South Of The Border

Garcia and Biagini are sitting in a restaurant in a small Mexican town. It will be many hours on the bus before this trip is over. The restaurant is overwhelmed by the rush of players, and breakfast will be a two-hour ordeal. At the next table, a young player orders his bacon folded. He thinks it shrinks less if it's folded.

Garcia picks up the local paper and turns to the page reporting major league baseball.

"Barojas got another save last night," he says.

Biagini looks up. "Did you hear Garagiola talking about Barojas and Escárrega on the Game of the Week?"

Salomé Barojas had been a Mexican League star for six seasons before going up to the White Sox this spring. Ernesto Escárrega had also gone from the Liga to the Sox.

Biagini starts imitating Joe Garagiola: " 'These guys are really something. They get behind 2 and 0 and 3 and 1 and they come at you from everywhere with breaking stuff. Where do they find these guys?' "

This Garagiola thing is something Biagini wants to talk about.

"I was amazed. Where does he think they find them?"

He imitates Garagiola again: " 'Boy, they are really beating the bushes down there now.' "

Biagini shakes his head and says, "Yeah, right, Joe."