I'll let you know." "Just a minute." "Where's the batter?" "The skinny guy." "His father wouldn't let him come." "Where does he live?" "In the San Francisco slum." "Your name and address." "And you?" "Norberto Villarreal." "Qualtra..." "There's no number." " Do you know which arm to use?" " Not yet." "Your name and address?" "Ángel Macías, Juárez 835 North." "The boys in San Antonio, Texas... where I was born... had more advantages but I doubted whether they had more spirit." "In any case... we would need something more than spirit to become a good team." "I didn't understand why Lockie was going that night to seek the batter that he'd mentioned." ""Talent", said Lockie." "Look, Lockie, I have an appointment." "Yeah." "I said you'd be a bit late." "I know about Little League... but Enrique already plays too much baseball." "Look at him." "He doesn't let the bat alone all day long." "He wants to play with you guys." "I said no." "He's forgotten about school." "But assuming that he'd like to go back to school... would he be allowed to come in with us?" "What do you say, Enrique?" "What for?" "Little league isn't important." "I already play loads in the street." "It's not the same." "We have trophies, uniforms... seasons, and coaches." "What do you say?" "Who needs coaches?" "Who needs coaches?" "I play with my heart." "And what position do you play?" "I'm a slugger." "You don't say!" "Well, show me your stance, will you?" "That's good for a street slugger, but not for a Little Leaguer." "And how do they do it?" "Look, this here's home." "Look at the tip of the bat." "Maybe if you promised not to skip school you could learn with the others." " Well, good night." "Excuse us." " Bye." "Well, did you talk him around?" "A kid like him?" "Who knows?" "Why?" "Do you also want to talk with his dad?" "The first thing I want you to know... are the rules of Little League." "The distance between the bases is only 60 feet... instead of the 90 they use in the Major Leagues." "The ball has the same weight and size as the regular ball... but the bat is smaller... suitable to the size of the boys who will be learning to use it." "Me, me, me!" "Enough, enough!" "One of the kids, Baltasar Chávez... was only allowed to come if at the same time he was minding his little sister." "And when do we play?" "When the field has been cleaned up." "Go the extra distance, kids." "Look at the mess you've gotten me into!" "At least we started it." "Very sad, but a kid who could play here... could play anywhere." " Finally the stuff got here." " With this we could end up crazy." "Just a moment, boys, wait." "Wow, they're caps!" "I noticed that Ángel stayed by himself.." "sitting in the middle of the field rejoicing... with the uniform on his legs." "Later I learned through Beto... that their neighborhood was water-scarce once in a while... and he didn't want to wear his uniform until he was clean." "But there was nothing in all of Mexico that could have stopped the others." "I guess you were a great player." "And why didn't you make it to the Majors?" "Well..." "I didn't have the facilities." "A boy like me... how could be able to make it?" "If he's real good......" "Such filthy hands!" "To the showerhead." "Is there enough water?" "When I send a pitcher to the showers, that's where he goes." "He was a sensitive kid... but also a born athlete." "He could get very far... but to who knows where?" "As a kid, I was harder than Ángel... but I ran away." "I suppose I allowed them to make me feel worthless, inferior." "That shouldn't happen to this boy." "Look at the man!" "How beautiful!" "Just like pitchers in the Majors." "If you really want to go that far... you have to start today." "Concentrate." "To pitch, you're right-handed." "Don't change, practice control, Ángel... so you can spot the ball... right where you want it." "And don't let anything interfere with what you want... and you can do it." "You got me?" "Yes, César." "Good, go on." "César, thanks for the shower, and for everything." "Thanks." "I remembered another kid, running through the streets of San Antonio in baseball clothing... and I understood that in Ángel..." "I had the chance to redeem myself." "At the end of the season..." "Lockie presented testimonials and awards." "Ángel Macías." "Ángel, here's your glove, for bring the best pitcher." "Congratulations." "Fidel Ruíz." "Fidel, here's your bat, for being the best third baseman." "Norberto Villarreal." "Beto, this is your testimonial." "Baseball was the farthest thing from my mind when Lockie found me that night." "He'd just received a telegram from Windsor, Pennsylvania... from the central office of Little League." "It was the authorization for Monterrey... to