The Journey of “Little Altuve” and Venezuela’s Little Leaguers
By Charlie Vascellaro
His coaches and teammates call him “Little Altuve.”
A nickname earned not because of his size, but how he plays the game. Four-foot-8 Omar Romero may have been one of the two smallest players in the 2017 Little League Baseball World Series, but when it came time to live up to his big nickname — a reference to Houston Astros All-Star second baseman and Venezuelan countryman José Altuve — he came through in a manner that would have made his namesake proud.
On Monday, after a 1½-hour rain delay, Romero blasted a game-winning, two-run triple for Luz-Maracaibo’s walk-off win over Los Bravos de Pontezuela of Santiago, Dominican Republic, to stave off elimination. It was vintage Altuve. Romero swung at a fastball up and away and sent it over the right fielder’s head.
Romero’s dramatic hit ended up being the high point of a literal expedition by Luz-Maracaibo that ended the next day against Guadalupe Treviño Kelly of Mexico. But the disappointment was quickly replaced by smiles as one of the lasting images of the tournament will be of the Venezuelan team gathered near the mound after the game collecting dirt for their own personal keepsakes.
We know the saying, it’s the journey, not the destination. Luz-Maracaibo’s trip involved a team of supporters that included several Venezuelan major leaguers who ensured the players, coaches and parents had the funds for visas, transportation and food. It involved multiple flights and a bus ride for the final stretch from Baltimore to Williamsport, Pa.
So, a little lightning and thunder during the game against the Dominican Republic and a defeat the next day against Mexico did nothing to dampen their spirits. Despite the political strife and violence back home, Luz-Maracaibo managed to bring joy to their country while winning the hearts of so many in Williamsport.
“We are Latins. We are like brothers. One team will win and one will lose, but we’re here, we’re all winners.” — Dominican Republic manager José Cordero
What it means to be ‘listo’
Like Altuve, Romero is what many Latina mothers call listo. The label, which literally means “ready,” is also used to refer to someone who is alert and takes advantage of situations, and is quite appropriate. Romero’s nickname is bujía, or “spark plug.” Like Altuve, he always seems ready. Both are baseball magnets, players who attract teammates and the action on the field.
Little Altuve drew a small crowd for this trip, including his mother, Janoly Osorio, and the parents of two other players, Carolina Bozo and Alberto Bermúdez. Osorio led the Venezuelan cheering section while expressing gratitude to the major leaguers who assisted the team over the past year, including Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos González, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis, San Diego Padres pitcher Jhoulys Chacín and Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor.
“It was a real challenge and we could not have done it without their support,” Osorio said. “Everybody knows the situation that Venezuela is experiencing these days.”
The economic difficulties of the moment in Venezuela include triple-digit inflation and shortages of food and medicine, making the trip to Williamsport a financial hardship for all involved. Bozo, the mother of Jhann Bozo, is an architect who is currently unemployed.
“It would have been impossible for me not to show up for these games. I would do whatever is possible to be here,” Bozo said. “This is where every young kid wants to come to play baseball and not every kid can make it to Williamsport, so it really is a dream come true.”
“It means everything to Omar to be here,” added Osorio, who works as a surgeon’s assistant. “This is a unique trip for him to be here: unique, wonderful, marvelous and unforgettable.”
Shared Journeys
Both the Dominican and Venezuelan teams undertook similar journeys to Williamsport. That trip meant leaving the familiar behind: everyday foods like arepas or mangú, and the sounds of Latin music at the ballpark except when the Luis Fonsi-Daddy Yankee megahit Despacito boomed throughout the ballpark. Both teams were here for baseball, to realize a dream, and to win.
“I’ll go anywhere for anything having to do with Venezuelan baseball,” proclaimed Seitas, while wearing a blue and red Dave Concepción jersey from his hometown team in Aragua.
The trip, the LLWS tournament, all of it made for a unique experience for the Venezuelans, a point made by Romer Ocando, baseball coach of a team that showed up just to root for Luz-Maracaibo.
“I’m a Venezuelan myself and I played baseball at the university level,” Ocando said. “I can tell you that for them to come here and feel what it’s like to be treated like a major leaguer… They get to wear the uniform, they get support and this unique experience. There is nothing like this in Venezuela that can be compared to what they are experiencing here. In Venezuela, we have to work so hard to get everything we need to make it to a place like this. It really is a fantastic achievement and a unique experience that they will remember and appreciate for the rest of their lives.”
Latino Baseball Family
The toll of this journey can be both emotional and physical, and it was evident at the end of the Dominican Republic-Venezuela cliffhanger. While a coach carried Romero on his shoulder, Dominican pitcher Edward Uceta — nicknamed Sopita or “Little Soup” and coincidentally the other player in the LLWS who stood 4-foot-8 — went through the agony of defeat, laying on the ground, seemingly inconsolable.
Knowing that the journey for these kids is not just about realizing that final win, but is itself a grand achievement, Luz-Maracaibo manager Alexander Ballesteros and the entire Venezuelan team went to the mound to console Uceta. They might wave different flags, wear different jerseys, but they are Latino brothers, part of a baseball family.
The display of sportsmanship was not lost on Dominican manager José Cordero.
“We are Latins. We are like brothers. One team will win and one will lose, but we’re here, we’re all winners,” Cordero said.
“Edward has a big heart. It could have gone the other way; it could have happened to Little Altuve,” Ballesteros added.
That recognition — that one day you could be a winner and the next you could be headed home — is a reality that Ballesteros understood. For him and his team, the trip was a success.
“It is a great win for our team. We needed it and this win will bring happiness to the people back in Venezuela,” Ballesteros said.
And Omar Romero? He did more than get a big game-winning hit. He turned Luz-Maracaibo’s tournament into a memory of a lifetime. Proud of the team’s accomplishment, the 12-year-old reflected on the journey and its impact.
“I want to dedicate this win to my grandmother and my uncle who died last year. They call me ‘Little Altuve’ and I want to keep on being ‘Little Altuve,’” Romero said.
After this week, there’s nothing little about Romero’s and his team’s achievement. They can fly back home tall and proud.
¡Viva Williamsport!
Featured Image: Jean Fruth / National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Mexican Player Jumping for Joy: Jean Fruth / National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Other Inset Images: Charlie Vascellaro