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Mía R. Cortez
Editor
|  When spring training begins in late April, professional baseball players across the country are hooked up with host families that provide them with room and board for the four-month season. The El Paso Diablos are expecting 15 players from the U.S., Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Australia who also need a place to stay. Requirements for a host family are to provide a private room and access to a washer and dryer for the player.
Starting pitcher Clegg Snipes played with the Diablos for six weeks last season. He stayed with the Plumber family in El Paso, and he says they went above and beyond the call of duty.
“They fed me, got stuff for me from the store, and ‘grandma’ even let me use her car,” Snipes said. “I’ve been with three host families in my career - two in El Paso, and they’ve all been wonderful.”
The perks to hosting a baseball player include two season tickets and invites to several host family events in the summer, said Adriana Ruiz, director of public relations for El Paso Diablos.
“Host families get the opportunity to get to know a Diablos player and the rest of the organization on a personal level,” Ruiz said.
Some El Paso families have been hosting players for more than 20 years.
Jean Riley, with Buck Rogers Travel, said this year will be the fourth year hosting a player in her home.
“I have a 17-year-old son, and they really bond, they’re a lot of fun,” Riley said. “But I’ve been a Diablos season ticket holder since I was 10, and I have a friend who’s been hosting for 26 years, so she kind of talked me into it.”
Riley said being a host family doesn’t come with many challenges, except that she’s lost some sleep worrying about them when they come home late.
“They’re pretty much on their own,” Riley said. “Their work day starts at 3 p.m. and sometimes doesn’t end until 2 or 3 in the morning, so like a mother, I’ve often worried about them.”
Snipes said his weekly routine includes about 25 hours of exercise.
“You learn a lot about these players,” Riley said. “Last year we hosted a boy from Cuba and his story was very interesting. You do treat them like a part of the family – telling them to finish school, behave, check in, etc.”
For more information on hosting an El Paso Diablos player, contact Adriana Ruiz at 915-755-2000.
Comments or questions about this story? E-mail swsenior@elpasoinc.com
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