Alfonso Carrasquel Colón, better known as Chico Carrasquel (January 23, 1926 – May 26, 2005), was a Venezuelan professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

player,

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

, scout and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) as a

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

from 1950 to 1959, most prominently as a member of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

where he became the first

Latin American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...

in MLB history to start in an

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

in . A four-time All-Star known for his exceptional defensive skills, Carrasquel was the first in a long line of Major League shortstops from Venezuela including,

Luis Aparicio Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...

Dave Concepción David Ismael Concepción Benitez (born June 17, 1948) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National Lea ...

Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...

and

Omar Vizquel Omar Enrique Vizquel González (; born April 24, 1967), nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball shortstop. During his 24-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Vizquel played for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indi ...

among others. He also played for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

Kansas City Athletics The history of the Athletics Major League Baseball franchise spans the period from 1901 to the present day, having begun as a charter member franchise in the new American League in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1955 for 13 sea ...

and the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

. After his playing career, Carrasquel worked as a manager in the Venezuelan Winter League and also worked as a major league scout. He later worked as a

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main ( play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and ...

on the White Sox'

Spanish language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in th ...

game broadcasts and, as the team's Community Relations Representative. In , he was selected in the inaugural class of the

Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum The Salón de la Fama y Museo del Béisbol Venezolano (in English, the ''Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum'') is a nonprofit institution operated by private interests, which was founded on April 18, 2002, thanks to the vision of Carlos ...

Playing career

Born in Caracas, Carrasquel began his

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

career in at the age of 17 with the Cervecería Caracas team, where he hit the first

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

history. He was signed in by the Brooklyn Dodgers, and was immediately promoted to the Double-A

Fort Worth Cats The Fort Worth Cats was a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats were a member of the South Division of the now disbanded United League Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Basebal ...

. Carrasquel provided good fielding and hit .315 during the season and .364 in the playoffs to help spur the Cats to the 1949

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

championship. His inability to speak English fluently may have caused Dodgers

General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

Branch Rickey to sell him to the Chicago White Sox although, Rickey later admitted that the move was a mistake. White Sox' General Manager

Frank Lane Frank Charles Meyers LaneCorbett, Warren: ''Frank Lane,''

...

solved the language communication problem by trading Carrasquel's uncle Alex for

reliever In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather ...

Witto Aloma, who served as the interpreter between Carrasquel and White Sox'

Jack Onslow John James Onslow (October 13, 1888 – December 22, 1960) was an American player, manager (baseball), manager, coach (baseball), coach and scout (sports), scout in Major League Baseball. A catcher during his playing days, he spent a dozen years i ...

. Carrasquel joined the White Sox in

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...

, becoming the third Venezuelan to play in Major League Baseball after his uncle, Alex Carrasquel ( Washington Senators, 1939) and Chucho Ramos ( Cincinnati Reds, in

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

). He became the White Sox's starting shortstop, replacing the 41-year-old

Luke Appling Lucius Benjamin "Luke" Appling (April 2, 1907 – January 3, 1991), nicknamed "Old Aches and Pains" was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago White Sox (1930–1950). He was elected to the Base ...

, who had held the position since

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

. Carrasquel soon established himself as an excellent defensive player, combining with second baseman

Nellie Fox Jacob Nelson “Nellie” Fox (December 25, 1927 – December 1, 1975) was an American professional baseball player. Fox was one of the best second basemen of all time, and the third-most difficult hitter to strike out in Major League Baseball (M ...

to make one of the best double play combinations in the league. His cheerful disposition and apparent love for playing baseball, made him extremely popular with Chicago fans. As a

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

, Carrasquel hit for a career-high .282

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

in 141 games and, amassed a 24-game

hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 pla ...

until

Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

pitcher

Ellis Kinder Ellis is a surname of Welsh and English origin. Retrieved 21 January 2014 An independent French origin of the surname is said to derive from the phrase fleur-de-lis. Surname A * Abe Ellis (Stargate), a fictional character in the TV series '' ...

stopped the streak. In September, he suffered a torn cartilage in his right knee and had to sit out the remainder of the season. Carrasquel finished the season ranked third in voting for the American League

Rookie of the Year Award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

, behind

Walt Dropo Walt is a masculine given name, generally a short form of Walter, and occasionally a surname. Notable people with the name include: People Given name * Walt Arfons (1916-2013), American drag racer and competition land speed record racer * Walt B ...

and

Whitey Ford Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...

, and finished 12th in the American League

Most Valuable Player Award In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

ballot. In , Carrasquel beat out the reigning

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

Most Valuable Player,

Phil Rizzuto Philip Francis Rizzuto (September 25, 1917 – August 13, 2007), nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career with the New York Yankees (1941–1956), and was elected to th ...

