Claudia Rodriguez

So excited that my poem "las beisbolistas" will be featured in the book "Mexican American Baseball in Pomona Valley." Thank you Richard Santillan! They played in fields smaller than the men’s, right before the men hit the lots. These mujeres were no warm up acts! Across the Southwest, las Tomboys, Aztecas, Rock-etts y las Moreloettes, traded their aprons for a chest protector y un bat. Not torteando tortillas on Sunday, punching their glove-pocket ready for the heat of the grounder. Las beisbolistas took me down memory lane. My little arm hooked around my Ama’s elbow walking safely down the street. Little arm that could throw a ball fast, directly at a bully’s right calf. “Don’t tell me girls can’t play ball! Next one will be a homerun. I call right field.” Mujeres beisbolistas? They did it for the fun, the winning,   the friendships and the aches. Filled many fields with their dreams with each round of the ba