Néstor Isaías “Látigo” Chávez: Indelible mark on Venezuelan baseball (+seeding)

Published at: 16/03/2024 08:58 AM

On March 16, 1969, Néstor Isaías Chávez Silva, a Venezuelan pitcher better known as the Látigo Chávez, died in a plane crash.

Chávez entered professional baseball with Orientales in the 63-64 season where he threw 14.1 innings with a 0-1 record. Later he was part of the Navigators of Magallanes, where with his fast arm he was relentless with every batsman who tried to challenge him and became one of the most idolized players.

Also in 64, he made his minor league debut with the San Francisco Giants, where he recorded a 5.27 ERA in the first season, with a 6-4 record with 67 strikeouts in 99 innings.

On September 5, 1967, he was the 15th Venezuelan player to jump to the big leagues.

His death shocked his followers, including Supreme Commander Hugo Chávez.

“On March 16, 1969, a Sunday, I woke up a little later. My grandmother Rosa was preparing breakfast for me, and she turned on the radio to hear music and suddenly: “Last minute, urgent”, and the news came out, it was as if for a moment my death had come. A plane had crashed shortly after taking off from the airfield in Maracaibo and there were no survivors. Among them was the Látigo Chávez. Terrible. I didn't go to classes on Monday or Tuesday. I collapsed. I even invented a prayer that I would pray every night, in which I swore I would be like him: a Major League pitcher.”

With so little time in his professional career, the whip Chávez left an indelible mark on the hearts of Venezuelans and the world.

Mazo News Team