register a team for the world championship." " Do you know her?" "He's a friend." " My pleasure." "What do you think of that?" "That these American boys... are going to give us a beating." "I don't think so." "Yeah, a big beating." "Just tell me this:... where will they eat, where will they sleep?" "I've got an idea about that, César." "Me, too." "I knew those American kids... and how well they play." "I wasn't happy about leading our kids... to a slaughter... but nothing would stop Lockie." "The municipal council will give you all necessary help if it's possible." " See you." " Good bye, Doctor." "He then spoke with one of his fellow countrymen in the luxurious hotel Ancira." "You're trying to move very quickly, Lockie." "It's not easy to achieve something in Little League." "There are 20,000 teams in 23 countries... and no foreign team has ever made it to the finals." "It seems to me like throwing money away." "I found it impossible not to go along... and I spoke with my friend Andy Martínez." "I'm only here because, well, I have my investments." "That is, the life beyond this up in the north, César,... you can't beat it." "And those kids are so large there..." "Do you really believe our kids could beat them someday?" "Cigar?" "No, thanks anyway." "Trust me." "Those boys will make a fool out of you." "My advice:... stay out of trouble." "All right, thanks, Andy." "See you again." "César... you forgot something." "100 pesos... so he wouldn't feel guilty." "Andy was a real Mexican Yank." "It was Lockie's idea to sell chances on a prize... and it worked out well." "Fidel sold them at work." "Pancho Aguilar sold four books at the foundry." "Beto and Bernardo sold theirs in the glass works." "Balta's sister sold them in the street." "Already there was water for Ángel's place... but they still had to carry it there." "Ángel earned money carrying water to his neighbors." "Mr. Suárez earned 50 pesos at the blood bank to help us out." "I've already got it." "What?" "Well, the money... which you said I wouldn't be able to raise." "We'll have enough for McAllen in three days... if we keep an eye on every centavo." "Well, it seems like I'm committed, right?" "Do you want me to get permission from your boss?" "No, Lockie, I'll do it." "Good evening, my coach." "Thanks, my manager." "We were finally starting to practice formally." "The only thing they didn't understand... was that they weren't allowed to play until they'd mastered the fundamentals." "Very good, again." "Again!" "Again?" "You wanted to learn baseball?" "Then you'll learn it right." "American-style." " When do we get to play?" " Chase after them!" "Wow, that's hard!" "Not as hard as McAllen." "Farther down." "Straight down." "They do this on the other side?" "Every day of their lives." "Your turn." "Two feet and two hands." "Walk, my ducklings." "With pride." "Without falling over." "That's it, lively." "One, two, one, two, one, two... left, right... arms well extended." "More precision, boys, don't let the ball drop." "One, two, one, two... look at the ball." "Control." "Look at the ball." "Very good, Skinny, very good." "Up, Beto." "Nothing tricky, Rafael." "They were promised, as a reward... two scrimmages before leaving." "Fidel, who was the one who bothered me the most with his desire to play... didn't show up for the first game, nor did he offer me an excuse." "I went to look for him at the military barracks where he lived." "Sergeant Ruíz's quarters?" "Over there, sir." "Hello, Sergeant." "Where's Fidel?" "I don't know, ask his mother about him." "There she is, doing the washing." "Thanks." " Hello, Ma'am." " Hello." "Where's your third baseman?" "He didn't come home last night, Mr. Faz." "I mean..." "I think he stayed at a friend's house." "Thank you, Ma'am." "I'm going to look for him, thanks." "Since yesterday evening, when he left in his uniform, I haven't seen him." " Thanks." " Sure." "Excuse me, but do you have any information about the boy Fidel Ruíz?" "Fidel Ruíz?" "One moment." "In the police squad room..." "I waited for half an hour while they searched the records." " That's the truth." " Take it easy." "It's like I always said:" "you can put them in spikes... you can teach until you are hoarse... but the time comes, it will always be tomorrow, always tomorrow." "I didn't know that he had been taken to the hospital the previous day... for having been poisoned." "He hadn't given his name lest his parents would have to pay." "Syringe.." "Cotton." "I hope you'll heal up.." "All night he had suffered by himself." "But in the morning, remembering the second scrimmage,... he decided to catch up with us at the playing field." "He started traipsing through the