You always hear about players being larger-than-life heroes in their home countries, and I’m never sure what to make of the extent of the hyperbole involved. This article would seem to take the cake for “hey, that can’t be true, can it?”:
Mets outfielder Endy Chavez is a rock star en Español.
In his home country of Venezuela, he is a hero. Fathers want their sons to grow up to be like him, and mothers want their daughters to date him.
Seriously.
He’s 28 but looks 10 years younger, and he’s mobbed everywhere he goes by fans of all ages. He has less than six years in the big leagues, but at times it feels as if he has been around forever. Not only is he known in the metropolises of Caracas and Valencia as one of the nicest guys around, he’s also recognized as one of South America’s top players.
Endy Chavez??? Granted, this does explain some of this:
It also helps that he plays for the Magallanes Navegantes, arguably the most popular team in the Venezuelan Winter Leagues. What is the other most popular team? The Caracas Leones. The matchups between Magallanes and the Leones rival the Red Sox-Yankees series in intensity, press coverage and of course, fan participation.
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Chavez . . . played for Venezuela in the 2006 Caribbean Series and for the country’s team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. He hit a home run against Puerto Rico in the second round of the World Baseball Classic, re-establishing himself as a star in Latin America, sending the Venezuelan fans in attendance into a frenzy and creating a life-long memory along the way.
When I think of Endy Chavez, I think of a player who is both fast and smart. He seems to stay within himself, does the job, and does it well. He is a good baserunner and has a good arm, which he knows what to do with. When you have sound fundamentals and speed, it adds up to a good ballplayer. Good thing we have him. Didn’t knwo he was so famous back home, but good for him.
I agree. I think he’s brought a lot to the table, especially in the field. What’s he have, eight assists?
I wish he’d walk more, though.