And, oh, did he ever make the most of it, hitting a home run in his major-league debut, and not stopping, batting .324 with 13 homers in just 56 games.
While it would have been easy for Meneses to stay in the Nationals camp this spring, assuring that he would be their everyday first baseman, he never forgot his roots. He knows how important the WBC is to Mexico, and to Gil, the man who always encouraged him.
“I always dreamed with playing with Mexico,’’ said Meneses, a native of Culiacan, Mexico. “I always dreamed of playing in the Classic. So I’m very grateful to the Nationals. When I asked them about this, to have permission to play in the tournament, they said I should come and enjoy the tournament, and it was something very beautiful and I would have with me.’’
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