Long way home: Panamanian catcher is catalyst for Pioneer League-leading PaddleHeads
The wisdom in Luis Navarro's words transcends baseball.
The wisdom in Luis Navarro's words transcends baseball.
It's been a long and arduous journey for the Panama native, who has taken the long way to a leadership role as the Missoula PaddleHeads' 28-year-old catcher. His love of baseball is his beacon, guiding him through some trying times when the only thing holding him back was the English language.
"God has a plan for you — doesn't matter the age you are, God has a plan," said Navarro, one of the most consistent hitters on Missoula's roster. "Everybody has different stories how they make it. I always say don't ever give up.
"Doesn't matter the age you are. Give it all you can. You never know when you're going to die. Enjoy all you can, baseball and life and whatever you do."
Navarro came to the United States at age 20 and quickly proved in tryouts he was good enough to play for a college team. But being good wasn't enough. He had to learn English taking classes in his home country, where the only place they were speaking English around him was in a classroom.
It was tough, but he never gave up. He went four years without playing organized baseball before he finally landed a spot on a junior college team in New Mexico at age 22.
"The opportunity is so different here, so much more for baseball and life," Navarro marveled. "If you work hard and you're trying to get to the next level, here is the place to do it."
Luis was 26 when he finished up as a well-decorated player at NCAA Division II Lubbock Christian. From there he landed on two Pioneer League teams — first the Rocky Mountain Vibes in 2022 and then the Billings Mustangs at the start of this season.
"Luis brought this new energy to the team. He's upbeat. He's funny. Guys love him. He's not afraid to speak his mind. He has leadership qualities and he's going to be an incredible baseball guy in some way for his entire life. We're just glad to have him here."
Navarro has one of the best batting averages (.354) on a team with the best record (48-18). He has played in 34 games this season and committed just four errors.
Schlact loves to watch him hit.
"Just his approach, the way he walks up and the plan he has," the third-year skipper said. "He's really cerebral. He's prepared and knows the pitcher and has an idea of how he is going to attack him. So it's fun to watch."
It undoubtedly helps Navarro at the plate that he knows how pitchers and game-calling catchers think.
"It's why a lot of people feel catchers make the best managers," Schlact said. "For so long he's been calling pitches and understanding scenarios."
Navarro's plan is to stay in baseball as long as he can, whether it be as a player or coach. Before he hangs up the catcher's mitt for good, there's a piece of jewelry he's intent on earning.
"Before this year ends, I want to have a ring," he said of winning a Pioneer League championship. "I've never won a ring and being on a team that wins a lot of games, it's fun.
"Everybody that comes here knows they need to play to win. That's a good thing. The key is to fight together. I played on so many teams before and this team is so different for me. You see different things on other teams like selfish players. This team is not like that. If we play together and enjoy the game, we can get the ring."
Navarro, who was a college teammate of PaddleHeads slugger Keaton Greenwalt and has a cousin that played in the Blue Jays organization, is pretty sure what he'll be doing when his playing days end.
"I will die with baseball," he said. "After I finish playing I will be a coach, anything with baseball. I had so many coaches in Panama that helped me with the game and I want to give back.
"I can change lives the way they changed mine."
On Sunday the PaddleHeads dropped a 16-2 decision to the Mustangs in the rubber game of a three-game series. Missoula's lead in the North Division second-half standings dwindled to 2 1/2 games.
The PaddleHeads used six pitchers. Dawson Day (0-3) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on four hits with four walks. He was pulled with one out in the second inning.
Billings finished with 14 hits to six for the hosts. Left fielder Cam Thompson hit a home run and came on to pitch the ninth for Missoula. Dondrei Hubbard and Thomas DeBonville each had two singles for the hosts.
On Saturday night the PaddleHeads rallied for a 6-2 home win over the Mustangs. Missoula trailed by a run in the bottom of the seventh when McClain O'Connor and Jake Guenther both belted two-run home runs.
Former Iowa Hawkeye Connor Schultz picked up the win. He allowed just one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts in six complete innings. Mark Timmins, Cody Thompson and Zach Penrod each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Missoula finished with nine hits to six for Billings. Guenther led the hosts with two hits and three RBIs and Hubbard collected two singles.
On Friday night the PaddleHeads piled up nine hits but struggled to plate runs in a 6-1 home loss to Billings.
Zootown's pro baseball team saw a five-game win streak come to an end in front of 2,087 fans. Missoula's only tally came on a Trevor Candelaria home run in the third inning.
Missoula used five pitchers Friday. Starter Izzy Fuentes lasted five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. Mark Timmins and Liu Fuenmayor each allowed a run in relief before Cody Thompson and Cal Carver shut down the Mustangs (8-8, 27-37) in the final two frames.
Patrick Chung, Austin Bernard and DeBonville each collected two hits for the hosts. Billings collected 10 hits, once of which was solo home run by Connor Denning.
The PaddleHeads, who are trying to become the first team in league history to win six halves in a row, will host the Mustangs (28-38) again on Tuesday through Thursday.
He was released from the Mustangs because of a hand injury. That might have been a blessing in disguise because now he's a catalyst for the Pioneer League's winningest team. A well-rounded ballplayer that can give the opposition fits with his bat, glove and arm.
"When you find that catcher that can do all of it — defensively good, good arm, good game caller, can hit, good in the clubhouse, a leader — it's a needle in a haystack really," PaddleHeads manager Michael Schlact said.