Cincinnati.com · Mar 22, 2017
The Teammate: Reds' Hernan Iribarren uses experience to make others better
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Hernan Iribarren now wears a simple gold chain around his neck. He holds it in his fingers and dismisses it, it means nothing. He likes the way it looks.
But know this: The necklace is a vestige of the multi-colored beaded necklaces and bracelets he once wore as an integral part of what he called “witchcraft.”
As a 17-year-old signed out of Venezuela in 2002 by the Brewers, Iribarren was sent to the Dominican Republic. One of his coaches in Venezuela gave him a name, a man that would help protect him from bad influences, who would use spirituality to keep him on the path to the big leagues.
For players looking for any advantage, Iribarren, 32, listened.