FLORENCE, Ky. — People might think professional baseball players live a life of luxury when they’re not out on the field. That might be true for a lot of players in the major leagues, but in lower leagues it’s often not the case.
Luckily there are people willing to step up to help those players get through their seasons, which has resulted in a lifelong bond between a former Florence Y’alls player and the man who took him in.
Growing up in Venezuela, Jonaiker Villalobos never imagined he’d one day call Florence, Kentucky, home.
“When I came here the first time, I’m saying this is like a movie,” Villalobos said.
When he was released from the Miami Marlins system in 2020, the southpaw pitcher signed a contract with the Y’alls.
“The goal is the same. Play in the major leagues and try to improve myself, my skill every day,” he said.
But Villalobos still needed to figure out the “home” part.
Players in independent baseball leagues like the Frontier League don’t make a lot of money, especially compared to Major League Baseball players. They would typically need to stay in hotels to get through their season if it wasn’t for host families.
“This journey, this career, it gets lonely sometimes. It gets tough,” said Y’alls third baseman Brian Fuentes.
Fuentes said he doesn’t know what he’d do without his “host mom.”
“She’s a beautiful person, a beautiful human being. She takes care of me and my two other roommates. Without her, I don’t think I’d be able to make it a whole season. She provides everything that we need,” Fuentes said. “Having a host mom like Angie has allowed me to look forward, like after a game, I know I have a house, I know I have my own room, a bed, food, a home. She makes cookies, so it’s awesome.”
Florence resident Dave Brown learned about host families 10 years ago while attending a Y’alls (who were then the Florence Freedom) game.
“There was kind of empty space here, and it just seemed like it would be a neat thing to do,” Brown said.
He has hosted 16 players since then. Some of them come and go, and Brown never hears from them again.
“And then I have players like Jonaiker that kind of become part of my permanent family,” he said.
A few years ago, the Y’alls made it a priority to bring in more Latin American players. Brown started doing so in 2015.
“That’s kind of been my niche. They’re 2,000 miles from home. They’re gone for six months at a time,” he said. “They’re here for a job. And so I need to respect that and meet what their needs are. But at the same time, I’ve tried to be inclusive so that while they’re here, it’s not just a place to live, but it’s a place where they can feel comfortable, feel at home. As much as the players appreciate it, it’s improved, touched my life in so many ways through the relationships that have developed.”
Villalobos, who has a wife and a son, said he and Brown bonded immediately.
“It’s like my family. My family in the U.S.,” he said. “He treats everybody good. He’s respectful. And he tries to be like a father, you know. He takes good care of us. He’s always in the stadium.”
In fact, Villalobos and other players call Brown “Papa.” Brown calls Villalobos “mi hijo,” which is Spanish for “my son.”
Villalobos’ time with the Y’alls ended after the 2021 season when he joined the Lake Erie Crushers, another team in the Frontier League.
“It was hard, because I feel at home here. But it’s baseball. It’s a business, and that happened,” he said.
The bond he and Brown formed, however, transcends teams. When the Crushers play the Y’alls, Villalobos is right back in his room at Brown’s house.
“I don’t have to stay in the hotel. I just come here, and it’s like my home,” he said.
And when the season ends, he’s back home in Florence.
“He’ll be here until he goes back to Venezuela to play ball down in the winter league,” Brown said.
To reach his ultimate goal, Villalobos has to be the best at preventing his opposition from reaching home.
Having found a home of his own makes that seem a lot more attainable.
“Poco en poco,” Brown said.
“Yeah, poco en poco,” Villalobos said. “It’s like, ‘little by little.”’
Brown is still a Y’alls fan, but when Villalobos is pitching against the home team, his allegiance changes.
“When Jonaiker is out there pitching, that’s who I’m cheering for. I’m not cheering against anybody, but that’s my son out there,” he said.
The Y’alls and other teams in the Frontier League are always looking for host families. For the Y’alls, it comes with two season tickets per player, and quite possibly a lifelong friend.