Foreign softball players learn new skills at tourney

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BY LORI GRIFFIN / Lincoln Journal Star

If there is one thing Lisandro Sabate has learned since arriving in Lincoln seven weeks ago to play for the L&N Farms men’s fast-pitch softball team, its what a shopping mall is.

Sabate, who plays for the Argentine national team, hasn’t had much chance to visit sites in and around Lincoln, let alone travel the country.

“But I have been to a few shopping malls,” Sabate said. “We are here to play softball, and that’s what we do.”

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Broken Bow's Nathan Nukunuka and A&L Farms catcher Marian Juarez watch Nukunuka's two-run homer go over the right-field fence during a fast-pitch softball game at University Place Park on Saturday. (Ted Kirk)

Broken Bow's Nathan Nukunuka and A&L Farms catcher Marian Juarez watch Nukunuka's two-run homer go over the right-field fence during a fast-pitch softball game at University Place Park on Saturday. (Ted Kirk)

Sabate, who plays third base and pitches, is excited at the chance to play for the Lincoln team.

“We have a lot of games with league play here and playing in tournaments on weekends,” Sabate said.

In Argentina, the teams play for seven months but only average two or three games per week.

“In Argentina, we don’t have that many games, so 69 games is really good for us (to gain skills),” Sabate said. 

“And in the United States we are playing in the best leagues in the world. Like today, Broken Bow is No. 4. We learn more playing teams like that than we do in Argentina. We really appreciate the chance to play against the best players in the world.”

Sabate has been playing baseball since he was 5.

Sabate is from Parana, Argentina, which is known as the Argentine capital of softball. His father is the national team manager. He also has a brother who will be in Lincoln this weekend, playing for the Pueblo (Colo.) Bandits.

Unlike his teammate, Delbert Gonzales, Sabate has never touched a baseball. There is no baseball in Argentina.

Gonzales, who plays shortstop, is from Puerto Rico and has been a member of the Puerto Rican national baseball team.

Gonzales, who has been playing baseball since he was 5, has been involved with softball for two years.

Gonzales said softball is a fairly new sport in Puerto Rico but is growing.

“They have good pitchers in Puerto Rico, but here, they play harder,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales arrived in Lincoln after L&N Farms general manager and player Matt Christensen saw him playing in a tournament in Orlando, Fla., in January.

“He saw me and e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to play,” Gonzales said. “I decided to come,  and my mother and father have joined me here.”

Sabate and Gonzales both see little differences in the way softball is played in both countries.

“When I pitch, I have to hide the ball too much,” Sabate said. “The hitters read me more here than they do in Argentina.

“In Argentina, they just look at me and wait for the ball. Here they read my hands. I have to grab the ball the same way with each of my five pitches to hide what I am going to do. It’s just something I have to work on.”

Sabate and Gonzales will continue to improve their skills playing for the L&N Farms team until mid-August.

And after a grueling season of competition in the United States, they will then head back home and gladly do it all again.

Reach Lori Griffin at 473-7174 or lgriffin@journalstar.com.