Dodgers catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. made his MLB debut with a heavy heart. He learned of the passing of his stepmother and sister in the Venezuela earthquakes on the day he achieved his MLB dream.
Alfonzo’s Venezuelan teammate Miguel Rojas hugged him as his name was announced in the starting lineup, with cheers coming from Dodgers fans.
“I consider him my family,” said Rojas after the Dodgers’ 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres, video courtesy of Dodger Blue. “I consider Eliezer Alfonzo Sr. as one of my close friends in baseball.”
He wrote a message on his cap to support his newest teammate, which read “Alfonzo Fuerza Matatán”.
He wrote the message in support of the family, hence the last name. “Fuerza Matatán” means “strong, like his dad” in honor of the elder Alfonzo’s nickname of “Matatán”.
The relationship between Rojas and the elder Alfonzo goes back all the way to 2008. The Dodgers infielder was 19 at the time and coming off a brutal season with the Reds‘ Pioneer League team, in which he hit .183 with a .493 OPS.
Alfonzo Sr. was a legend in Venezuelan winter ball, both on and off the field. At the time, he had just finished his third and final season with the San Francisco Giants.
“If you ask any Venezuelan player, they will say that Eliezer Alfonzo is one of the biggest motivators and the guy who played the game with a lot of joy.”
Miguel Rojas on Eliezer Alfonzo Jr.’s MLB Debut
GettyDodgers catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. made his MLB debut with a heavy heart.
Rojas has been following the situation in Venezuela, which has been ravaged by earthquakes recently. Alfonzo’s stepmom and sister were among the victims.
“I know for a fact that Eliezer (Jr.) could be with his dad, he would be, but we are professional baseball players. We are trying to go after a dream that isn’t just our dream. I’m pretty sure he’d feel the same way. This is the dream of his sister, his father, his whole family. And he’s working really hard to get this opportunity.”
The younger Alfonzo went 0-for-2 in his MLB debut.
“I’m proud of the way that he approached everything that happened today to him. But at the same time, it’s hard to put this moment into context because it’s never easy to lose a family member, especially when something like that happened. All we can do as a club is be here for him and lift him up in these tough moments.”
Miguel Rojas on the Venezuela Earthquakes
Miguel Rojas had mentioned the difficulty of playing with the earthquakes in the back of his mind. Other Venezuelan stars, such as Willson Contreras and Jackson Chourio, have played with a lot of emotion over the last week.
“I’ve been in shock the past 10 days,” said Rojas. “Especially because my close family was there. I know a lot of friends, I know a lot of people that are going through it. Leaving everything that is happening is really hard because I feel like I can’t stop playing. But at the same time, it’s hard to stay present and stay here connected mentally and do everything you can to stay in the moment.”
Rojas reflected on balancing the “selfish” feeling of continuing to play baseball as more unfolds in Venezuela. He’s mentioned how difficult it is to sleep while all this is going on.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas Honors Teammate Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. After Venezuela Earthquake Tragedy appeared first on HEAVY.