![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmramos87With deep sadness may I now inform all of you this following message:
On the evening of December 6, 2018, two former MLB players, Luis Valbuena, who played for the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs, and Jose Castillo, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros and later on for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League and both the Yokohama BayStars and Chiba Lotte Marines of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, and by the time both playing for the Lara Cardinals of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, to our deepest sorrow, perished in an automobile accident when their car hit a rock and flipped on the road while they were travelling to Barquisimeto in the state of Lara through San Felipe de Rey, Yaracuy.
Thus, today, in these dire and tragic circumstances, we have lost two great players of the game and two great sons of Venezuela who in these almost 2 centuries of American baseball and 150 years of professional baseball have, together with the thousands of players from the United States and Canada and players from all over the globe, shared in the joys and sorrows, in the victories and defeats and made their immeasurable contrubutions to the history and progress of this great game and played their all in the ballpark. In this sad time of remembrance just as we are now in the Christmas holiday season, great sorrow and sadness has now felt by all the people of Venezuela, the people of the United States of America, the people of Canada and the people of the world on this sudden death that has today, engulfed the whole world of professional baseball and its fans and supporters worldwide as the whole of Major League Baseball, its teams, players, coaches, managers, umpires, front office staff, employes, minor league affilates and broadcast staff are united in deepest mourning as they remember the loss of two of their finest international players who have died all too soon ahead of us, a double tragedy that is a greater loss for this sport and for the millions of its followers.
Born in 1981 in the Venezuelan state of Guarico, Jose Castillo loved the great game since he was a kid in Las Mercedes and when he grew up, he became a starting shortstop for the national team in Venezuela and played some time with the Caracas Lions of the VPBL. In 2004, he joined the ranks of the Pittsburgh Pirates, beginning a short but fruitful stay in the major leagues as he showed his skills, speed and agility as well as batting prowless as he played for the Pirates and later on the Giants and Astros with 3 more seasons in the overseas leagues from 2009 to 2011.
Luis Valbuena, a son from a prominent baseball family from Sucre in the state of Zulia, who was raised by his mother, older brothers and uncles to play baseball and to dream bigger to become like Luis Aparicio and other Venezuelans who played before, joined the Mariners in 2005 as a minor league player and just a decade ago was promoted to the major leagues, playing for a season with Mariner legends Ken Griffrey Jr and Ichiro Suzuki before playing later for the Indians and Cubs, and spending his final two seasons as part of the Astros and the Angels, the former with Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve and the latter with Mike Trout and the current AL Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani.
In each of their respective careers as part of the major leagues in the beginning of this current century, as native sons of Venezuela who dreamed of playing the game as young boys and thus were privillege to join the ranks of the thousands of professional players in the rosters of some of the greatest teams in the United States, as they flew the flag of Venezuela to glory in the ballpark as players who made their country and people proud to see them grow into great and reliable players on and off the field in the major leagues, they lived simple lives dedicated to playing the game they so loved and thus died cherising every moment they had on the diamond and amidst the fans they followed them every step of the way, both at home and in the United States. They lived and breathed the game they watched as young boys and thus grew up to be a part of the history of this sport. They loved their families and friends and liked being with their teammates wherere they played. And most of all, while being proud Venezuelans, they were indeed part of the long history of Major League Baseball and of international professional baseball as a whole, having played with some of the past and present legends of the ballpark in their short but fruitful careers. Until the very end, these two gave their very all not just to Divine Providence, but to baseball fans and players not only in their native Venezuela and in the cities they plaued but all over the United States of America, in order that our young people everywhere will follow in their footsteps, learn the values of baseball and soon realize their potential, most of all, to join the ranks of players like them who started young in the ballgame and ended up on the top tiers of professional baseball.
Therefore, their passing to our deepest regret is for us, the millions of baseball supporters, a time of utmost sadness.
The news from yesterday, sad as it may be, is indeed one of great sorrow as for our countries and all our people it is now a day of sadness shared by millions of people everywhere as we all are united with all of Major League Baseball, its teams, players, coaches, managers and umpires in remembering the brief but great careers of these two Venezuelan players who were a part of this great sport as players in the field and at the plate, who symbolized the hopes and aspirations of many overseas fans and kids everywhere to play ball and to become better persons off and on the ballpark, who loved and cherished the game all their lives and lived successful careers in professional baseball and above all served as the pride and glory of their country and her representatives to the best baseball league in the world. They may have left us forever, but the time spent in the uniforms of the major league teams they played with will be forever inscribed in our hearts and minds as a brief but momentful part of the long history of this game, which is for the millions of people of the United States, a national past time that they have proudly called their very own.
