According to Wikipedia, “The team plays its home games at the Arturo C. Nahl Stadium, named in honor of the owner of the famous Suela Viosca tannery, which operated in the city from the beginning of the 20th century until the 50s, but who was passionate about baseball and formed a team, made up mostly of tannery workers, who would make an era between the 30s and 40s, even achieving national fame. It was inaugurated in 1967 by Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, President of Mexico, and Hugo Cervantes del Río, governor of the then territory. It has undergone several renovations and the most recent, the capacity was expanded to accommodate 4,100 people comfortably seated and an electronic scoreboard and a giant screen with the latest technology have been installed.”
Another cruising couple who had attended games in prior years told us that it was a very casual affair and that tickets didn’t need to be purchased in advance and we should probably have dinner before going, and the games often didn’t end until midnight.
Off we went! We knew that parking might be a problem, and it being about two miles away, we decided to Didi (similar to Uber, but you can pay the driver in cash). Most ride-share cars are economy-size so it took two cars to get the six of us to the stadium. The ladies (Nina, Pat and I) went first and were dropped off at the futball (soccer) stadium next door, which also had a game that evening. As we approached the gate to the baseball stadium we saw members of the opposing team, the Toro’s, being dropped off out front and walking through the main gate carrying their gear. No special entrance for the players!
The guys (Martin, Gary and Aaron) arrived minutes later and we bought tickets from a man just inside the gate who made change from a money box. No option to pay with cards. Price of admission: 50 pesos each; the equivalent of $2.50 USD. The men were then frisked by a local police officer. Despite having a female Presidenta, Mexico is still a very patriarchal society with men being associated with violence more often than women. There was a female police officer as well, but she just smiled at us, not even looking into our bags as she waved us through.
First up was buying beer. A large cup containing 24 ounces of your choice of Tecate or Pacifico cost 100 pesos ($5 USD). Seats were hard plastic anchored to cement tiers and on a first-come, non-reserved basis. Our group chose a spot directly behind home plate and, being 30 minutes early, we were among about two dozen filling the stadium at the time. (It did fill up to maybe a few hundred as the game went on.)
We had disregarded the warning that food might not be plentiful, hoping for a hot dog or perhaps nachos to serve as dinner, like in the states. About an hour into the game, the snack bar opened. It was ran by two women and offered bagged chips, candy and soda. Not much sustenance. So we asked a local and found out that the meal of choice could be purchased from a hot dog cart across the street.
We didn’t see the bacon wrapped option until after we ordered, and weren’t sure how to ask for particular condiments so we just went with the flow and got a “hate con todo;” hot dog with everything. What we got was a juicy, grilled beef dog in a soft, warm bun loaded with chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions and bathed in a mayonnaise sauce that is thinner than the jarred mayo that Americans are used to. Many of the customers before us stood and ate their dogs right there; we had ours prepped to go and were wrapped in waxed paper with the ends twisted. 40 pesos each; $2 USD. It was a delicious, messy, spicy delight that paired perfectly with our cold cervezas.
Side note: My friend owns a wholesale bakery and is the number one producer of buns for the La Paz street carts. Of course, I asked if these were Panderia Especial buns and was told, “Si!” I told them that “Mi amiga es el jefe Vicky,” and got a big smile.
The game was very casual, resembling a minor league game in the states, but the players were energetic and the crowd was enthusiastic. The crack of bats connecting with balls and guys kicking up the dirt as they sped around the bases and sliding into home plate were just like baseball games back home and such fun to experience. The music organizer was awesome and we were treated to a wide range of tunes such as Guns ‘n’ Roses “Wild Child of Mine,” Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk,” and other American poplar hits interspersed with Mexican music between players coming to bat.
We left after 10 pm, at the bottom of the eighth inning (no, there wasn’t a seventh inning stretch) to catch a Didi ride back to the marina. Only Aaron’s Didi app was working so he ordered a ride and a Honda March (smaller than a Civic) arrived. The driver first declined taking us all but when we offered him double the fare, he agreed and six of us crammed into the teeny vehicle, laughing our heads off like teenagers as we embarked on a crazy ride with stop signs being merely suggestions.
On the walk down the dock to our boats, we remembered that we were out of toilet paper onboard and thought about going to the marina heads to nab a roll (that we’d replace later, of course), but Pat and Gary insisted on giving us some from their supply. They said it was to reimburse us for covering the Didi fare … a whopping 48 pesos doubled to 96 and with a tip came out to around $7.50 US.
Vivo O Sonho … Living the Dream both on land as well as on the water in Mexico!
Vivo O Sonho 