Pluck top athletes from their professional franchises and put national team uniforms on them, and it inevitably means more. That was certainly the case for Venezuela’s baseball team, which toppled a high-powered United States squad in the World Baseball Classic championship game Tuesday night.
Tears flowed in the aftermath of Daniel Palencia’s game-clinching strikeout of Roman Anthony, as the emotions of Venezuela’s coaches and players poured out through postgame celebrations.
“The World Series, as you all know, is one of the most important championships in the major leagues, but when you fight for your country, that goes beyond,” said Venezuela captain Salvador Perez, a star catcher for the Kansas City Royals. “That feeling, the country where you were born and raised, the sacrifices made by our parents, those people that helped us. That’s why this means a lot to me and to Venezuela.”
Recent events on the geopolitical stage might have amplified the team’s celebration Tuesday night, but as Katie Woo outlined in this wonderful story, the sport has been a huge part of the nation’s culture since the early 1940s. This was going to mean a lot, regardless. “Baseball is the heartbeat of Venezuela,” she wrote.
We’ll touch on the World Baseball Classic in this week’s quiz, while also dipping our toes into March Madness, an NFL trade and much more. Have fun, and be sure to take our daily Connections: Sports Edition, as well.
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