city... under the stifling heat." "He had the luck of meeting a tourist... who was getting his first Spanish lesson." "What's the matter, kid?" "Is there something you need?" "What's wrong, can he help you?" "Toward the end of his trip... he was exhausted." "But you would never notice it...... by the way he showed up at the field." "I gave the signal to stop... but he ignored me." "Out." "Is that the reason you wanted to play?" "What reason?" "To show off and lose the game in a stupid way?" "I don't want you to do it again." "You would never have done to me what you did to them." "And who are you?" "My father?" "Your rudeness shows how little affection you have for baseball." "He said that no matter how hard he'd try......" "I'd never thought he could be as good as the kids in the United States." "You never believe in me." "I'll bring you some magazines." "Hello, Ma'am." "How's the sergeant?" "Very good, thanks, Mr. Faz." " By your leave." " Go ahead." "See you later, Fidel." "Good, here you have the team captain." "Do you believe it?" "Sure." "Where else could I find a boy with such valor?" "Lockie had come to Mexico as a veteran of the war, half-blinded... looking for a new home, and trying to be accepted." "This was his opportunity." "I'll sign the paper." "Go with God, Lockie." " Good bye." " Good bye, and good luck." "Enrique Suárez?" "Pepe Maíz?" "Pancho Águilar?" "Gerardo González?" "Pancho Cortés, Fidel Ruíz?" "Baltasar Charles?" "Rafael Estrello?" "Jesús Contreras?" "Beto Villarreal?" "Mario Ontiveros?" "Roberto Mendiola?" "Ricardo Treviño?" "Ángel Macías." "Good bye." "Bye." "Take good care of yourself, Fidel." "Don't forget to write, boys." "This is for you, son." "Behave yourself, Sonny." "I'll write you." "Don't get wet feet, Ángel." "Take care, good bye." "Bye." "The parents could be sad... but not the kids." "("There was once a little boat", by Cepillín)." ""There passed one, two, three, four, five, six, seven weeks..." ""there passed seven, six, five, four, three, two, one week..." ""there passed one, two, three, four, five, six, seven weeks..." ""and the leaders, the leaders began to be scarce." ""And if the story does not seem long..." ""and if the story does not seem long..." ""and if the story does not seem long..." ""we'll go back, we'll go back, we'll go back to the beginning." ""There was once a little boat..." ""there was once a little boat..." ""there was once a little boat..." ""so small it couldn't be sailed." ""There passed one, two, three, four, five, six, seven weeks..."" "Ángel was awed by his first trip to the United States." "I tried to keep up his spirit." "Let's go." "STOP" " IMMIGRATION" "Good luck, kids!" "Thus it was that we didn't wet our feet... when we crossed the Rio Bravo." "We had no problems since we only requested visas for three days." "Sir?" "Your visas are ready." "I wish you great luck." "Thank you, sir." "Thanks." "It was seven miles to McAllen... and I knew how much taxis cost in the United States." "I told the boys we needed the exercise." "Then the boys saw the field at McAllen... pristine, with green mown grass..." ""How can we beat the giants...?", asked little Chuy..." ""when they practice on fields of velvet?"" "But in a moment he was on the grass... to revel in its freshness." "The others shared his joy." "Hey, dig those mini-acrobats!" "Come on, get up." "Listen: these kids are guests." "Treat them that way." "We spent that night with the coach of the team who had laughed at us." "The boys soon became friends." "And this is how the Little League World Series ended in 1956... in Williamsport, Pennsylvania." "OK, OK, coming up." "Williamsport." "Williamsport." "Williamsport." "Williamsport." "Here, if we look closely... we see a correct batting stance." "And now we see the results they get." "What's that in Spanish?" ""Cucaracha"?" ""Cachucha"." "And me, what am I? "Un niño"?" "You?" "A brat." "In the middle of the projection..." "I saw that Ángel left." "I went after him." " I hold milk." " "Leche"." "It's a new and strange country." "They laughed this afternoon... and now this boy trying to look humble...... but he seemed so confident... so sure of himself." " Luck." " Cheers." "I knew how Ángel felt... confused, out of place... incompetent, worthless... that was how I'd felt once." "Then I was overwhelmed... and I gave up." "His reaction didn't take too long to show." "César, do me a favor?" "Sure." "Don't make me pitch tomorrow." "Why not?" "I'm still not comfortable... not yet." "I haven't decided who's going to pitch for us tomorrow." "Forget it." "A pitcher is useless unless he wants to pitch." "I decided to teach him a lesson." "Ángel Macías pitching for Monterrey." "Ball