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Former MLB player and Arizona Diamondback Miguel Batista, who was on the 2001 World Series team, is in Tucson on behalf of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association.

Batista’s role is to “make sure the practices are right, enforce the rules, which isn’t the pretty part, but it’s part of the job,� he said.

Batista, a former journeyman pitcher, had two stints with the Diamondbacks from 2001-03 and then another season in 2006.

The last time Batista was in Tucson for a baseball game, he was preparing for spring training as a player and Kino Stadium was named Tucson Electric Park.

The most memorable moment for him in Tucson?

“Randy Johnson killing a bird,� Batista joked. “That was about the only thing I saw here. I was here when it happened and it was weird.�

Johnson, the Hall of Fame pitcher and legendary Diamondback, threw a fastball that collided with a mourning dove (ironically) in a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants in 2001. That one-in-a-million moment became a part of Johnson’s legacy and illustrious career. The logo of Johnson’s is an upside-down bird with a few feathers missing.

“We were all chatting away and then all of a sudden we just look and there’s a bunch of feathers in the air,� Batista said. “We were all like, ‘What the?’ It was just one of those strange things that happened in baseball.�

Batista carries pride and honor in his return to Tucson, because he knows firsthand what it’s like to represent a country in the World Baseball Classic. Batista played for the Dominican Republic in 2006.

“I got goosebumps. … I played with seven Hall of Famers (in my MLB career), but I never felt what I felt that day when I saw all of those guys take the field,� Batista said. “I said, ‘Oh my God, this is incredible.’ This is a great event.�

Batista said the World Baseball Classic “is the greatest thing to ever happen to baseball.�

“I believe this is greatest thing you can do,� Batista added. “It’s like a soldier going to defend his flag. It’s all you can do for yourself. When you’re out there and you’re representing your country against the best of other countries, it’s hard to explain the level of adrenaline you feel.

“It’s an incredible feeling when you know you’re competing against the best from other countries.�

Sights and sounds

Leading up to the WBC opener on Sunday, China was the first to take the field for warmups on game day. China had a different style when it came to batting-practice music. The team briefly listened to meditative music reminiscent of something you would hear at a relaxing yoga retreat.

By 10 a.m., an hour before first pitch, traffic was at a near-standstill along Ajo Way in front of the complex as excited baseball fans begin pouring into the stadium.

Only 20 minutes later, Team Germany supporters made themselves known in the stands as a couple of fans draped themselves in German flags.

After player introductions, both teams’ national anthems played overhead. The short anthems (both a little over a minute each) earned applause from the crowd.

The opening game officially began at 11:08 a.m. with a temperature of 67 degrees — perfect weather for baseball — and nearly 2,000 fans in attendance.

There was rarely a quiet moment during the game.

German fans (and players) erupted in cheers as their team dominated the scoreboard inning after inning. Germany ended up winning the first WBC qualifier game, 12-2.

Amid game action, jets from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base soared by in preparation for the upcoming Thunder And Lightning Over Arizona later this month.

Despite no walk-up songs, the stadium played reggaeton music in-between innings to keep the momentum going.

The WBC also brought along event-exclusive merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies and hats with the WBC and team logos. Prices start at $40 for merch.

Plus, the Classic created candy bags filled with candies from the team’s home countries.

The concession areas at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium had “WBC Candy Tour� packs with sweet treats affiliated with the four countries competing. The bag included Haribo Gummy Bears (Germany), milk-based “White Rabbit Creamy Candy� (China), Brazilian Coffee taffy (Brazil) and “Choco Break� (Colombia).

Get there early

Traffic was challenging on the first day of the WBC qualifier.

As Julio Teheran threw the first pitch in the night game for Colombia against Brazil on Sunday, fans were still making their way to the parking lot. A stream of cars could be seen crawling along Ajo Way and Forgeus Avenue. That continued through the first inning.

If you’re planning to come out Tuesday, one possible alternative is to park on the north side of Ajo and take the pedestrian bridge to Kino Stadium. The smartest move is to get to Kino as early as possible.

Kind of a drag

Thirteen-year MLB veteran Teheran started for Colombia on Sunday night, and he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. The no-hitter ended with one out when Brazil’s Vitor Ito reached on a well-placed drag bunt toward first base.

Teheran had no issue with Brazil vying to stop the no-hitter via a bunt. The score was 2-0 at the time.

“I knew it was one of the fastest guys that they have,� Teheran said. “It surprised me; I was expecting for them to swing the bat. But that’s the game, and I respect that. What it was about was to win the game, and I was just focusing on doing my part.�

Teheran got out of the inning unscathed and ended his outing with a pickoff. He faced the minimum 18 batters in six innings. Colombia won 5-0.

More faces

Several stars are in town for the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in Tucson, including a pair of tennis stars in Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, who have combined for 30 grand slams.

Their son, Jaden Agassi, is a right-handed pitcher for Germany. Although Agassi was born and raised in Las Vegas, he’s playing for Germany, Graf’s home country.

Two-time World Series champion and 12-time MLB All-Star Manny Ramirez, who famously played for the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, watched his son, Lucas, play for Brazil.

Numbers game

12: Years since an MLB-sanctioned game was played in Tucson. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs played a one-off spring training game at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium to honor Christina Taylor-Green, a victim in the mass shooting at a Tucson grocery store in 2011. The Tucson Padres’ last season in the Old Pueblo was in 2013.

3,000: Miles between Tucson and Bogota, Colombia.

5,324: Miles between Tucson and Brasília, Brazil.

5,687: Miles between Tucson and Berlin, Germany.

6,599: Miles between Tucson and Beijing, China.

366: Feet of Germany first baseman Donald Lutz’s home run in the seventh inning of Germany’s 12-2 win over China in the opener on Sunday.

He said it

“Anywhere players are wanted, they should go. The fans are the ones who pay the guys’ salaries and they are the people they play for. We have really grateful fans in Tucson for the longest time. … It’s good for baseball and good for the fans. If the fans requested it, they should do it.� — Batista, on the idea of MLB holding a few future spring training games in Tucson.