José Altuve, inspiration from the success with Astros

One of the many names that has gained relevance in the present World Series is the Venezuelan Jose Altuve. The batsman of the Astros He has returned to his best form at a time when it is most needed and both his current performance and his career is something that inspires other players not only from Venezuela, but also from all over Latin America.

“The figure of Altuve in Venezuela is very important, especially because when he reaches the Major Leagues he breaks a stereotype of the baseball player due to his short stature. Normally, prospects like José who were looking to close a contract were discarded and he broke that mold and became a role model for those who seek to follow their dream (in baseball) (…) He has maintained a consistency in his batting, he is a player with 200 hits who knows how to hit the ball, everything that José Altuve emanates serves as an example for those future generations of Venezuelan baseball players”. commented Víctor Boccone, head of information for the daily Leader in Sports of Venezuela for The Economist.

Houston is one of the most consistent teams in recent years in the MLB and one of its characteristics is the constant renewal of its template. The 1.65-meter-tall player born in Maracay has made several moves in the franchise, since he joined it in 2006 as an undrafted free agent and in 2011 he made his debut in Big leaguesthat is, he has more than a decade on the main roster.

The acknowledgments endorse his stay in the Astros: three-time AL batting leader (2014, 2016, and 2017), two-time AL stolen base leader (2014 and 2015), five Silver Sluggers for best second baseman (2014-2018), Glove Gold (2015), two-time MLB Player of the Year (2016 and 2017), Six All-Star team appearances (2012 and 2014-2018) and American League MVP (2017) . The player is already the Latin American with the most hits in the history of the World Series (26) after surpassing the 25 made by Puerto Rican Bernie Williams and in this Fall Classic he aims to reach 100 hits in the playoffs, something that only four players have achieved in the history of the MLB.

As if this were not enough, in this Fall Classic he aims to exceed 100 hits in the playoffs, a mark that only five batters in the MLB can boast. His present places the player as one of the best in the history of his country and as one of the great Venezuelan athletes today.

“(Altuve) easily enters the Top 5 of the athletes (Venezuelans at present), we are talking about a leading player in hits since his debut in the Major Leagues, he has also been the emblem of a winning team in the MLB. Among the Venezuelan baseball players in history, easy in the Top 10 along with Miguel Cabrera, Luis Aparicio and Omar Vizquel”, assured Victor.

Altuvemodel to follow for Venezuelans with lack of conditions in their development

Baseball is the most popular sport in Venezuela, the second country with the most talent in the Major Leagues. In addition to this, the South American country has the ninth best team in the world according to the ranking of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). However, the development of its players within the country is not adequate due to some factors, despite the fact that Altuve It has marked a generational gap of baseball players, according to Boccone.

“There is still a lack (improve conditions). For sure, the socioeconomic issue in Venezuela is a bit critical and the issue of security for those academies and the boys who are training in the baseball fields is what needs support. The problems of the country have truncated that evolution for the players, however the number of Venezuelans who continue to go to the United States has not been paralyzed. he concluded she.

Lastly, the specialist assured that, by not having the ideal infrastructure in Venezuela, one of the development paths for its players is to go to the Dominican Republic where there are academies of the MLB and thus give the jump to the Big leagues.

yoshua.navarro@eleconomista.mx