The names of Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo and their shared immortal legacy to the long 150 year history of professional baseball in their brief careers of service to their country and people as well as to all baseball fans as athletes of this great game will forever remain in the hearts, minds and memories of their families, loved ones and friends in Venezuela and in the United States, the entire baseball community within the United States of America, Canada and all over the globe, its athletes, coaches, fans and supporters, all sportsmen and women and sports fans, and to all the people of Canada, the United States of America, and the whole world, for yesterday evening we have indeed lost to our great sadness two great players of the baseball arena, two talented players from Venezuela who flew the yellow-blue-red tricolor proudly in the diamond as her sons who were lucky to have been given the chance to play in the major leagues and athletes who dedicated their lives and careers to the full to live the values of this great game and the Olympic Values and Pillars as a whole until the very last moments of their lives, given baseball’s recognition by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic sport and its planned return in around 2 years time. Thus, forever shall their immeasurable work and activity in the sport of professional baseball be honored and remembered not just in their native country and in the cities where they played their professional careers but but in the hearts and minds of not just baseball and softball fans, players, coaches and officials alike, but of all the people of the United States of America, Canada, and of the whole world.
For truly, they have become one with the angels watching over the outfields, keeping watch over all who have and are playing this game everywhere, and watching over our young boys and girls who have been and are playing in every sandlot and ballpark wherever this sport is played all over this wide world.
On behalf of all the people of the United States of America and Canada, and in the name of all the people of the free world I therefore send our sympathies, great sorrow and profound eternal gratitude first and foremost of the people of Venezuela who despite the recent economic, politicial and social crises have remained firm, loyal and dedicated to being involved in this great sport and have been steadfast in their resolve to promote this game to our younger generations, to the people of the cities of San Francisco, Cleveland, Seattle, Anaheim, Chicago and Houston, of the entire Bay Area and of the whole state of California as well as to the states of Washington, Illinois, Pennslyvania, Ohio, Washington and Texas, to the players, coaches, leadership staff, veterans and supporters of the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros, to the entire leadership, employees and staff, athletes, coaches, officials, broadcasting staff and radio, television and online crews, veterans and retired athletes and supporters of the organizations comprising Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball within the United States of America and Canada and Little League Baseball teams all over the world on the passing of these two international players from the Republic of Venezuela who in their short times in professional baseball have become part of its long history and now have been counted who will be remembered for their audacity, courage, sportsmanship, strength, perseverance, friendship and great outlook on the future of the game and on the little ones playing in every sandlot and ballpark wherever this sport is played. And to all who will have paid their last respect and tributes on these hours after this sad day in international professional baseball and in the coming days in their respective hometowns, in the city of Barquisimeto, and in the cities that they placed over the course of their careers, my sincere thanks for your prayers, sympathies and heartfelt support you’ve all given in this sad time in our history to their families, friends and loved ones in Venezuela and in the United States, their teammates, managers, coaches and friends in the ballpark, the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros, to Major League Baseball, to USA Baseball, and to the baseball community and all of us its fans all over the globe as we today honor the lives of these two talented players and bid our saddest farewells to these two Venezuelans who have become a part of this sport as it marches forward into its second century of organized play, who each in their roles as infielder and outfielder for their respective teams have served proudly their country and people as athletes of the great game of baseball and have etched their names on the rosters of the thousands who have played over the years.
We will turn our grief into strength for the future, united as one under our countries’ flags and as one people of the world to forever cherish their playing days in the ballpark. As we march forward into 2019 and the coming years carrying on the memories of these two players and those who came before them, we will strive as one to honor their immeasurable contributions to this sport and to continue on their playing legacies for generations to come.
May the eternal memory of both Luis Valbuena and Jose Castilo, who each made their part in the long story of baseball, be remembered and honored in the hearts and minds of the millions of people of the United States of America, of Canada, of Venezuela and of our free world and and may his legacy live on in the memories of the millions of baseball players and fans who play this great sport all over the world!
And may we forever uphold their blessed memory and the legacy of service and fair play they have brought to the world of professional baseball and carry on till the end of our lives the traditions and values of baseball that they have lived and their immortal share in the destiny of this sport for generations to come!
ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS LUIS VALBUENA AND JOSE CASTILLO!
ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF ALL OUR DECEASED ATHLETES AND COACHES OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!
ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF ALL OUR DECEASED LEGENDS OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA!
ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE PERISHED IN SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRIES AS SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN, COMMITTED TO THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT, ITS VALUES, PILLARS AND PRINCIPLES AND TO THE SPIRIT OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND FAIR PLAY AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DOPING AND DRUGS!
ETERNAL GLORY TO ALL OUR DECEASED ATHLETES, COACHES, JUDGES AND SPORTS OFFICIALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR PEOPLE, COUNTRY AND THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT!
LONG LIVE THE GREAT SPORT OF BASEBALL!
LONG LIVE LITTLE LEAGUE, MINOR LEAGUE, AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!
Viva Venezuela!
God Save The Queen! Vive La Canadienne!
And May God Bless this great country, the homeland of baseball, our great and eternal country, our great United States of America!
John Ramos
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
December 7, 2018
