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Dodgers’ new backup catcher has family missing after Venezuelan earthquakes
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- Dodgers’ new backup catcher has family missing after Venezuelan earthquakes
Eliezer Alfonzo had waited a lifetime for the call he got Friday.
So, too, had his 16-year-old little sister.
"One of her dreams was watching me play in the big leagues," the Dodgers ' new backup catcher said. "And today I have the opportunity to be here, being part of a big-league team."
Eliezer Alfonzo Sr.'s wife and daughter are missing after devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. AFP via Getty Images
Indeed, the 26-year-old Alfonzo was called up by the Dodgers on Saturday, after receiving word the previous night that his decade-long odyssey through the minor leagues was finally about to be over.
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His long-awaited arrival, however, has come against the most heart-wrenching of backdrops, with Alfonzo's sister, Eliana, and stepmother, Patricia, missing in the wake of last week's devastating earthquakes in his home country of Venezuela.
"I'm not gonna lie to you," Alfonzo said. "Last week was probably one of the toughest weeks of my life."
At the time of the earthquakes, Alfonzo's sister and stepmother were staying in the Hotel Eduards in Macuto, tagging along with Alfonzo's father, former MLB catcher and current Venezuelan league manager Eliezer Sr., as his team played along the country's Atlantic coast north of the capital of Caracas.
While Eliezer Sr. was already at the ballpark when a pair of 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck on the evening of June 24, his wife and daughter were still believed to be at the hotel, which was housing several other family members of players and coaches in the league.
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The hotel collapsed in the temblors, leading to the confirmed death of at least two players' wives.
But, after rescuers pulled the Alfonzos' family dog out of the rubble Friday, he and his relatives are still desperately holding out hope of finding Eliana and Patricia alive.
"I don't know if I'm gonna see her again or not," Alfonzo said. "But I'm pretty sure God's gonna give me the blessing to let her see me play here in the big leagues."
Alfonzo is scheduled to make his MLB debut on Sunday with the Dodgers. instagram/ealfonzomatatan
Alfonzo expressed deep gratitude for all the support he has received in the Dodgers' organization during the ordeal, which has helped him — somehow — maintain a career-best season offensively.
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A longtime Tigers farmhand, Alfonzo has hit .313 with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, his first since signing with the Dodgers over the winter.
"When I signed with the Dodgers, it was a big goal [to reach the majors]," he said. "But it was [also] a big responsibility representing this big organization, especially with what this team means in MLB right now."
Alfonzo got more support Saturday, when he walked into the Dodger Stadium clubhouse for the first time.
"Everybody asked me how I was feeling, everybody's giving me their hands, making me feel like home," he said.
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Alfonzo shared an especially long embrace with veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas , another Venezuelan native whose wife and kids were able to escape their Caracas hotel during the disaster .
"I really appreciate this," Alfonzo said.
That the Dodgers called Alfonzo up on Saturday came as a surprise. While they've been without starting catcher Will Smith for a month now — and likely won't get him back from a neck injury until after the All-Star break — the team had initially leaned on journeyman Chuckie Robinson to slot into the reserve role backing up Dalton Rushing .
Robinson, however, was extremely limited offensively.
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In Alfonzo, the Dodgers see an opportunity to give a younger, and perhaps more offensively productive, option a closer look in the majors.
"We didn't know initially how long Will was going to be down and so kind of the easy fix was Chuckie," manager Dave Roberts said. "And then as it became a little bit more extended, we just wanted to take this opportunity to put eyes on Eliezer."
Alfonzo was at his home in Oklahoma City on Friday night, watching replays of Teoscar Hernández 's game-winning grand slam against the Padres from earlier in the evening, when OKC manager Scott Hennessey called to deliver the news.
"I had just talked to my girlfriend like, 'Wow, look at what's happening over there. I wish I could get there soon,'" he recounted. "And then like 30 minutes after that, I got the call that I was coming here today. It was really cool. I wasn't expecting it. I'm living the dream."
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Outside of baseball, though, Alfonzo also continues to live out a nightmare — one that will be on his mind, and his heart, when he takes the field for his scheduled debut start Sunday.
"I know it's difficult with everything that is happening right now," he said. "But at the same time, I got my country, my family, on my heart, on my mind. Everything I do is because of them. So I'm gonna make them proud."
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