SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Two things drove Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta to learn English: Food. And love.
“One (of the motivations) was my (now) wife because I wanted to talk to her and say, ‘Hey, what’s up, girl?’ I forced myself to do that,” Peralta said.
Peralta’s suaveness worked and he later tied the knot with former college softball player Jordan Laria. For many Latin players, it takes learning English to acclimate to a new culture and team.
When Peralta arrived in the United States in 2005 from Venezuela, he didn’t know the language and had to learn basic tasks like ordering food at restaurants.