WASHINGTON — When Starling Marte returned to PNC Park with his Miami Marlins earlier this month, the former Pirates outfielder killed some time during a pitching change by chatting with Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez near the entrance to the bullpens.
The conversation was obviously in good fun, full of smiles and laughs. But it also wouldn’t have been weird if Rodriguez and Marte had used the time to exchange recipes or cooking tips. After all, before the series started, Rodriguez brought Marte seasoned steak that he grilled himself as part of a Latin American food trade that occurs around Major League Baseball.
Because tasty, native food can be hard to find, players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba or even Puerto Rico take turns preparing meals for one another, cooking while at home and taking advantage of the practice while on the road.
“It feels great to be part of that circle and that community,” Rodriguez said through team translator Mike Gonzalez. “I know what it’s like to travel to other cities, and the food isn’t the same. It’s hard to find Hispanic restaurants.
“To have someone from another team prepare our cultural food, our Latin food, and have it once we arrive, ready to be eaten, it brings us so much joy and satisfaction. For me to be part of that community and provide those guys the same treatment whenever they come into town, it brings me a lot of joy.”
Perhaps the same as their ability on the baseball field, there are scouting reports on who’s comfortable around a kitchen.
Rodriguez, who has loved to cook from a young age and regularly hosts barbecues for teammates, is probably the Pirates’ most frequent and well-respected contributor to the group. And while some players have their wives, mothers or other family members cook, Rodriguez is adamant about preparing meals himself.
When the Pirates visited Kansas City a few weeks back, Royals first baseman Carlos Santana had a bunch of food waiting for Rodriguez, Gregory Polanco, Luis Oviedo, Wilmer Difo and Michael Perez, the Pirates’ contingent of Latin players at the time, as well as coaches and other assorted team personnel.
Inside the division, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez is big into preparing meals and can apparently really cook.
Another the Pirates have sampled recently who really stands out has been Cleveland's Jose Ramirez, who’s evidently just as good with a set of tongs as he is with a bat and glove.
The food is typically sent over to the visiting clubhouse in prepackaged containers, perhaps with a note or an indication of who prepared it.
“Here, Richie is definitely one of the main ones,” Gonzalez said. “He’s always got food for whenever guys come into town. He loves it. He’ll tell people, ‘Hey, you have food over there. Go eat.’ He’ll remind you about your plate. He’s proud of his food and what he cooks.”
There are no set rules for what’s prepared, but the dishes are typically meat-heavy, with plenty of rice, beans and plantains. Rodriguez said he sticks with a lot of seasoned chicken, steak or ribs.
The reason for it extends far beyond baseball, into Latin American culture and the idea of bringing people together over food. Growing up in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Rodriguez said sharing meals, recipes and making dishes for other people was simply part of the culture.
And with as much time as baseball players spend around one another, it makes sense that everyone should eat well, too.
“It’s part of who we are and the way we were raised,” Rodriguez said. “In our hometowns, we provided food to one another, to our neighbors. That’s who we are as Latinos, and that’s how we treat each other. I’m just grateful to be a part of the community, and that community continues here in baseball.”
Aside from Rodriguez, Polanco joked that he doesn’t have the slightest clue what he’s doing in the kitchen and would never even try to prepare a meal for his teammates. However, apparently Polanco’s mother, Apolonia Linares, is quite the cook.
Polanco said Aroldis Chapman, when he was with the Reds, would routinely ask whether Polanco’s mom was in town because he wanted to enjoy her cooking. Former Pirates catcher Elias Diaz was also a huge fan, Polanco said.
Shortly after he took over as Pirates manager, Derek Shelton found out Polanco’s mom was a tremendous cook, asked to try some of her food and was extremely impressed.
“The seasoning, however she makes it, it just tastes so good,” Polanco said. “And I’m not just saying that because she’s my mom.”
Polanco agreed that Martinez is one of the best cooks on the circuit and Rodriguez was the Pirates’ No. 1 among players. He said his two favorite places to eat were Miami and New York.
“We do this so we can have food from back home that we’re used to,” Polanco said. “We all have each other’s backs.”
