Legacy
As the first Venezuelan to become a star player in Major League Baseball, Carrasquel became a national idol and was an influential figure in his native country. His accomplishments as a player influenced the aspirations of future Latin players including Aparicio and, helped pave the way for their baseball careers.
Carrasquel's influence in Venezuela may have extended into the geopolitical arena as well. At a time during the cold war when communist guerrillas threatened to destabilize the country, Walter Donnelly, the United States Ambassador to Venezuela, arranged for members of the Carrasquel family, Venezuelan sportswriters and ballplayers to come to Yankee Stadium for an International Day honoring Carrasquel in July 1950. Donnelly said that he believed the event was a setback for communist propagandists in Venezuela.
Carrasquel's uncle, Alex Carrasquel, and his nephew Cris Colón, also played in Major League Baseball. Carrasquel died of cardiac/respiratory arrest in Caracas, Venezuela on May 26, 2005 at the age of 77.
Read more about this topic: Chico Carrasquel
Famous quotes containing the word legacy:
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)