Taking First Base: A Memoir of Loss and Rejected Visas
Dan Driessen, here.
You’ve probably been wondering what I’ve been up to. And I get it. Two-time World Series champion with the Cincinnati Reds. Over a thousand hits. Ninety home runs. Vital cog in the Big Red Machine. Not the flashy cog. Not the loud cog. But a cog nonetheless.
So, what have I been doing?
A lot, actually. Gardening. Watching the skies. And, most recently, keeping up with the news—specifically, the announcement that a Venezuelan youth baseball team was denied U.S. travel visas. And I won’t lie, it brought back some things.
People think the phrase “They took our jobs” originated on cable news or somewhere deep in a backwoods smokehouse over a plate of wet grits. But no. It started in Montreal in 1985, when a broad-shouldered Venezuelan named Andrés Galarraga strolled into Olympic Stadium, grinning modestly as he prepared to take my job — and the hearts of Expos fans across Canada.
I was supposed to be the guy. I’d paid my dues, bunted when asked, and played with Pete Rose without complaint. I was Dan Driessen, baby. And finally, after years of making the best of being the backup, I had my shot at the Expos' starting first base job.
And then came El Gran Gato.
That’s what they called him. The Big Cat. Hands like a god. Smile like a diplomat. Accent like music. You know what they called me?
Trade bait… El Expendico.
I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it. I’m just saying: I hit .300 in 1977. That should’ve earned me a plaque—not in Cooperstown, mind you, but maybe at a Skyline Chili somewhere.
People tell me to let it go. “Dan, it’s been forty years.”And I say: Have you ever been replaced by someone who smiles more, hits better, and beat cancer–TWICE? It stays with you.
And yeah, those 13 to 16-year-old Venezuelans are cute now, but any one of them could grow up to be the next Galarraga.
So, hasta la vista, my Venezuelan amigos. And God bless America. And first basemen who can swipe thirty bags in a season.
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PRINTING JUST THE FACTS
- Venezuela’s Cacique Mara Little League team, which earned a spot in the Senior Baseball World Series, was denied entry to the U.S. after players couldn’t secure visas, reportedly due to Trump-era travel restrictions on Venezuelan nationals.
- Venezuela is one of several countries under partial U.S. entry bans enacted by the Trump administration, which cited national security concerns. A dozen other countries face full bans, and critics say these policies unfairly affect youth events.
- The team had traveled to the U.S. embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, to obtain visas. Little League International called the outcome “extremely disappointing” and confirmed Venezuela would be replaced by Mexico’s runner-up team.
- A senior State Department official said the case is under review to ensure proper procedures were followed, but the decision stands. Little League cited fairness and tournament continuity in advancing the Mexican team.
- Venezuelan officials and parents called the decision unjust and emotionally harmful to the children. “It is a mockery,” the team said, accusing the U.S. and Little League of crushing their dreams through bureaucratic barriers.
- Dan Dreissan, who’s unrelated to this story other than for comedic purposes, was kept off of first base on multiple occasions due to bigger stars. In 1985, he was traded from the Expos, with his position eventually taken by Andrés Galarraga.
Sources: The Hill, CNN, Fox Sports, Baseball Hall of Fame, and RetroSimba.
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