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The Atlanta Braves and Baseball in Venezuela – a Country in Turmoil

By Alan Carpenter

Apr 25, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Omar Infante (14) walks to the dugout after a ground out in the ninth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Angels won 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 25, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Omar Infante (14) walks to the dugout after a ground out in the ninth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Angels won 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 24, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Florida Marlins former player Andres Galarraga smiles before throwing out the ceremonial pitch before a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Florida Marlins former player Andres Galarraga smiles before throwing out the ceremonial pitch before a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

The Venezuelan Baseball Legacy

It doesn’t take long to recognize just how many players from Venezuela have been American major league stars.  You can start with the Venezuelan team that competed in the most recent World Baseball Classic (2013):

…and that’s barely half their roster.

I could certainly add several more names with Braves’ connections:  Andres Galarraga, Williams Perez, Luis Avilan, Gregor Blanco, and Eddie Perez (now a US citizen) to name a few.

Baseball-reference.com lists 355 position players and 154 pitchers from the country – since 1939!  Clearly, baseball is a big part of their heritage.

Other Sports

So far, the overt impact to sports has been barely noticeable.  Venezuelan athletes participated in the Rio Olympics without an obvious hitch.

At least that’s what the world might have thought without digging any deeper.

Note this in a Sports Illustrated discussion of the country’s Rio basketball squad:

"Prior to coming to Rio I’d known that Venezuela’s been mired in political turmoil since the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013, but not until talking to people at the Olympics did I realize how bad it’s gotten. The drop in oil prices, coupled with an ineffective and oppressive socialist government, has left the country increasingly helpless. Infrastructure is crumbling. While the rest the world has wondered whether Rio can host, Venezuela is struggling to eat."

Some athletes noted that sport is something of a respite to themselves and the population at large from their day-to-day struggles to find food.

Impact to Baseball?

Adonis Garcia is Cuban, but he and others regularly play in the Venzuelan Winter League (Perez has often managed there as well), which normally starts play in November.  One has to wonder if that’s in danger this year.

Then there’s the stars of tomorrow to consider.

There are three other names you might also be familiar with:  Kevin Maitan, Abrahan Gutierrez, and Livan Soto.  All three are among the top 16-year-olds signed by Atlanta this Summer as part of the J2 International market.

There were others, too:  Antonio Sucre, Franger Carollo, and Adrian Adrianza.  All signed by Atlanta from Venezuela.

The reports at the time made nary a mention of the deteriorating conditions, but getting these kids couldn’t have been easy – nor couldn’t have come soon enough.

Next: Risk Taking

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