4/11/2015: Reno, NV – It was a typically hot August night in Las Juntas, Mexico.  The year was 1989, and twenty-five-year-old Adulio Morales was sweating profusely in a corner booth at the local diner.  Adulio worked his way through an entire pack of Fardos while drinking six cups of black coffee.  His wife Isabella was seated across from him, and she was too nervous to eat or drink.  She would have kept pace with her husband’s cigarette consumption, but she gave up the habit the day she found out about the child growing in her womb.  She desperately wanted to provide the best opportunities for her unborn child, and Adulio – the love of her life – promised to do everything in his power to grant her wish.

The coyote arrived nearly two hours late and felt no need to apologize.  He looked Isabella over in a way that made her want to run away and briskly asked Adulio for the prearranged fee.  Adulio handed over the cash and the Coyote immediately turned towards the door, barely slowing down for the eager couple to catch up after paying their diner tab.

Outside of the diner, the young couple gave their supplies a quick check.  Their trip was going to be difficult, and they were under no illusions that things would go exactly as planned.  The coyote cared only about himself and his fee.  They would follow their “guide” on foot, across the dangerous border crossing known as Smuggler’s Gulch.  The young couple proceeded cautiously. The coyote had a dangerous reputation, but he was the only person they could find with the skill to accomplish their mission of getting into America.

It took nearly six days to get across. As fate would have it, their coyote stole their money and supplies on the third night while they slept.  At times, both Isabella and Adulio thought they wouldn’t make it.  Yet they succeeded and eventually settled down in the Los Angeles area of South Gate, California.

António Morales was born in South Gate on January 22^nd, 1990.  His father must have told him the border crossing story at least a thousand times. António always listened to the tale as if it was the first time he had heard it.  He felt he owed it to his father for all that his parents endured to give António the gift of being born American.  Times were tough growing up as the son of an illegal immigrant, but Antonio knew he was lucky to be in the land of opportunity.

Adulio worked many odd jobs before finally landing steady work in construction.  He made sure to instill a sense of gratitude and commitment to hard work in his only son.  António got his first job at the age of 15.  He worked part time in the South Gate Sanitation Department.  His part-time employment led to his high school teammates giving him his treasured nickname.

António is proud of his nickname, as well as his work collective trash.  “There aren’t many things in our civilization that are more important than picking up the trash,” Morales says.  “If the trash isn’t mastered in your community, you get a buildup of filth and disease, causing all sorts of horrific problems for society.” “Trashmaster” believes that his nickname is a tribute to all the men and women who proudly ride on the back of a garbage truck while working to keep our civilization clean and safe.

António worked hard to help supplement the family income when he wasn’t doing schoolwork. The Morales family never let a day go by without being thankful for the opportunities that they have in America.

António took a liking to the game of baseball when he was just seven years old.  He loved to play stickball with a group of older kids from the neighborhood.  They started off by letting Antonio pitch and eventually gave him an opportunity to play in the outfield, where he the young boy excelled. His speed and instincts were well beyond that of the older kids.  He didn’t get involved in organized baseball until his senior year at South Gate High School.  His coach quickly recognized that all those years playing stickball gave Morales a tremendous edge.  A scout from the Memphis Bells came out to see António several times during his one and only high school season and offered him a full college scholarship.

After four years as a standout performer for the Belles, António was drafted by Reno. He got his first taste of the big leagues last season and seems to be ready to prove that he belongs. It has been quite the journey from that hot and humid August day at the Las Juntas diner to the back of a garbage truck in South Gate, California, and finally landing with the Zephyrs.