.jpg)
Ed & Donna Musgrave with Angel Villalona and Wilmin Rodriguez
Mother’s Day always has extra significance around the San Jose Giants. That’s because ballplayers have more than one mother to be thankful for. Their birth mothers, of course, and their wives if they happen to be married with children. But also the generous “host moms” who allow them to live in their San Jose-area homes during the season.
Since most players are from out of the area and Silicon Valley rents are out of their reach, they live with people like Ed and Donna Musgrave, a retired couple whose home has become sort of a mecca for Latin ballplayers.
“Our first player, Ariel Nunez, said he was concerned about a teammate because his host family can’t take him to the field or bring him home at night,” says Donna. “I went to the ballpark at 2 a.m. after a road trip and see a short, chubby ballplayer alone. So I picked him up and took him home. I said ‘you can stay with us but we don’t have a room. We have a futon you can sleep on but we don’t have a regular bed.’”
That ballplayer was current San Francisco Giant Pablo Sandoval, who lived with the Musgraves for two seasons and now refers his Spanish-speaking buddies to their home.
Their player this year is 18-year-old first baseman Angel Villalona, who says the host family experience has been invaluable.
“They’re really good people. They take care of me. (Pitcher) Wilmin Rodriguez lives there and is like a roommate to me. It’s really important because it’s another opportunity to learn English and it’s someone to go home and talk to as well.”
Being a host mom has been great for Kelly Carter, who’s been a “hostie” for six years and currently has pitcher T.J. Brewer at her home.
“You go into it with absolutely no expectations. Anything you get out of it is above and beyond. The ultimate is seeing them make it to the big leagues.”
Kelly and her husband Roger have been to catcher Brian Munhall’s wedding, to Fresno to watch Kevin Pucetas pitch and to the Futures All- Star game where Pucetas pitched last year.
“We’re waiting to hear about pitcher Jason Waddell’s call-up to the Chicago Cubs so we can fly out there when he makes it to the Bigs. It’s so easy now with Facebook, cell phones and text messaging to keep in touch.”
My wife Heidi and I have hosted nine players in nine years but she’ll always remember Mother’s Day, 2002. The Giants were on a long road trip and we came home one night to find flowers from pitcher Jeff Clark waiting at the front door. The card read, “Thank you for making me feel so welcome. Love, Jeff.”
Comments