The Major League pitching brothers cover all expenses for 15 teams from the Daguao neighborhood between the ages of 3 and 18 as part of the “Team Sugar” program
The following article first appeared in ENDI.com (El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico’s daily). We translated and edited for our Englist dominant readers.
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Caguas, PR — Edwin “Sugar” Díaz does not forget the help that both he and his brother, Alexis, received from their neighbors in the Daguao neighborhood of Naguabo, on each occasion that they had to make a trip to play baseball during their adolescence and youth before signing as professionals.
That help was important so that both players could polish and demonstrate their respective talents while pursuing the dream of reaching the Major Leagues. Once that goal was achieved -when “Sugar” with to the New York Mets and Alexis to the Cincinnati Reds-, the time came to thank that support.
How do they do it? With support for the little league teams in his town, known as “Team Sugar.”
“I have -along with my brother, Alexis- the “Team Sugar” from Naguabo. We have teams from three years old to youth leagues. We have about 15 teams,” stated Edwin, the closer of the New York Mets.
“Team Sugar” has representation in all categories from ‘pre-pamper’ of 3-4 years old to the Double A Youth of 16-18 years old. There are categories where there is more than one team.
“I am a boy who comes from the bottom, and many people -when my mother did many activities to be able to get us ahead- supported us,” recalled the eldest of the brothers.
“We try to give back to the youth, to the people of our neighborhood, what they gave us at a given time. And that is why we always try to do different types of activities. We have the teams and every year we do a turkey race for the people of the neighborhood. Whenever we have the opportunity to be with our people from the neighborhood, we are always there,” added the highest-paid reliever in the Majors upon agreeing to a five-year, $102 million contract with the Mets.
The annual investment
The teams sponsored by the Díaz brothers in the Daguao neighborhood – which are the only ones organized in the town – go out to compete in other municipalities in the various categories.
And they pay the participation fee, the uniforms, the balls and the refereeing in the local games. In addition, they give a stipend to the players and manager of the youth category.
It is something they have been doing for the last four years, indicated the father of both players.
Edwin Díaz, father, specified that the annual investment ranges between $30,000 and $35,000.
“They pay for the team franchises, the cost of the balls, the uniforms, the refereeing fee… The older kids’ teams -15 years old and up- are given a fee to help them with gas and other things,” explained Díaz, father, in a telephone interview with El Nuevo Día.
“In some categories there are two (teams). If I’m not mistaken, there are 15 teams in total,” said Díaz, father, who recalled that his sons also participate in other activities such as the turkey race and the delivery of school bags and supplies to children, among others.
“It makes us feel very proud (that their children get involved with their community). They remember what they went through, that thanks to the neighborhood and the activities we did, they were able to go to many events in the United States. “They were expensive events that they went to when they became prospects at the age of 15, 16,” recalled the father of the major leaguers, who at that time was the only one working outside, while his wife, Beatriz Laboy Méndez, was with the children at home.
In order to get the money they needed for those trips, they organized softball carnivals, boxing cards and raffles in the neighborhood, among other things.
“And the neighborhood was always present. Always, always. They (Sugar and Alexis) are aware of that, and in some way they have wanted to give back that help to the neighborhood. Without the help of the neighborhood it would have been more difficult. Maybe they would have signed anyway, but they were able to go to exhibition tournaments in the United States that helped them when they went to the draft,” said Díaz, father.
“The neighborhood was always present and has is present, and we are very grateful to the community.