one." "Ball two." "Ball three." "Ball four." "Fair ball!" "Can't he see the catcher?" "Ball one." "Ball two." "Strike." "What's up?" "Enrique Suárez is pitching now for Monterrey in place of Ángel Macías." "It was very easy to throw that strike." "I told you that the distance from the mound to home... is the same in any language." "Take a rest." "And Monterrey won the first game of the tournament... nine to two." "In the second day... of our tournament." "For the tournament champ, we're going to present... in this game the winners of yesterday's games." "Monterrey, Mexico, against McAllen, from Texas." "Pepe --- Warm up." "And the winners of yesterday's game... from Texas... against Monterrey, Mexico." "Enrique, warm up." "An important game..." "West Largo, Texas confronts..." "Monterrey, Mexico." "César, please, let me!" " You're comfortable now, huh?" " Yes!" "That's all I wanted to hear." "Go for it." "Ángel Macías takes the mound for Mexico." "Strike." "Strike." "You're out." "Out." "Monterrey has just won the regional championship." "Five on a row." "One, two, three." "¡A la bio, ale boa, a la Bim boom bam!" "("Sikitibum", cheer)." "Monterey, Monterrey, rah!" "Five, five, five!" "Do you get it... these are the kids from Mexico?" "!" "We all enjoyed the victory... except Gerardo, who seemed to have all the girls fall for him." "This team from Monterrey has a pitcher who throws divinely, Stanley, named Ángel." "Lockie made arrangements with Mr. and Mrs. Little... to have all our meals in their restaurant." "Our boys tried American fried chicken for the first time... and listened to the music of the United States." "Please." "We still had to win won the tournament at Corpus Christi... but Lockie was already trying to raise funds for our next stop:..." "Fort Worth." "Calling Mr. Antonio Garza..." "Fort Worth, please." "Thank you." "I want them to know that anytime they come to McAllen, this is their home." "Mr. Little said that whenever you come back to McAllen this is your home." "Fidel, thank him." "Thank you, Mr. Little." "and Mrs. Little, as well." "You have been regaling us with American fried chicken... surely we'll get to Williamsport and the World Series." "Typical of Fidel." "We hadn't had played half a dozen games... and he was already talking about the World Series." "Our visas are fixed, César." "We have another thirty days." "When I was a boy, life here was very hard for kids... who crossed the border." "I think that things have changed." "Well, it looks like they're still changing." " Good evening, César." " Good evening, Lockie." "The Little League of Corpus Christi... invested close to $40,000 dollars on their field... and we were practicing on their magnificent lawn... when what I've been afraid of since we left Monterrey finally happened." "Pepe, you lead the practice." "Stop this, stop this, we're going to run a little, let's go." "Hello." "Do you know what today is?" "Yes, sir." "But did you know it is against the rules of Little League... to practice in uniform on Sundays?" "No, I didn't know." "Why not?" "Are you an official?" "Well, you can say that we are." "Yes, sir." "They could prevent you from continuing to compete due to this violation." "I...didn't know." "Sure, sure." "Listen, Pepe." "We're leaving now." "Fine, get your things together." " Right now?" " Already?" "Thanks." "Thanks for telling me." " We're leaving." " What's up?" "Home." "Collect things, Fidel." " When are we going to practice?" " We'll see." "Everybody home!" "They were scared enough." "How about that, boys." "Lockie immediately called the president of the tournament." "saying he'd received a complaint against us... but as it was Sunday, the Committee could not meet until later." "We had to wait... and watch the team staying next to us... go on a picnic with their parents." "Well, OK, then?" "Come on, come on!" "." "Let's go, let's go." "Wait for me." "Letters, letters!" "Easy, easy, or else you won't get anything." "This is yours." "Contreras." "Mendiola." "Suárez." "Fidel." "Gerardo." "Beto, for you." ""Dear Beto,..." ""your father, brothers, and I..." ""send you our love."" ""Tonight we're having a birthday party for your mother." ""Lots of music and a little tequila." ""We miss you..." ""and wonder where you might be..." ""and whether you like the food there."" ""A trip like yours..." ""is a great opportunity for someone as young as you, Fidel." ""So many new things!"" ""We all miss the noise of when you fling the ball into the bucket...." ""all of us, except the chickens..." ""who seem much happier now that you're far away."" ""Your 50 cousins send their kisses."" ""Look at the doctors, lawyers, engineers..." ""and remember that many