Heeeeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeee's Johnny............... (and José)

I was totin' my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road
When along came a semi with a high and canvas covered load
If you're going to Winnemucca, mack, with me you can ride
So I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand
And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land"

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Across the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to Reno, Chicago, Fargo
Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow
Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa
Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama
Mattawa, La Paloma, Bangor
Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo
Tocopilla, Barranquilla and
Padilla, I'm a killer

Yeah?  Well... I started 'my job' in 2009 in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.... I worked

 there a loooooooooooooong time (2 years)...... then, I went to Jamestown, New York.. 

one year, then off to work in Greensboro, North Carolina for 2012... they transferred 

me to Jupiter, Florida... HEY! Another two year stay, YIPPEEEE!.. Ring, Ring, Ring.

. "Hey, ya ever been to the Mardis Gras?"  Nuh uh, "Well, pack your bags you're off to

 NOLA for 2015!"...

Ring, ring...  nuh uh, already? Yep, still 2015..  "Welcome to Miami, party in the City 

where the heat is on all night on the beach until the break of dawn."  And, 'smore in 

MIA in 2016, oops, boss called "We needya back in NOLA for a bit..."  Nice job, now 

here's a plane ticket back to Miami... ahm, let's go back to NOLA for a little bit..... then 

MIA for 5 days, oops, NOLA for 13 days... we'll letya finish the year in Welcome 

(Back) to Miami....

Hey, we've got some Winter work forya near your home in Santiago, the Dominican.  

Then, come back to Miami in 2019... well wait...  they needya back in NOLA...  ring, 

ring..  Ever been to Jacksonville?  Uh huh, you're going...  remember Jupiter?  Just 

for a bit, then it's back to Miami. (Is it still 2019? Uh huh.)

Sorry about your herniated disc.. (June, 2019).. we'll getya the best care available..... 

ring, ring, ring...  December, 2nd, 2020, Say ,can you bring your work uni's in?  

We've decided we don't needya any more.

Whew, found a job in Detroit two days before Christmas, I hope the stores are open Christmas Eve so I can buy goodies for my two kiddos.  Hey, ever been to Toledo?  

It ain't far, here's a map on how to get there.  Have a good three weeks in Toledo?  

We needya back in Detroit. Just follow them arrows on the map we gave you back the 

other way.

Ring, ring.  Uh oh, what?  We don't needya any more, sorry.  I'm off to Wisconsin to 

find work there, eat me some good cheese.  Found work in Milwaukee, yay!  Not so 

fast, first, we'd like ya to go to Albuquerque for a bit. That's easy to spell 'cause ya 

gotta que (then an r) then another que.  Hey, it's warm here, I like it.  BUT WAIT We 

needya back in Milwaukee.  Plane tickets, travel. Work for a bit.  Nevermind, we don't needya any more.  Brr.. .kinda cold here, I hope to find work somewhere warm.

(May, 2022).. Denver?  Sure, I can get to Denver and I've love to work for ya.... Well 

that only lasted 11 months.  Excuse me, can you point me to the unemployment office? 

Hold on, another company wants you in Rochester, New York... Three months later, 

"Hey, we're fresh outta work forya, still got your resume'?

Come to Charlotte, North Carolina.. we've got a job for you there...  If ya do well 

there, we'll promote you to our Chicago 'office'.  One month later, "Come on to the 

Windy City, we needya."  Chicago was ok, but, eh, I think I wanna work elsewhere. 

You guys take care.

January 26, 2024..  Heck yeah, Arlington, Texas.. Warm there baby, sign me up!  Hey, I had a really good year!  But, stir crazy I guess.  Gonna look elsewhere.

Which, brings us to this year for José Ureña, 34 year old Major League Baseball Pitcher from the Dominican Republic.  Would you believe, with all of the above travel... he would STILL tie the Major League record for most franchises played for (THIS YEAR) in singular year? FIVE.  

Uh huh, started in April, at the AAA club of the Mets (Syracuse, NY). then to the Mets for one game (released).. then to Toronto a week later... that lasted 23 days...  Hello LA Dodgers, here I come! Two games in three days, released.  Minnesota picked him up July 2nd of this year (first off to their AAA team in St. Paul for 6 games, then promoted to Minnesota on August 3rd... pitched four games for the Twins..... then the dreaded "DFA" (designated for assignment, ie, you don't work for us any longer)..

Tying the record, the Los Angeles Angels picked him up eleven days ago and at last glance, he's still there:

The day he peered into the Angels clubhouse in effort to find his name on a locker.. he was asked about his path..  "It's not fun, but, at the end of the day, it's business. They can control it (all the DFA's).. They're looking for some player' they want you to put out. But you've got to keep pushing."

Oft times, he's tried to take his wife and to children with him to whatever team/city he's pitching for.  When asked "Have you met your new teammates?" he replied, "It's not easy, but it's not hard either.  The game is still the same, just new people. Every player, the next team they join, they want to be there..they want to be home.  They want to be there until the last day, but, the game sometime doesn't go the way you want."

Mick might say, "Hey, I wrote a song along the same lines!".. Sinatra might sing "That's life."

  

Ya gotta feel for José, his wife, two children. And sure, in spite of so many different W-2's long the way, he's made a nice living for himself, his family.

Still, ya gotta feel for the man.  You go José, and keep on smilin'.

Johnny, José's been darn near everywhere too........

Love, Victurd