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GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — The harmony of clinking glasses, rustling silverware and sparkling chatter filled the darkly lit downtown restaurant. Amid the bustling lunch hour, Javier Guerra rested comfortably.
He exhaled as the waiter approached his seat. He confidently relayed his request, folded his menu and nodded to himself in reserved pride. Each order affirms his progress. He remembers when asking for a simple barbecue dish was as intimidating as a 95-mile-an-hour fastball.
Guerra is a shortstop with the Greenville Drive and a native of Panama. In July 2012, at 16 years old, he signed a minor league baseball contract with the Boston Red Sox. A year later, he ventured to the United States with a dream of advancing to the Major Leagues and a basic understanding of the English language.
Guerra does not sit alone in that position.
The Drive closed the regular season on Sept. 9 with 12 players who were born in Spanish-speaking countries. Seven of them are 21 or younger. To help them break through their language barrier, the Drive collaborated with Furman professor Dr. Bobbi Siefert to offer English integration classes.
"These guys come from Venezuela or Cuba or the Dominican Republic, and the language is the toughest part of their transition," Drive general manager Eric Jarinko said. "They're able to talk with their teammates because they understand baseball language, but day-to-day conversations with teammates or anyone else outside the ball park are always a struggle."
Siefert also coordinates Furman's Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program. She met with seven Drive players — Guerra, Rafael Devers, Dedgar Jimenez, Deiner Lopez, Yoan Moncada, Joseph Monge and Carlos Pinales — periodically throughout the season.
Siefert initially relied on the players' baseball knowledge to converse in English. They reviewed box scores and game recaps. They discussed their performances and even reviewed video Siefert shot on her iPad during her visits to Fluor Field.
Siefert quickly realized the players could get through a baseball conversation with few errors. She added courses on shopping, banking and dining out, simple comforts that a language barrier can impede one from enjoying.
"I can't imagine a more daunting situation," Siefert said. "Talk about all the layers of complexity on the professional level those guys have to work through. Then, you're navigating all of that in a different world with a different language and culture."
The Drive is a single-A affiliate of the Red Sox, essentially the first rung on the pro baseball ladder. Many players arrive in Greenville straight from college or high school. The anxiety of a budding career is heightened for those who arrive straight from another nation.
"A lot of these guys are already nervous with having to come to a country they're not familiar with," Jarinko said. "Getting them ingrained with that as they move up the ladder is only going to help them and make their lives easier when it comes to dealing with players, fans and especially the media."
Siefert initially assumed players would be apprehensive about the instruction. However, they were eager to learn. They scheduled multiple meetings during homestands and even attempted to coordinate online sessions during road trips.
"It was absolutely elevating to see these young men investing themselves and not just sitting there trying to get the hour over with," Siefert said. "It wasn't like they were getting a grade, a degree or a diploma. It was self-improvement. Pure self-improvement."
The classes were held in a conference room adjacent to Jarinko's office. He said he could hear their enthusiasm during each session, especially their final meeting of the season.
"She was always here first setting up the classroom for them, but they were waiting for her this time," Jarinko said. "When she came in, they yelled, 'Teacher!'
"It was good to see this group of guys go through that and be excited from day one. You could really tell they learned a lot."
Jarinko said the progress was undeniable. Devers started the season as a shy infielder. He closed the season as a clubhouse clown. Jarinko said Latin players often skip scheduled community events. This season, the English class participants attended one together.
Three teammates joined Guerra one recent afternoon at Smoke on the Water. Siefert sat across the table. Their satisfied smiles shed light in that darkly lit dining room. The lunch was a celebratory final exam. Guerra went for extra credit.
He rose from his chair to conduct his first interview. His calm confidence never wavered as he reflected on his first season with the Drive and his first session with Siefert.
"The start of the year was a little difficult," Guerra said. "But this program, I think it's good for us. It helped me and my teammates. (Siefert), she's good. She's very happy every day. I learned so much. This year was incredible for me."
Guerra exhaled after fielding the final question. He smiled politely, unfolded his arms and nodded to himself in reserved pride.
It was easy as ordering barbecue.
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Information from: The Greenville News, http://www.greenvillenews.com
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