When he returns home from the stadium, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis often gets into bed and watches reruns of “Friends.” Even though Galvis, 27, is from Venezuela and grasped English late in life, he is so addicted to the sitcom that he has watched every episode of the 10-season run at least five times — and counting — to the exasperation of his wife.

“It’ll be the same episodes I’ve seen already,” he said, “and my wife is like, ‘Yet again?’”

Yankees pitcher Luis Severino, 23, who is from the Dominican Republic, can relate. So can Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta, 30, who is Venezuelan, and Miguel Gonzalez, 33, the Texas Rangers pitcher who was born in Mexico, as well as other Latino players throughout Major League Baseball.

For at least one generation of Americans, “Friends” endures as a cultural touchstone, a glowing chunk of 1990s amber. But its runaway popularity stretched far beyond the United States, and for some Latino baseball players it is something more: a language guide, a Rosetta Stone disguised as six 20-somethings commingling in a Manhattan apartment.