蜜柚直播

When he was a teenager, George Arias worked at the old Bullpen Batting Cages on the south side of 蜜柚直播. He had a special arrangement with the owner, Beto Morales: Arias would be paid in cage time. He鈥檇 get to hit for free.

鈥淚t kept me off the streets,鈥� said Arias, who was 11 years old when his father died of a heart attack. 鈥淚t gave me a place to work on my craft. I always wanted to hit, hit and hit some more.鈥�

Arias would become a hitting star at Pueblo High School, Pima Community College and the University of 蜜柚直播. The third baseman played in the majors for parts of four seasons and hit more than 200 home runs in seven seasons of pro ball in the Japanese and Mexican leagues.

In 2015, nine years after retiring as a player, Arias bought the Centerfield Baseball & Softball Academy, a 30,000-square-foot training facility near Interstate 10 and Irvington Road. His motives were more altruistic than financial: He wanted to provide a place where kids with aspirations and troubles could find coaching and direction.

鈥淚 know how tough it can be out there,鈥� Arias said. 鈥淚 know how much that meant to me.鈥�

So the hardships Centerfield currently is facing because of the coronavirus pandemic don鈥檛 just hit Arias in his bank account. The facility is closed for the time being. Like countless other small-business owners, Arias has applied for a loan through the federal government鈥檚 Paycheck Protection Program.

A man of faith, Arias is hopeful Centerfield will survive and reopen when the pandemic passes. He鈥檚 also bracing for the possibility that it won鈥檛.

鈥淲ith our type of business, you don鈥檛 make a lot of money,鈥� Arias said. 鈥淭he only way to survive is if we get a stimulus package and our landlord鈥檚 generous. It鈥檚 going to be very difficult. I have to decide moving forward what that鈥檚 going to look like.

鈥淚t鈥檚 disheartening. It hurts a lot of people.鈥�

Arias, 48, has employees to pay and mouths to feed. Centerfield鈥檚 website lists 14 baseball and softball coaches who offer private and group instruction in hitting, pitching, fielding and mental training. The facility also has a speed-and-agility program and summer camps for baseball and softball players.

Two of George and Rachel Arias鈥� three children play ball: George Jr., 20, is a pitcher for the UA, and Nick, 16, is a middle infielder and pitcher at 蜜柚直播 High. Daughter Alexis, 18, is an aspiring singer-songwriter. The family also has a 9-month-old black Labrador retriever named Luna.

The upside to the current situation is that Arias is able to spend much more time with his family than he usually would. He also serves as the director of baseball operations for the 蜜柚直播 Champs Baseball Academy.

鈥淭hese circumstances (stink) because of what鈥檚 going on in the world,鈥� Arias said. 鈥淏ut in all honesty, I鈥檓 loving it. I get to have a lot of meals with my family at home. I鈥檓 definitely treasuring these moments.鈥�

If not for the coronavirus, Arias would be spending the bulk of his time at a baseball diamond somewhere, as he has for most of his life. Now those opportunities are extremely limited.

Arias still works out with his sons. He unlocks the door at Centerfield, turns on about half the lights, blasts some music and train with his boys. (George Jr. is currently rehabbing an elbow injury suffered during the fall.)

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty neat 鈥� because I鈥檓 having some father-son time,鈥� Arias said. 鈥淲hen baseball season comes around and everything is going on, it鈥檚 tough to be with everyone.鈥�

Still, Arias can鈥檛 help but notice how quiet and empty it feels at Centerfield. The only instruction the facility is able to offer at the moment is over FaceTime. You can get a half-hour hitting lesson from Mexican League professional Alex Robles for $35. Business, unsurprisingly, has been slow.

鈥淚t鈥檚 tough times,鈥� Arias said. 鈥淲e get it.鈥�

As much as he is enjoying quality time with his family, Arias misses getting to coach his 蜜柚直播 Champs travel-ball squad. Arias believes strongly in creating a sense of 鈥渇eel鈥� with his players, which enables them to replicate their swings and deliveries. It鈥檚 hard to develop feel over an iPad.

The best part of being on a team, Arias said, are the experiences you go through, the relationships you cultivate and the memories you form. Arias experienced all levels of pro baseball in multiple countries during his playing days.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 miss baseball, per se,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 miss being around the guys.鈥�

Not having that in some form for the first time in decades has forced Arias to re-examine his career path. He is hardly alone in that regard, as millions face unemployment and uncertain futures.

鈥淢y identity is in Christ; that鈥檚 who I am,鈥� Arias said. 鈥淏aseball is what I know. You take me out of that element, what鈥檚 my identity now? I鈥檒l probably have to reinvent myself if this doesn鈥檛 happen any longer.鈥�

Arias already did it once. With his MLB career stalled after the 1999 season, Arias signed with the Orix Blue Wave. He played two years for the Japanese club and three for the Hanshin Tigers, averaging almost 32 home runs per season.

Arias described his experiences overseas, which included playing in the Japan Championship Series in 2003, as a 鈥済odsend.鈥�

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 trade it for the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I learned humility.鈥�

Arias and his wife started their family about that time, and his perspective changed. It鈥檚 easy to become self-centered as a baseball player. Arias began to understand and appreciate that life wasn鈥檛 just about him anymore.

鈥淲hen you learn to serve others and put their needs before yours,鈥� he said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 really rewarding.鈥�

That鈥檚 why the prospect of Centerfield not being able to reopen cuts so deep. He views it as a place where kids not only can improve their skills but their lives.

鈥淲e have to have hope. Hope is a must,鈥� Arias said.

鈥淚f I have to shut down Centerfield, something good will come out of it. There鈥檚 always a rainbow in the storm. We鈥檙e going to ride out this storm and see where it takes us. Where鈥檚 that rainbow at?鈥