By MATTHEW M. BURKE

    Brewster first baseman Yonder Alonso moved to the United States from Cuba with his parents, Luis and Damaris, when he was 10-years-old, leaving behind family and friends in the tropical baseball Mecca. 

    According to Alonso, whose father played ball for 13 years in a Cuban baseball league, the move to the states was a tough adjustment. However, whenever he stepped onto a baseball diamond, the 6’2’’, 210 pound, left-handed power hitter said that he felt like he was back in his homeland and it was a comforting feeling.

    Brewster coach Bob Macaluso added that Alonso has emerged as the leader of the third place Whitecaps this season, and one of the Cape League’s best hitters. In addition, Alonso was named a starter for the Eastern Division All-Stars last Saturday. 

    If Brewster is to make a push past Chatham this summer and challenge Y-D for eastern division supremacy, it will be because Alonso helped propel them there, Macaluso said. At press time, Brewster was just two points behind Chatham for the second playoff spot in the division.

    Alonso is a fun player to watch, and the sheer joy he gets from playing the game is both unrivaled and refreshing. This love for the game is evident in his ear-to-ear smile and calming presence on the diamond. Alonso is one of a few players who plays the game like a young child, with the most unbridled, sincere, reverence, intensity, and appreciation.

    Last Saturday against Wareham, Alonso went 1-4 in the 3-0 win. He smiled as he stood on first base after getting a base hit to right in the ninth, mostly because his unquenchable work ethic had bore fruit after a three day hitless slump that followed the end of his 18-game hitting streak. 

    He had spent his time in the cage at Spillane Field after batting practice, prior to the pre-game warm-ups, working on his mechanics until he was drenched in sweat while the majority of his teammates took a few moments to rest. 

    Alonso’s “enjoy the game” attitude has clearly defused the nerves of teammates this season and has inspired. He has truly been at home on the Cape this summer. 

    After he was left stranded on base following his lone base hit, Alonso greeted teammates exiting the dugout to take the field. “I got a hit,” he said smiling, high-fiving teammates. The smiles were reciprocated momentarily, and then it was back to business.

    “I went three days without getting a hit,” he said after the game with another smile. “Then finally, I went 1-4 today and I was so happy. Start another streak going or whatever…but I hit the ball hard and that’s what matters.”

    Alonso said that he learned the game in Cuba, a place where intensity and this love for the game is second nature. He said that the ballplayers in Cuba play the game differently than in the states, playing “so rough” and “so hard.” He said that he misses his homeland for that style of play. 

    He added that the game of baseball is similar in the states in the presence of a strong desire to win and in getting base hits and in striking out opposing hitters.

    “Once I got over here I just started playing baseball,” Alonso said of his family’s journey to the states. “I moved over here and it was all different for me, but for some reason every time I stepped onto the field, I felt like I was home…so it really didn’t matter. Every time I step on the field it brings me back memories of where I’m from. So I just appreciate the game a little better than any other baseball player would.”

    Alonso describes himself as an overall strong hitter; one who gets a lot of homers in collegiate play, despite the fact that he says that he doesn’t try to hit them. He came to the Cape after a sophomore campaign at the University of Miami where he finished fifth in the ACC in hitting, right behind Y-D’s Buster Posey (Florida State, .382). 

    Alonso, a criminal justice major, batted .376, reaching base 79 times in 210 at-bats. He also recorded 74 RBI and 18 homers and finished the season with an impressive .705 slugging percentage and a .519 on-base-percentage, starting every one of the Canes’ 61 contests. 

    He led the Hurricanes in batting average, homers, RBI, slugging, walks (64), OBP, and put outs (566). The Canes lost to Louisville 8-7 on June 3 in the NCAA Regional to have their streak of 13 consecutive regional titles broken.

    The previous collegiate season, Alonso became the second Hurricane freshman in history to lead the team in homers (10) and RBI (69). He also led the team in sac flies (8), put outs (587), and fielding percentage (.994). Last summer, he played in the Virginia Valley League and was named the league’s top prospect by Baseball America.

    Alonso grew up in Miami from the age of 10-years-old and played high school baseball at Mike Lowell’s (Boston Red Sox third baseman) alma mater, Coral Gables High School. The three-time team MVP, and captain, garnered single season school records in batting (.530), RBI (33), and walks (33). He was named All-State twice and was a three-time All-Dade choice.

    Alonso was drafted in 2005 by the Minnesota Twins in the 15th round. 

    This summer Alonso is seeing the ball well and is concentrating on making contact. He has flirted with the league leaders in hitting throughout the season, currently batting .314 (32-for-102), with 17 runs, 15 RBI, two homers, 48 total bases, 29 walks, and six stolen bases. 

    He is currently second only behind Falmouth’s David Adams (12) in doubles - with 10 - for the league lead. He also leads the league in on-base-percentage, at .466. He is slugging an impressive .471.

    “It’s going alright,” Alonso said following the Wareham contest. “The Cape man…stuggling…I was hitting like .380, and just before you think you have it figured out, you have nothing figured out. I went down like 40 points or something like that…but I just have to stay through it and not try to do too much.”

    Alonso said that the most important thing he has learned this summer playing on the Cape is just learning to play every day. He said that at Miami, he was used to playing on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On the Cape, teams play every night. 

    “The everyday thing, I feel like that’s a lot different than it is in college,” he said. “Everyday you gotta bring it. It doesn’t matter who you face or who you’re playing, you just gotta bring it. You gotta bring your game and hopefully you win.”

    Alonso has not struggled by any means this summer playing with wood bats, but he said that he has had mixed feelings about his performance after making the switch from aluminum. He said that sometimes wood is great, but sometimes it can also be pretty tough. However, he added that this constant up and down is a “part of baseball,” much like playing every single day. 

    For Alonso, he just focuses on enjoying himself on the ballfield. He closes his eyes and for a split second and he is back in Cuba. He sees relatives, friends, and other kids playing their hearts out in the game they all love. This love of the game coupled with his work ethic and natural ability have worked out well thus far for Brewster this summer, and will no doubt lead to a successful season regardless of whether or not they win a league championship. 

    “He has a real good work ethic,” Macaluso said after the Wareham game. “Shoot, he’s been playing the game for a long time and he works hard at it. He’s got good hands and good balance…and he’s disciplined…and he really likes to play the game. He does a lot of things right…and he’s strong…He has a lot of qualities that make him a good hitter.”

    Macaluso said that Alonso is versatile as well. In addition to playing a solid first base, he also plays third base, and can even catch. “He’s got a good arm,” he said. “He’s versatile and can play a lot of positions…He’s our leader. He’s real important for us both offensively and defensively.”