MEXICO CITY — A day before Major League Baseball played regular season games here for the first time, Nick Martinez, a pitcher for the San Diego Padres, had an idea. Accompanied by a few teammates, he visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Friday, which was a day off for both the San Francisco Giants and the Padres.
On the way to the church, Martinez noticed several shops selling piñatas. He bought a few, hoping they could be smashed by the player of the game after each of the contests.
“Being in San Diego, Mexican culture is very much a part of our culture,” Martinez said.