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‘Hola, mi amigo’: Spanish-speaking White Sox players learning English at their own pace

The day after infielder Yoan Moncada tripled, doubled and homered in his first three at-bats, he took some ribbing from White Sox teammates for falling short of the cycle.

When Moncada strolled past Ken Williams the next day, the Sox team president jokingly hassled him.

Moncada grinned and replied, “Next time.”

Wait, Moncada speaks English? During interviews with the media, the native Cuban uses team translator Billy Russo, a former sportswriter from Venezuela.

“Yoan and I can have a conversation in English,” Williams said. “At the end of last year, I told him, ‘I want you do to interviews in English.