SportsLife 2015, issue4 | Page 11

for driving in some important runs and he does a great job every year of handling the pitching staff.” His .311 career batting average is good for fourth all-time among Goldeyes players that have at least 750 at-bats. He is clearly one of the greatest hitters ever to play in Winnipeg. Of course, he grew up in a country that reveres the game of baseball and has produced some of the greatest players in Major League history. “Yeah, baseball is definitely the No. 1 sport in Venezuela,” he said. “A lot of people know that we have some pretty good players coming out of Venezuela. Miggy (Miguel Cabrera) and Felix Hernandez are two of the examples. Before that we had Omar Vizquel, Melvin Mora, Ramon Hernandez, Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen, Johan Santana, many great, great players. “When I was in Little League, baseball was the biggest thing in Venezuela on the weekends. Our families and friends went to all the games. They were always there. Families were always there cheering for their guys. When something bad happened on the field, like you’d go 0-for-4, your family would be all over you. ‘You can’t do that. You can’t go 0-for-4, you have to go 3-for-4 or at least 2-for-4. You can’t go ‘0fer in a game.’ But that’s what made it fun. “Our families and friends and were always involved. They made it fun for us. They also made us do things the right way. Baseball is a big part of life in Venezuela.” So, too, is family. He has two brothers and a younger sister and he and his wife have a son named Fernando. Family and baseball are the two things that drive him. “For me, family is everything, but being a dad is the best experience in life,” he said. “It’s the biggest blessing you can ever get. Out of all the accomplishments you can have in life, being a dad is almost out of this world. I can’t even explain what it’s like being a dad.” Alen’s route to Winnipeg has been long and winding. From Little League in Venezuela to the Florida (now Miami) Marlins and New York Mets to pro ball in Italy and winter ball in Nicaragua, Alen has worked hard to make a career – and a life – out of baseball. “I played Little League until I was 17-years-old and then I signed with the Florida in 2002,” he said. “I found my way up to Winnipeg, that first season back in 2007. Then I went back to organized ball for two seasons with the New York Mets and then I came back here to Winnipeg in 2010 and I’ve been ever since. “For me, I’m a professional baseball player and I’ll play for as long as my body allows me to play.” Alen was a farmhand for the Marlins from 2003-2005 and then he played the 2006 season in Italy before coming to Winnipeg for the 2007 campaign. He then played in the New York Mets system for two seasons before re-joining the Goldeyes in 2010. During that time, he learned the skills necessary to become one of the best hitters in independent baseball. Those years of experience have also provided him with a method of handling pitchers, one of the toughest jobs a catcher will face. “For me, the most important thing is to stick with a pitcher’s strength,” he said. “In most situations, I try to tell the pitchers to stick with their first two pitches. Once in awhile, they can use the third and fourth pitches just to show the hitters that they have those pitches.” In the meantime, Alen holds four franchise records and is slowly becoming recognized as the greatest hitter in Goldeyes history. “It means a lot to have these records,” he said humbly. “This is the best place to play independent baseball. There isn’t any place anywhere in America (or Canada) where you are treated better than you are in Winnipeg. “Winnipeg for me is now home. I look at the Goldeyes as my hometown team and playing for the Goldeyes and doing well with the Goldeyes, is more important for me than anything in baseball. It’s just an amazing feeling. I love the people in Winnipeg. I love the front office, all the support from the fans. There is no better place to be than Winnipeg.” l sportslife / 11