I had the pleasure of
getting to speak briefly with Tampa Yankees’ right fielder, Kelvin De Leon. He
was signed by the Yankees as an International Free Agent on the July 2nd
signing date in 2007. After a very impressive 2008 campaign in the Dominican
Summer League, he made his jump to the United States in 2009 as a member of the
Gulf Coast League Yankees. Always heralded for his big time power potential, De
Leon has had a steady path towards reaching his dreams of one day donning the
pinstripes of the New York Yankees. With a good showing next season, he can
make a jump to the Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League. He has the talent and
is desire and work ethic is second to none.
Trevor Wolff:
I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie Sugar, but it
follows the story of a young Dominican pitcher named Miguel Santos. His biggest
struggle appeared to be dealing with life off of the field since he was in a
new country & away from home for the first time. Was it a struggle for you
to adapt to the U.S. when you came to the Gulf Coast League in 2009?
Kelvin De Leon:
It was a bit difficult, especially because it is a
different language, but over time I adapted to the language as well as the food
and atmosphere as I knew most of the year would be in the U.S.
Trevor Wolff:
Here in the
U.S., you’ve played in Tampa, Staten Island, & Charleston…what city has
been your favorite place to play in so far?
Kelvin De Leon:
[Staten Island] was my favorite place because it is
the island state [portion] of New York City where the major league team is,
where one day with the help of God I will play, I also felt the family because
many of them live there
Trevor Wolff:
What pitcher
that you faced in the Dominican Summer League back in 2008 do you think will go
on to have the most successful Major League career?
Kelvin De Leon:
Edwar Cabrera, I think [he plays for] Colorado, is
the pitcher who played with me in 2008 that may have a good career in the big
leagues.
Trevor Wolff:
Who has been the toughest pitcher that you’ve faced
here in the U.S., and what made him so tough to hit?
Kelvin De Leon:
I faced many talented pitchers in America but I
think one of the best front what this year is Jose Fernandez who plays for
Miami Marlins [in their farm system. Fernandez finished the year with the
Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League].
Trevor Wolff:
Do the Yankees implement a program that assists
young foreign players into adapting to the United States?
Kelvin De Leon:
They have a good program from summer league [Dominican
Summer League]. They teach us English, [and
how to] speak like the [players in the] in the United States. [We] arrived in the United States and took
classes until we perfect the language so it will help fellow Americans socialize
with us.
Trevor Wolff:
Now that the
offseason is here, do you plan on playing any fall or winter ball? If not, what
is a typical offseason for you?
Kelvin De Leon:
Right now I'm in training for my team, Toros del Este
[of the Dominican Winter League] this winter. I play here to learn as there are
more experienced players of all levels, including big leagues to help me learn
more about the game. I’ll be playing
with players at the highest levels, and the level that I am at.
Trevor Wolff:
The last comment is all yours. If there was one
thing that you can tell baseball fans everywhere about the grind of playing
Minor League Baseball, what would that be?
Kelvin De Leon:
I can only [show my] desire. I love baseball, it is not just a sport for me, but it's my lifestyle,
I always give it as much as possible to fulfill my dream and with the help of
God and my hard work, I will end up where I hope to be.