In any language, Mets' Francisco Alvarez a steadying influence
Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga and catcher Francisco Alvarez walk to the mound after Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman scored during the third inning of an MLB game at Citi Field on June 4. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Francisco Alvarez conducts his interview in Spanish — the Venezuelan national opting to use a translator when discussing what it’s like to adapt to a new language, a new landscape, and even what it’s like trying to communicate with Kodai Senga, who…you know…speaks Japanese.
But his jokes? His jokes are in English.
“I wanna learn Japanese too,” he shoots off in English — then laughing because no, that’s not actually on the docket at the moment.
And what about something Buck Showalter said last month — that Senga is actually picking up Spanish quicker than English?
“I think [Senga’s] Spanish is better than [Alan Suriel’s],” Alvarez replies in English, ribbing the Mets’ Spanish translator of nearly five years. “No, no,” Alvarez clarifies the joke, again laughing.
And though it might seem like an insignificant thing, little jokes are probably a big part of Alvarez’s very intentional push to master the English language.
Catchers need to be able to communicate. And bonding with your teammates — which, let’s face it, generally involves a heavy dose of smack talk, quips, and general nonsense — is an often underappreciated, but very necessary part of a young player’s arsenal.
“I’ve been able to listen to a lot of my teammates, hear how they speak,” Alvarez said through an interpreter. "A lot of them have taught me a lot and have been willing to teach me and correct me on things I mess up, like [Brett] Baty, like [Luis] Guillorme, like Pete [Alonso]. But yeah, I feel like my confidence in speaking English has gotten a lot greater and I’m happy with it so far.”
Alvarez has made significant strides in a short period of time — prioritizing learning English now that he's an everyday major-league player. He signed as an international free agent in 2018, and came to America in 2019, still spending the offseason in Venezuela.
He also studies at Netflix University.
“I’ll start a show and I’ll start watching it in Spanish and then switch to English — maybe it’ll be one [episode] in English and the rest in Spanish to pick up some stuff,” he said. “I’ll listen to music in English.”
It's not really a one-size-fits-all process, said Guillorme, who moved from his native Venezuela when he was 12 and spent years in the minors fulfilling the role of a living, breathing Google Translate.
“Once you get to this level, it’s a little more just English, but at the lower levels, it’s the other way around and I was translating for the American guys,” he said. He did, though, encourage everyone to just jump straight in. “I would tell them, try to do this, and if you get stuck, I’ll help you.”
That's what he did, after all. He knew a little English before his family moved to Florida in 2007 and went for the full immersive experience — forgoing ESL classes and learning the language while navigating the more perilous gauntlet of all: middle school.
That, though, taught him a valuable lesson that he tries to impart to others trying to master English.
“I think that’s the problem when people try to learn — they’re being taught too properly, which isn’t something you’re going to use in day-to-day life,” he said. “So, when I’ve been around guys, I’ll tell them, listen, you don’t have to be exact in what you’re trying to say, at least in the beginning.”
There’s a bit of fearlessness and improvisation in that, and given what Alvarez has been able to do in his rookie season, it’s no surprise the catcher is good at it. And when he and Senga need to talk, they make it work — even during quick mound visits when there’s no time for a translator.
English, Spanish, whatever — they both speak baseball.
“I just speak slowly,” Alvarez said through an interpreter.
Speaking of, does he foresee even being comfortable enough to face the media without a translator?
“Yes, but maybe not this year.”
He doesn’t need the question translated for him before he responds.
It’s in perfect English.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
