Venezuela’s crisis also affects baseball

Nowadays, even the passion for baseball is not enough to distract Venezuelans from some many difficulties

Although soccer is the favorite sport of almost all Latin American countries, the great sporting love of Venezuela is baseball. However, for some years now and as a consequence of the political, economic and social crisis that exists in the Bolivarian nation, the sport of the ball and the bat has been affected. A month ago the curtain went up of the present baseball campaign of the country, which has had to deal with multiple difficulties.

Leer en español: El béisbol venezolano también se ve afectado por la crisis

A blow to the economy

Several Venezuelan media have exposed how the crisis has affected Venezuelan citizens economically, so they prefer to bring food to their homes than to buy a ticket for a baseball game.

According to the newspaper El Impulso, "hyperinflation has pulverized incomes, and the prices of tickets have become prohibitive for many, in addition to the fact that the food in the parks is very expensive, so much so that a hot dog can cost more than 10% of a minimum salary that is barely 30 dollars per month."

The problem of insecurity

Another aspect that has undoubtedly had an impact for the beginning of this season, is the increase in insecurity in the stadiums and its surroundings. For this reason, the League decided to schedule some games during the day, a decision that has not managed to attract the fans either.

According to Líder en Deportes, fans avoid going to the park for fear of assaults on the streets or in the same sports venues. In addition, given the national transportation crisis, viewers no longer know how to return home after the games are over.

It may interest you: The struggle of being an athlete in Venezuela

The sponsorship

There is another issue that has also affected the low influx of people in the stands of different parks in the country, which are handled in minimum numbers. This is none other than the Venezuelan rejection to the sponsorship of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA to the Professional Baseball League (LVBP, by its acronym in Spanish). This guaranteed 12 million dollars to cover some expenses of the current campaign, even in the face of the well-known lack of basic resources of the Venezuelan population, such as food, medicines and public services.

The 12 million dollars are destined to cover "from the cost of the imported balls to the salaries of the seven foreign players of each team (mostly prospects of the minor leagues in the United States)", explains the newspaper Líder.

Also vandalism

But the difficulties do not end there. Also, the problem of vandalism that is lived in Venezuela contributed to the local teams had to spend a lot of money to play the current season. This is because from the taps to the light wiring and the internet have been stolen in some of the national parks.

According to El Impulso, just to repair the lighting of a stadium like Luis Aparicio "El Grande" in Maracaibo, home of the Zulia Eagles, $ 39,000 dollars is needed. this due to the almost total theft of the lighting system.

A message

In the end, someone came to left a message in this whole story. He is the former Venezuelan big league shortstop, Ozzie Guillén, champion of US baseball with the Chicago White Sox and today helmsman of the Tiburones de La Guaira. Guillén said that although the League and its teams are exposed to any type of inconvenience, all this must be dealt with.

"I did not come to Venezuela to mourn or complain about the reality that I know is difficult, I tell fans, I know things are difficult, but I think this brings more happiness and more joy to the fans that sadness, baseball is the purest passion of the Venezuelan and despite the adversities we must try to continue enjoying it, "he said to Impulso.

LatinAmerican Post | Freddy González

Translated from "El béisbol venezolano también se ve afectado por la crisis"

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