TDN Weekend

I don't know if you know it, but there was a lot of racism in the '60s in New York. If you were a Latin American, you were considered a black guy. I had to go to the black bathrooms. I couldn't get served in many restaurants. I could not rent a house unless I was living in a black neighborhood. I don't mind being black because color has nothing to do with the person. We don't live like that in Puerto Rico. I never faced that in my country. I was good friends with Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Clemente. They used to tell me before I came to the United States that they played baseball together but when the game was over the white players would go on one bus and the black players would go on another bus, the white people would stay in a hotel and the black people would stay in another hotel. I thought they were exaggerating. But when I came here it happened to me. We don't have that in my country. We have white people, a little darker people and black people. It doesn't matter. There's no racism, like here in the United States. 7KDWZDVVRPHWKLQJWKDWZDVKDUGWRƬJKW Coming to a country where I didn't speak the language and I didn't have any money. I lived in the projects for two years when I came. But I think it made me stronger and want to be better. It also made me a little bitter, because of all the things I went through, with my color and my country. That made me stronger to become better. Do you follow other sports? What is your favorite? I'm a crazy boxing fan. That's my favorite VSRUW,GRQoWPLVVDƬJKW:KHQHYHUWKHUH LVDJRRGƬJKW,ZDQWWRJRVHHLW,XVHGWR JRVHH0XKDPPDG$OLƬJKWDORW,KDYHD lot friends who were boxers. I only watch baseball during the World Series. I've never been to a football game live. I've never been to a basketball game live. I've never been to the new Yankee Stadium or the new Shea Stadium. What celebrities would you like to meet? Michael Jordan and Jennifer Lopez. What do you do for fun away from racing? You won't believe this; play video games. I have two younger grandchildren and I play with them when they come home until they go to sleep. I play video games with my friends online. What's your favorite food? I like Puerto Rican crab meat, breaded steak and veal, and rice and beans. Every Puerto Rican likes rice and beans. Do you have a bucket list? What is No. 1? There were a couple of things that I wanted to do. One was to meet the President. I did that. I went to the White House and met President Reagan. That

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