started out even poorer than you."" ""It is precisely because you are richer than your teammates..." ""that you ought to treat them with respect."" ""As Mexicans, you're the first foreign team..." ""who'll win this World Series."" "These letters had the opposite effect than what I'd expected." "There was only one remedy for these kids:... baseball." "Listen up." "Since we can't practice on the field, we are going to practice on the blackboard." "But this was the first time they showed no interest." "If we can't play, why bother?" "Fidel was right." "I had no answer to that." "If we were disqualified, there was no reason to keep on practicing." "I recalled this city." "I'd been here once before, as part of the team of the missions of San Antonio." "In those days, my passion was for baseball... the green diamond, the white ball." "I remembered clearly that night so long ago." "The team had slept in a hotel... and I had slept in one of the locker rooms." "For you, César." "You're the pitcher." "Good, if you say so." "Ángel told me that Fidel thought it was something more than simply the rules,... that those guys in the field were trying to cheat us out of our chance." "I told him that Fidel was crazy." "Maybe in other time, sure,... but since Jackie Robinson... everything was different in baseball." "And while we made our way back..." "I tried to believe myself that it was true." "Nobody could sleep waiting for the call from the chairman of the committee." "And I figured out that Lockie had the same opinion as Fidel." "Fidel was right, though there's something in this I don't like." "Hello?" "Yes, Walter." "I see." "Thank you, Walter." "That's great." "You bet." "Everything's fixed up." "Great, Lockie!" "Listen up, listen up!" "Hey!" "Hey, guys, now we practice on the blackboard." "We were still in this tournament." "Some rabid fans of the other team... had tried to wage psychological warfare." "Well...if they had seen the faces of these kids... they would have understood how wrong they were." "I never saw them more serious." "And speaking of psychological warfare..." "What a way to play!" "These little lads from Monterrey have up to now outplayed a team which is much bigger and heavier... even with the score still 0 - 0... and they threaten to make score in every inning." "However, thanks to the brilliant game by Enrique Suárez... and the support of his teammates in the game... the two teams were really going at it." "This kid, Suárez, has been throwing darts with the ball over the plate." "Strike after strike." "The last man is punched out, ending the fifth inning... and Monterrey is coming to bat." "Ángel Macías, the child marvel, is the first coming to the plate." "Home run!" "The Texas crowd is cheering!" "The kid arrives at home." "There's a lot of excitement here." "Monterrey has scored in its first at-bat... and seems to have entered a divinely-inspired streak." "Fidel Ruíz reaches first base." "Beto Villarreal hits into left field." "Here comes Pepe Maíz." "Beto reaches second!" "After hearing the applause of the public... while...hang on." "Fidel Ruíz has stolen home." "I can see coach César Faz giving a sign." "Another hit." "The score is three to nothing." "There's a lot of enthusiasm for this Mexican team." "Here we go." "Enrique Suárez hits a long ball." "Another home run." "It looks like nothing can stop them... and that this rain of hits will never end." "With money from Monterrey... we arrived at Fort Worth... where we were celebrities for the first time." " You happy, Ángel?" " Yeah." " How about you, Fidel?" " We'll keep winning." "And now, with us, the manager." "Do you suppose they'll win?" " Here?" "Sure, I'm sure they'll win." " Thank you." "Antonio Garza,... our sponsor in Fort Worth... told us of the excitement and enthusiasm... which existed in the Mexican-American community... and greeted us in their name." "I would like to say to Ángel Macías that the captain of the opposing team... bets a party that the championship of Texas wouldn't be won by Mexico." "Do you accept the bet, Ángel?" "Yes, accept, Ángel!" "Yes, yes." "Let's go, Ángel, this is our opportunity." "Did you hear what Fidel said?" "We're going to get our payback on Texas, on those American guys." "And all with that little right arm of yours." "I feel fine today, César." "I got up singing." "Have you seen the other team?" "Have you studied their batting stances?" "No." "Do you know that in Fort Worth, they begin training their kids from the age of six?" "Even in my time they were already sending players to the Majors." "No, I didn't know that, César." "A pitcher has to learn more than pitching." "He has to think before opening his mouth." "Let's go." "First