We're sitting on plastic chairs an easy toss from the first base line at cozy Albert Park, adjacent to a playground and a maple-lined suburb.
Jova has just finished batting practice. His cap is pulled low over reflective sunglasses. He slumps slightly in his seat, but his handshake is warm and his grin is broad and winning.
In about an hour, he'll take his hacks as the designated hitter for the San Rafael Pacifics, an independent league team in Marin County, California.
The late-August sun cuts evening shadows across the outfield. A few fans have already filed in, bought IPAs and tri-tip sandwiches and taken their seats in the painted wooden bleachers.