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Latino players in baseball today are hot. Nine of the twenty starters in the All-Star game last July, for example, were of Latin descent. Many of baseball’s biggest stars are Latino, from David Ortiz to Vladimir Guerrero to Albert Pujols, the list goes on and on.
In words and pictures, Heat explores the Latino player’s experience beginning in the 1950s with such pioneers as Felipe Alou and Roberto Clemente, and then moves decade by decade to today’s biggest stars, such as Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada. In the early years, Latino players suffered racial and cultural prejudice, being seen as stupid or temperamental, mostly because they did not speak English. At the same time they were hailed for their tremendous athleticism, from Juan Marichal’s high leg kick to Orlando Cepeda’s tremendous power.
Today’s Latino players still meet racism, but more often are celebrated as heroes — in America as well as in their home countries. Hermoso has captured these stories through original interviews while Rivera's images possess an even deeper resonance — the faces of men from other countries who truly are living the American dream.
In words and pictures, Heat explores the Latino player’s experience beginning in the 1950s with such pioneers as Felipe Alou and Roberto Clemente, and then moves decade by decade to today’s biggest stars, such as Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada. In the early years, Latino players suffered racial and cultural prejudice, being seen as stupid or temperamental, mostly because they did not speak English. At the same time they were hailed for their tremendous athleticism, from Juan Marichal’s high leg kick to Orlando Cepeda’s tremendous power.
Today’s Latino players still meet racism, but more often are celebrated as heroes — in America as well as in their home countries. Hermoso has captured these stories through original interviews while Rivera's images possess an even deeper resonance — the faces of men from other countries who truly are living the American dream.