, in voting for the shortstop of the American League in the 1951 All-Star Game. He became the first Latin American player to be selected to start in an

. On July 19,

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

, Carrasquel broke Rizzuto's Major League record by handling 297 consecutive chances in 53 games without committing an

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

. The record would stand for 18 years until , when

Don Kessinger Donald Eulon Kessinger (born July 17, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from to , most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where, he was a six-time Al ...

of the Chicago Cubs set a new record by playing in 54 games without committing an error. He ended the year leading the league's shortstops in assists and in fielding percentage. In November 1951, it was reported that Boston Red Sox manager, Lou Boudreau, wanted to trade

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1 ...

for Carrasquel but Lane refused the offer. Carrasquel had an off year in

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

as a broken finger and then weight problems saw his batting average drop to .248 in 100 games. After the 1952 season, trade rumors reportedly had the Cleveland Indians offering the American League's runs batted in champion,

Al Rosen Albert Leonard Rosen (February 29, 1924 – March 13, 2015), nicknamed "Flip" and "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American baseball third baseman and right-handed slugger for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball for ten seasons in the 194 ...

, in exchange for Carrasquel but, the trade never transpired. In

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yug ...

, Carrasquel was once again voted as the starting shortstop for the American League in the 1953 All-Star Game and ended the season first among the league's shortstops in fielding percentage. During spring training in 1954, it was reported that White Sox manager Paul Richards was not pleased with Carrasquel's lack of effort on the field. It was a charge that would continue to pursue Carrasquel for the remainder of his tenure with the White Sox. Carrasquel responded with his most productive season in , when he was voted to make his third start as the American League shortstop in the 1954 All-Star Game and, posted career-highs in

s (12), RBI (62), hits (158), runs (106),

extra-base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...

s (43), walks (85). Batting as the White Sox

leadoff hitter In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. It can also refer to any batter who bats first in any inning. Strategy Traditionally, the leadoff hitter has been utilized as a contact-oriented position. The leadoff hit ...

, he led the league in games played and in

plate appearances In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...

while hitting for a .255 batting average. Defensively, he led the league's shortstops in double plays and in fielding percentage. In July 1955, new White Sox manager,

Marty Marion Martin Whiteford "Mr. Shortstop" Marion (December 1, 1917 – March 15, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. Marion played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Browns between 1940–1953. He was a defensive ...

, replaced Carrasquel in favor of shortstop

Jim Brideweser James Ehrenfeld Brideweser (February 13, 1927 – August 25, 1989) was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1951 to 1957 for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. He was tall b ...

, citing Carrasquel's lackadaisical efforts and indifferent attitude towards playing. There was some speculation among major league managers that, playing in the

Venezuelan Winter League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

during the off-season might be wearing him down. Between spring training, the regular major league season, and then a season of winter baseball in Venezuela, Carrasquel was playing in more than 200 games a year. Despite this setback, Carrasquel was still selected to his fourth All-Star game, this time as a reserve behind

Harvey Kuenn Harvey Edward Kuenn (; December 4, 1930 – February 28, 1988) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers (1952–1959), Clev ...

. He still showed flashes of his former self as in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on August 23 when, he scored from first base on a bunt. Nellie Fox hit a bunt down the third base line and, when Orioles third baseman,

Gus Triandos Gus Triandos (July 30, 1930 – March 28, 2013) was a Greek American professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and the Detroit Tigers o ...

, left his base to field the ball, Carrasquel rounded second base and continued to third, where he was called safe on a close play. When the Orioles argued with the umpire without calling a time out, Carrasquel dashed to

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

without drawing a throw. Although his dedication was being called into question by Marion and the sporting press, Carrasquel still finished among the league leaders in assists, putouts and in fielding percentage. Carrasquel had been instrumental in helping the White Sox sign another young, Venezuelan shortstop named

, who went on to become a perennial All-Star player and was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame. By , Aparicio was deemed ready to play in the major leagues and, with Marion dissatisfied with Carrasquel's level of play, he was traded along with

Jim Busby James Franklin Busby (January 8, 1927 – July 8, 1996) was an American center fielder and coach in Major League Baseball who played with the Chicago White Sox (1950–52, 1955), Washington Senators (1952–55), Cleveland Indians (1956–57), Ba ...

to the

for

Larry Doby Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier and the first black pl ...

in October of that year. After two and a half seasons with the Indians, Carrasquel was traded to the

for Billy Hunter in June

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

. He played half a season for the Athletics before they traded him to the

for Dick Williams in October 1958. On May 10,

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

, Carrasquel was hit above his left eye by a thrown baseball as he was running the base paths and had to be carried off the field. During a physical examination in September, it was discovered that Carrasquel only had fifty percent of his vision in his left eye, perhaps stemming from the May incident. He ended the year with a career-low .223 batting average and in December the Orioles released him. He became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

and signed a contract to play for the Chicago White Sox in January

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

but was released at the beginning of the season. Carrasquel then signed with the

Montreal Royals The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team in Montreal, Quebec, during 1897–1917 and 1928–1960. A member of the International League, the Royals were the top farm club (Class AAA) of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939; p ...

of the International League in April but was released after hitting for a .206 average in 35 games.

