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3 weeks ago | 
ouresquina.com | Julian Guiliarte |Lorenzo Delgado |Angel Cantu
HOUSTON – The aroma of gallo pinto, a traditional Nicaraguan dish of rice and beans, would consistently fill the air of Mark Vientos’ childhood home. On colder days, a warm bowl of Dominican sancocho would please his taste buds. Although Vientos was born in Norwalk, Conn., the Mets‘ infielder enjoyed the blessings of roots in three different countries. His mother Katy Wilmor is from Nicaragua. His father Charles Manuel Vientos is from the Dominican Republic.
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4 weeks ago | 
ouresquina.com | Lorenzo Delgado |Julian Guiliarte |Angel Cantu
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Carlos Mendoza understands the pressure and high expectations of competing in New York. As far as the Mets manager is concerned, high expectations are part of the job in Queens. After guiding the Mets to the 2024 National League Championship Series, Mendoza perhaps has an even better team with the addition of prized free agent Juan Soto. “There’s always going to be expectations,” he says. “It’s New York. It’s a big market.
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4 weeks ago | 
ouresquina.com | Lorenzo Delgado |Julian Guiliarte |Angel Cantu |Sinhue Mendoza
Wearing a green summer dress, 3-year-old Gabriela Jaquez placed a plastic baseball atop a tee. She then extended her left arm and urged her younger brother Marcos to get back closer to their older brother Jaime. Once Marcos was a safe distance away, Gabriela checked the bat with authority on the porch twice before taking a powerful hack. Gabriela Jaquez sent a line drive off a fence and toward the swing set in the backyard.
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1 month ago | 
ouresquina.com | Julian Guiliarte |Angel Cantu |Sinhue Mendoza |Lorenzo Delgado
HOUSTON – Astros top prospect Cam Smith informed his mother, Stephanie Hocza, about his dream of becoming a professional baseball player at five years old. Like any mother would do, she supported her son’s dream. Hocza and Smith lived in an apartment through middle school. Smith’s friends thought it was cool that he lived in an apartment because they thought it was just like a hotel. Hocza, a single parent, would depart to work early to provide for her family.
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1 month ago | 
ouresquina.com | Angel Cantu |Sinhue Mendoza |Julian Guiliarte
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco is ready to build on his breakout season. He hopes the work he put in this off-season in the Dominican Republic pays off. Blanco, 31, made his MLB debut in 2022, but everything finally clicked last season. He had a career-best 2.84 ERA while throwing a career-high 167 ⅓ innings. “This off-season I put in a lot of work,” he says. “Hopefully that gets reflected into this season.”Blanco’s velocity on his fastball is around 92-95 mph.
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1 month ago | 
ouresquina.com | Angel Cantu |Julian Guiliarte
HOUSTON – Shortly after Rice University’s baseball team finished batting practice at Daikin Park, several players gathered around Astros great Lance Berkman and Rice head coach Jose Cruz Jr. on Thursday night along the left field line. The Owls paid close attention as the former Rice and Astros teammates gave instructions. By all accounts, Berkman and Cruz are the two greatest players in Rice baseball history.
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1 month ago | 
ouresquina.com | Angel Cantu |Julian Guiliarte |Carlos Leon-Trejo
By all accounts, Diana Taurasi is the GOAT in women’s basketball. Her resume is so impressive, it’s ridiculous. But the Argentinian American was so brilliant, it seems myopic to see her only in the context of basketball, men’s or women’s. She is one of the greatest women’s athletes in United States history. Moreover, an argument can be made that Diana Taurasi is the GLOAT, the Greatest Latina of All Time in sports.
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2 months ago | 
ouresquina.com | Julian Guiliarte |Carlos Leon-Trejo |Lorenzo Delgado |Angel Cantu
Two years ago, it would have likely been impossible to predict that Tony Martinez would be one of the top players in college baseball. The UC Irvine slugger was a lightly recruited player coming out of De La Salle High in Concord, Calif., even though he was Maxpreps 2022 Norcal Player of the Year. Martinez impressed right away, though, earning Freshman All-American honors from three outlets. He was also the 2023 Big West Conference Field Player of the Year.
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2 months ago | 
ouresquina.com | Lorenzo Delgado |Julian Guiliarte |Angel Cantu |Carlos Leon-Trejo
Leading up to the NFL Draft on April 24, Our Esquina will highlight the top Latino prospects, beginning with Miami wide receiver Xavier Restrepo. As the NFL off-season kicks off after Super Bowl LIX, we’ll highlight top prospects and potential undrafted free agents. These athletes have displayed exceptional talent and passion for the game and are ready to showcase their skills among the football elite. Join us as we highlight their performances on the field and follow their paths to the NFL.
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2 months ago | 
ouresquina.com | Julian Guiliarte |Angel Cantu |Lorenzo Delgado
HOUSTON – Tony Perezchica never thought he would leave the Diamondbacks and the state of Arizona after 22 seasons. Perezchica served as the third base coach for the past eight years under manager Torey Lovullo, helping win an NL pennant in 2023. Nonetheless, he was ready for a change. Astros manager Joe Espada hired Perezchica after Houston parted ways with former third base coach Gary Pettis, a fan favorite who spent 10 seasons with the team and was known for his aggressive base-running tactics.
