Alden Gonzalez
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- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the LA Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the LA Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
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LOS ANGELES — About three weeks ago, Eliezer Alfonso’s 16-year-old sister, Eliana, told him she dreamed of his baseball career but didn’t tell him until it came true. By now Alfonso had an idea.
“I’m pretty sure there was something about it in the dream,” he said. “I wish she was alive to watch me play in the big leagues.”
Alfonso made his major league debut Sunday, starting at catcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ series finale against the San Diego Padres, and took the field shortly after learning that Eliana and his stepmother Patricia had been found dead in the recent earthquake that devastated his native Venezuela.
Eliana and Patricia were reported missing on June 24, when two earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 7 struck northern Venezuela. When Alfonso, 26, received his first major league call-up on Saturday, he remained hopeful that they could be found. Hours later he was informed that they were among the death toll, which had risen to 3,342 according to the latest published figures.
Alfonso spoke by phone with his father, a former major league catcher of the same name, and his brother. They advised him to enjoy the day as much as possible and thereby honor his sister and stepmother. Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas, a fellow Venezuelan whose wife and children were two blocks from the building collapse, relayed a similar message.
Alfonso, who grounded and flew out before being replaced by a hitter in the seventh inning, wrote “EyP RIP” near the bill of his cap and received a loud ovation from the 46,506 crowd at Dodger Stadium when he came out to bat.
“I felt very excited and very happy when I heard my name called when I made my first pitch to feel the support of the fans,” Alfonso said, speaking in Spanish, after the Dodgers’ 5-2 loss. “It’s something I really appreciate and will always keep in my heart.”
Eliezer Alfonso Jr. paid tribute to his late family members Sunday night. Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images
On the side of the cap, Rojas wrote “Alfonso” and “Fuerza Matatan” in honor of Eliezer Alfonso Sr.’s nickname. Rojas has known Alfonso Sr. since they played against each other at winter ball in 2008, and on Sunday spoke glowingly about what an icon he is in Venezuela and how much he has learned from him over the years.
Alfonso Jr. spent nine years in the Detroit Tigers’ minor league system without ever breaking through. But then he signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent in November and hit .313/.392/.422 in 49 games for their Triple-A affiliate. With the All-Star Game approaching and starting catcher Will Smith still sidelined with a neck injury, the Dodgers called up Alfonso as Dalton Rushing’s backup.
The best moment of Alfonso’s career occurred against the backdrop of the worst moment of his life.
“Right now it’s very difficult to put the situation into context and put it into words,” Rojas said. “Just for him to be here today and make the decision that he’s just going to live out his childhood dream of playing in the big leagues, thinking about it, thinking about them, what happened there, and what his dad has to go through now on his own in Venezuela, it’s really hard.
“For me, I’ll just support the whole family and especially Eliezer, because I know how hard it is to play like that.
“It was hard for me. Nothing happened to one of my family members, but as soon as I heard the news about them, it hit me as hard as if it were my family. I consider Eliezer Alfonso Sr. one of my close friends in baseball.”
In Los Angeles, Alfonso was joined by his girlfriend and agent. But in a way, he thinks his sister has joined him. As he walked up to bat, he heard her screaming from the stands, begging him to hit the ball hard.
He is sure that this voice will never leave him.
“I know she’s on God’s side now,” Alfonso said. “She will protect me and enjoy every moment I have.”