VENEZUELA WINS CARIBBEAN WORLD SERIES, TWO COUNTRYMEN TAKE CENTER STAGE 2024!
BY ISMAEL NUNEZ
`Wow Venezuela did the impossible and possible this past week of Feb 1 to Feb 8th. At the Caribbean World Series, taking first place in Miami, Florida, team Venezuela made history. Since the creation of the series 75 years ago, only one pitcher, Tommy Fine for Cuba on Feb. 21, 1952 vs. Venezuela pitched a no hitter. This past February 7th team Venezuela posted a no hitter victory, and it was almost perfect. The only opposing hitter that got on base was only through a walk. That’s exactly what team Venezuela did on the championship game. With good pitching, and defense the Tiburones de la Guaira (Venezuela) captured their first ever title in the tournament of winter league champions, with a 3-0 win over the Tigres del Licey (Dominican Republic).
For Venezuela’s it’s their eighth-ever Caribbean Series crown. Ozzie Guillén joins Tom Lasorda as the only managers to win a World Series and a Caribbean Series. Hmm, will Guillen ever come back to manage a team in MLB?
Meanwhile two fellow country men, Jose Altuve (Venezuela) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr (Canada), have made headlines. Altuve on February 6, 2024, signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with the Astros that would keep him in Houston through the 2029 season. People should stop picking on him calling him a cheater. He has 2,047 career hits, has a career batting average .307. Altuve is the David, to other players’ Goliath, of MLB. With the way he’s going the Hall of Fame is awaiting.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a free agent after the 2025 season. The Toronto Blue Jays should/must/do all they can to keep their star first baseman. In a report by newspaper “theglobeandmail.com it was reported that “Guerrero won a record US$19.9-million in salary arbitration when a three-person panel picked his request rather than the Toronto Blue Jays’ US$18.05-million offer.”
Guerrero has one goal, “Stay healthy through the season making sure I go painless, so I can give 100% to help my teammates.” Guerrero, who’s father is Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr, played for the Montreal Expos. Going into the 2024 season he has a .279 average with 130 homers and 404 RBIs in five seasons with the Blue Jays. Let’s wish him well and that he’ll do just as well as his father did in Montreal.