stop on our excursion." "For a moment I had forgotten about the warning from his mother... that he was a noble boy." "But in our busy itinerary... there was no opportunity to repair the damage." "The bill." "Invite us again, Mr. Garza." "And now, gentlemen, allow me... to give my most sincere thanks to our small ambassadors... for their sportsmanship, and for having succeeded in introducing... a new era of good feeling between our two great republics." "And now, for all those attending... who only speak English... and don't understand Spanish..." "I'm going to repeat my remarks in English." "Lockie and I knew the boys needed a nap... needed their siestas." "But now that we were diplomats..." "In the rush to pick up our equipment in the bus terminal..." "I didn't have the time to talk to Ángel... and a nightmare became reality." "We had always feared losing one of our boys... and now, half an hour before the start of the game... it finally happened." "César, have you decided yet?" "Here's the lineup, Lockie." "César, César, Ángel and Beto, we left them somewhere!" "Ángel, Beto!" "Quit playing around, please answer!" "Turn." "Turn back." "Mr. Policeman, which way to the baseball field?" "What?" "Baseball, baseball!" " Ah...baseball." " Yes, sir." "That way." "That way." "Thanks." "César, César, César!" "César, César!" "What do we do now?" "Boys, boys, what are you doing here?" "Where's the Little League game?" "Tell us, Mister!" "What are you talking about?" "We're looking for the Little League baseball field." "Easy, boys, easy." "Follow me." "This friend speaks Spanish." "He'll help you." "No answer." "Baseball, baseball, baseball!" "Take it easy, boys." "There's a newspaper man round the block..." "I don't rightly know if he's Spanish or Italian..." "Take it easy, boys." "He'll help you out." "Come on." "We'll square this away." "I didn't want to embarrass them by telling them that this wasn't the national anthem of the United States." "I'm going to send a couple of cops to help them." "OK, thank you." "For the first time, I had to pretend that my English wasn't very good." "In the first base." "Yeah, first base." "Until the pitched ball... crosses home place." "Home plate or the batter, I know." "Which do you mean?" "Home plate, not the batter." "You are the umpire." "Oh, yeah, we agree." "OK." "Hey, Joe, you speak Spanish, don't you?" "Yes, of course." "Go ahead, boys, go ahead." " Sir, do you speak Spanish?" " Yes." "Do you know what Little League is?" "Of course, kids, of course!" "I told you not to get excited." "We faced the stronger team... and I'd counted on Ángel to win the game." "Good." "César, César!" "Idiots!" "Get into your duds right away!" "And that's how we won the championship of Texas." "¡A la bio, a la boa, a la Bim boom bam!" "There, buddy!" "To sing "La Bamba"... to sing "La Bamba" you need a little grace,... a little grace and another thing, and up and up." "Yeah, up and up, and I'd go..." "I'm not a sailor..." "I'm not a sailor, but I'll be one for you..." "I'll be one for you, I'll be one for you..." "And so Fort Worth bids farewell to Monterrey, Champions of Texas." "The most important event in Louisville this week... was the victory which gave them the title of Little League Champions for the South." "What was remarkable in the tournament was the play of Pepe Maíz... hitting a home run." "Congratulations, Pepe." "And of the two stars, Ángel Macías and Enrique Suárez... whose pitching amazed the veterans." "The Champions of the South were cared for by the town's mayor... and they visited the famous bat factory:" "Louisville Slugger." "The next morning they left for Williamsport... where they had to win two games to get the world championship." "And now, our main attraction of the night." "An interview for the camera... with that famous and well-known French exotic dancer... so popular on two continents." "Monterrey found itself in the decisive moment..." "Hear this, "Monterrey", we're on this radio, too!" "but we never thought that these youngsters..." "Did you hear?" "Williamsport, Monterrey." "Viva, Champions!" "Olé!" "And you, Mr. Champion, tell us: how do you like the United States?" "Do you like ice-cream sodas?" "Now tell me something else, Mister Champion:..." "Is it true that you've dreamed about having ten Cadillacs in your kitchen... or have you never dreamed?" "Me, me." "No!" "Ah, and you, of those lovely eyebrows that the American girls love so much..." "I'm going to ask you a question." "Tell me, Beautiful:... is it true that Monterrey is such a small town... that no two streets never cross... and nobody greets each other?" "Yes." "It's true." "And you, Captain:... is it true that you learned