Career statistics

In a ten-year major league career, Carrasquel played in 1,325 games, accumulating 1,199 hits in 4,644

at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

for a .258 career batting average along with 55 home runs, 474 runs batted in and a .333 on-base percentage. He was a disciplined hitter, posting a solid 1.052

walk-to-strikeout ratio In baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio (BB/K) is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from ...

(491-to-467). A four-time All-Star, Carrasquel led the American League three times in fielding percentage, once in assists and finished his career with a .969 fielding percentage. Carrasquel had 5 hits and scored 5 runs in a game against the Kansas City Athletics on April 23, 1955. He also had two other games in which he had 5 hits. Carrasquel had a career-high 7 runs batted in during a game against the Athletics on April 26,

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...

Managing career and later life

Carrasquel returned to his native Venezuela where continued to play in the Venezuelan Winter League until when, he retired as an active player at the age of 41. He later became the

of the

Leones del Caracas The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...

, leading them to the 1982 Caribbean Series championship title. Carrasquel also spent time as a scout for the Kansas City Royals and the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

. He later worked as a

on the White Sox'

broadcasts from to and, as the team's Community Relations Representative until . In , Carrasquel helped start a nonprofit foundation to help underprivileged children in Venezuela and the United States. The Chico Carrasquel Foundation transports barrio youngsters to YMCA centers, museums, baseball games, and historical places throughout Venezuela.

Honors

In , the

honored Carrasquel by renaming the Puerto la Cruz baseball stadium as the

Estadio Alfonso Chico Carrasquel Estadio Alfonso Chico Carrasquel is a baseball stadium based in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, which serves as home for the Caribes de Anzoátegui of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. At , the plot is only just big enough to house the st ...

. The VPBL also honors annually the best manager in the league with the Chico Carrasquel Award. In , Carrasquel was selected in the inaugural class of the

. On the occasion of Ozzie Guillén's first home game as White Sox manager in the season, Carrasquel joined Guillén and fellow Venezuelans

and

in throwing out the first ball at the home opener. Carrasquel called it his proudest moment.

Legacy

As the first Venezuelan to become a star player in Major League Baseball, Carrasquel became a national idol and was an influential figure in his native country. His accomplishments as a player influenced the aspirations of future Latin players including Aparicio and, helped pave the way for their baseball careers. Carrasquel's influence in Venezuela may have extended into the

geopolitical Geopolitics (from Greek γῆ ''gê'' "earth, land" and πολιτική ''politikḗ'' "politics") is the study of the effects of Earth's geography (human and physical) on politics and international relations. While geopolitics usually refers to ...

arena as well. At a time during the cold war when communists threatened to destabilize the country, Walter Donnelly, the United States Ambassador to Venezuela, arranged for members of the Carrasquel family, Venezuelan sportswriters and ballplayers to come to

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...

for an International Day honoring Carrasquel in July . Donnelly told Collier's magazine that'' he honestly believed the event was a setback for communist propagandists in Venezuela. Under no circumstances could a similar trip have been made to Russia or any of the satellite countries.'' Carrasquel's uncle, Alex Carrasquel, and his nephew Cris Colón, also played in Major League Baseball. Carrasquel died of cardiac/respiratory arrest in Caracas, Venezuela on May 26, at the age of 77.

Sources

External links

The Chico Carrasquel FoundationBaseball AlmanacChico Carrasquel
Baseballbiography.com
The Baseball Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrasquel, Chico 1926 births 2005 deaths American League All-Stars Baltimore Orioles players Caribbean Series managers Cervecería Caracas players Chicago White Sox announcers Chicago White Sox players Cleveland Indians players Estrellas Orientales (VPBL) players Fort Worth Cats players Indios de Oriente players Kansas City Athletics players Kansas City Royals scouts Leones del Caracas players Licoreros de Pampero players Major League Baseball broadcasters Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Major League Baseball shortstops Minor league baseball managers Montreal Royals players Navegantes del Magallanes players New York Mets scouts Baseball players from Caracas Tigres de Aragua players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States