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Jimmy Scott's High & Tight: The Nelson & Alisa Figueroa Interview
Imagine that you're in school and your teacher gives you this assignment: "Tell me what it's like to be a professional athlete in the 21st century." The teacher goes on to tell you the assignment isn't about statistics. It's not about megabucks. It's not about awards. The assignment is exactly what it is. Explain how an athlete thinks. How does the athlete feel? What are that athlete's wants and needs? Not just on the field, or the court, or the track. But in Life. How do athletes balance the ultra-competitive nature of their spirits & egos with The Real World. How does an athlete balance personal desire vs. marriage and parenthood? How does an athlete balance being a public figure with the desire for privacy? How does the athlete deal with injury, when he can't perform at all, when he can't be himself? And how does that affect the rest of his life? That would be some assignment, huh?
If that was your task, you'd be in luck because of the Jimmy Scott's High & Tight Nelson & Alisa Figueroa interview. You should know who Nelson is, only because he's played baseball in just about every country that allows him inside their borders. You can also read some additional background HERE and HERE and HERE. Interestingly, Nelson is married to a wonderful girl named Alisa. Want to know about Alisa? Quick background check: She went to Brandeis University, has two Masters degrees, supported Nelson (she was his "Sugar Mama") in her pharmaceutical sales job while he toiled in the low minor leagues, birthed a sweet little girl named Renee, and is currently a stay-at-home mom. That doesn't mean she sits on the couch and watches TV all day while Renee learns 5-year old calculus. She's training for a triathalon and raising money for the Rally For Recovery charity in support of former MLB pitcher Ricky Stone, who's suffering from a malignant brain tumor. Alisa is smart, funny, witty, and everything you'd ever want in a girl.
Which makes Nelson a very lucky man.
This interview is special, because the Figueroas let us inside their home and lift the veil off the sometimes secret lives of the married baseball couple. We learn about their financial problems (Nelson is not signed to a 10-year $250 million deal), how they dealt with a negative media situation last year in what we can now call "Softball Girl Gate;" we learn about how much Nelson travels in order to earn enough money so Alisa can stay home and give little Renee the support she needs as a lil' tot. We listen to the marital struggles they went through when Nelson was rehabbing from a major arm injury two years ago. And finally, we learn about their own blog, The Figueroas, and why they interact via this worldwide web.
The basis for our conversation? It stems from a post Alisa wrote back in December on their blog called My Husband. You can read it by clicking HERE or you can listen to Alisa read it to us. From there, we painted on an open canvas. As you listen, I'm fairly certain you'll find this turned out to be a masterpiece.
Carve out some time for this one. It's not short. But it is not boring. Not by any means. If you have any interest in how baseball players live their lives both on and off the field, then you have to spend the time with this. The point of view is refreshing; the perspectives you hear are unique. Listen to Nelson & Alisa Figueroa tell their stories. You'll be glad you did.
THE MUSIC
Jerry Maguire Soundtrack - Secret Garden (Bruce Springsteen) and more
Risky Business Soundtrack - The Pump (Jeff Beck) and more
Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed
Madness - Our House
Ryan Adams - When Stars Go Blue
Police - Darkness
Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why, I Dreamed There Was No War
Field of Dreams Soundtrack - Field of Dreams & more
Dire Straits - Telegraph Road, Your Latest Trick, Speedway At Nazareth
The Who - Emminence Front
James Taylor - Mexico
Michael Jackson - Beat It
Shania Twain - It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing
Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely
The Jayhawks - Don't Let The World Get In Your Way
The Cars - Moving In Stereo
Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart
Sting - I Miss You Kate
BONUS WORDS FROM JIMMY SCOTT
I was on The Figueroas, the blog I told you about and you heard about which is pretty much exclusively written by Alisa, and came across this post, written just before Nelson went away for spring training, 2009. Read it. Can you get a sense of how a family feels when the father goes off to his baseball season? Especially when that father is NOT a multi-millionaire?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Why does time Fly when you want it to stand still?
So now I must prepare for his departure. The house is a total wreck (like it's his JOB to pull out everything and then wait until the last minute to pack any of it in his suitcase). I stop myself from helping him. Why give him more of a reason to blame me if he forgets something important? Or is it a way for me to pretend it's not really going to happen?
Renee seems to have no idea yet. She keeps talking about what we'll do this weekend. I am not looking forward to the tears that are inevitable on Thursday afternoon. At least we'll be headed to Gymnastics after we drop him off at the airport.
Why would anyone want to sign up for a life where the person you love leaves you for months on end to pursue a dream? Yes, he's going to work. I know that. But at times it is hard to understand. When I'm really feeling sorry for myself, I feel sad that he's going away to play baseball.