to catch fly balls in the pit of a mine?" "Tell us: is that true of our Captain?" "He's the best one a mine ever bred." "I see." "Let's move on." "And you, Captain, we learned that you met our coach... in a bullring." "Why did you save him from the bull?" "Because I knew there were many things that he could teach us." "Then you showed him your secrets." "All but one:... to recognize their friends, and do not confuse them with their enemies." "So you don't know everything yet?" "Not yet." "Someday I'd like to know... on which side of the border my coach lives on." "And me..." "I admit everything..." "I'm a sucker, my first glove was an omelet... my first ball was a mango..." "And that's how we progressed to Williamsport." "Look at that." "Although Beto made a joke of our fears... we still had them." "Look at the notice up there." "At the weigh-in, we saw for the first time the favorites..." "California." "They outweighed us by an average of 33 pounds." "Gerardo wasn't worried." "He said we were only going to play them, not carry them." "Good to see you again, Lockie." "Our hosts were comforting us... and tried to minimize it... saying that out opponents in the semifinal..." "Bridgeport, were small and quick like us." "We had a little practice." "The boys exchanged compliments with some girls from the high school... who practiced on the same field." "Little Mama!" "Then I ordered the boys to take their siesta... but they were too worked up." "Quiet." "Quiet down!" "Everyone into his own bed." "I knew what they were going through." "We'd received telegrams from all over Mexico." "Our ambassador came from Washington to see us play." "It was no longer just a baseball team." "The hopes of an entire country were vested in them." "And in some ways, also in me." "It was me who had to decide the lineup." "I had two options:... let Ángel pitch in the semifinal to get second place... or risk everything:... and pitch Suárez the next day... so that Ángel would face the giant Californians in the final." "I had always played it safe to avoid humiliation... but this decision wasn't just about me." "It was for the team, and for Ángel." "The next day, the town's mayor arrived with our flag... and my old friend Andy Martínez brought some advice for us." "I know how it must feel like in this great moment." "I know what you're facing." "And so, after discussing this with some others... who, like me, have a lot of interest in you..." "I bring you a message." "We believe that you should not have knee-jerk reactions toward our desire for victory." "We hope you'd be happy with second place." "That is to say, a second place with honor." "We advise you to let Ángel Macías pitch this afternoon against Bridgeport... to guarantee second place without any risk." "Common sense tells us... somebody might be superior to us... in strength and experience." "Maybe in the future... we could be strong enough... for complete victory." "That time hasn't arrived yet." "But I'm interfering with your siesta." "I congratulate you." " Well said." " Thanks." "Go on." "May you decide what's best, Mr. Faz." " Very good luck, César." " Thanks." "No, César, no." "No, I won't do it." "What are you talking about?" "Always the same, always second place, and always us." "Take it easy, Fidel." "Calm down." "Tell me:... have I ever made a decision that was bad for you guys?" "Well, then, I suggest taking a good nap before leaving... to make up for yesterday." "Lockie, you take them." "Everyone into bed, let's go." "Hey, César, the official lineup card... have you filled it in?" "Eh...not yet." "I need a nap, too." "César." "I want to pitch tomorrow." "In the final?" "Yeah." "I'm going to show them what you've taught me." "The distance from the mound to home is the same everywhere." "Ángel and the team... were invincible and reckless... something that Andy Martínez just couldn't understand... but in the end I caught on." "These kids wanted the opportunity to demonstrate that they were as good as the best." "That's what I wanted, too." "We'd risk everything to win everything." ""Monterrey defeats Bridgeport --- faces California today."" "Hey, Lockie, I think this will interest you." "News from Monterrey." "All activity in the city has been suspended." "It's the first time in this industrial metropolis... that the chimneys aren't belching smoke into the air." "Ever since the dawn, people who don't even know the meaning of the word baseball... have been coming down from the hills." "The mood of Monterrey is of a party." "A party filled with silent hopes and excitement." "Attention:" "La Mesa, California... against Monterrey, México... playing six innings for the World Championship... of Little League." "I'm proud to announce the names of these boys... whom I've learned to love... like my own." "Baltasar Charles, second base." "Beto Villarreal, catcher." "Ricardo Treviño, first base." "José Maíz, left field." "Ángel Macías, pitcher." "Fidel Ruíz, third base." "Gerardo González, short stop." "Enrique Suárez, center field." "Rafael Estrella, right field." "Good luck." "Same to you." "Ready?" "Play ball." "The pitcher for California has finished his warmups... and we're ready for the first pitch." "And there it is." "The batter for Monterrey hits a short shot... and running quickly he gets safely into first." "And this is all in the first inning. 0 - 0!" "The Californian team is the favorite... but the aggressive lads from Monterrey... have already threatened twice in this inning... thereby showing that their reputation is very well founded." "We're in the bottom of the third and nobody's scored yet." "And they retire California, three up and three down." "The Monterrey batters will be Maíz, Ruíz, y Suárez." " Maíz at the plate." " That's all." "Carry on." "Strike one." "Strike two." "And Maíz is caught while trying to open the scoring for Monterrey." "But there's only one out, and Fidel Ruíz is at the plate." "A fast ball!" "..." "Ruíz couldn't get out of the way!" "It hit him in the chest." "The boy is on the ground, squirming in pain." "We'll have to wait to see whether he'll be able to go on." "The kid's back on his feet." "It seems they're debating whether to let him continue in the game." "Are you OK?" "Yeah." "If he says that, he can play." "Ruíz remains in the game." "He's on first base." "It shows that he's been hurt." "The pitcher winds up... and Ruíz takes off for second!" "Safe." "And now California decides to walk Suárez to set up the double play." "Ball three..." "Ball four." "The pitcher winds up..." " and fires." " Strike." "And the two lads pull off a double steal." "They're both safe!" "The pitcher seems worried." "Here comes the pitch... he hits a bunt." "The pitcher loses it... and Ruíz heads for home." "Monterrey leads 1 - 0." "Wow, that's how to run in any league!" "Another run for Monterrey." "And another!" "When we arrived at the last inning of the game... 16,000 were watching one boy... in complete silence." "What we were witnessing was no longer just a ball game... but the birth of a legend." "Ángel Macías was three outs away from a perfect game..." "A feat never before achieved in this youthful classic." "Silence enveloped the stadium... we could feel the hearts of the great multitude pounding... pounding with each pitch." "And here's the pitch." "Hit, straight to the pitcher..." "Macías fires to first... and the perfect game comes down to the final two outs." "Now McCallaghan, the slugger from California, comes up." "A strike sends him spinning." "Macías is toying with him." "Ball one." "That was far outside." "Ball two." "And this is the first time that Macías is behind a batter." "Ball three, and the catcher could barely hang onto it." "Macías is visibly tired." "He swings...it seems...no!" "Foul by inches." "One moment." "Macías shakes off a sign." "And another one." "They're going to have a conference." "Are you worn out?" "Let's keep going." "Pitch to him, man, let's go!" "Get this chicken." "Let's win it!" "He's all yours!" "He's asking for time." "He has to make a great decision." "If Macías pitches and McCallaghan clears the fence... this would change the whole game completely... but if the coach orders a base on balls... that would cost Macías his perfect game." "I see César Faz, the coach, thinking it over." "There's total silence here while he thinks it through." "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" "Strike!" "Now there's just one more dangerous batter from California." "Strike one." "The guys are getting ready." "Strike two!" "The players from Monterrey wake up, shouting for Macías." "But he's very serious, awaiting the sign." "Macías winds up for the last time." "There it is!" "Strike three, and he's done it!" "My boy!" "We won!" "Monterrey, Mexico, World Champions!" "The first foreign team in the history of baseball... to win this title." "Despite showing our respect to two great presidents... our minds and hearts were eager to arrive back in Monterey." "The special plane was so slow." "Monterrey, Monterrey!" "The boys had missed the arms of their parents and families." "But on top of that... 100,000 arms were waiting for them." "By then..." "Fidel had already obtained the answer he was looking for:... which side his coach lived on." "That night I sealed my answer with a handshake." "we were back home." "Fourteen boys and two men who had been strangers,... we went home."