"VAN" (Sports Desk - 19.03.2026) :: When a child is born in Venezuela, it is common for the father's wish to be that when he grows up, he will be a great baseball player. When the child grows up and picks up a baseball bat, his dream is to play in the Major Leagues and be a world champion.
This Tuesday, March 17, Venezuela was crowned champion of the World Baseball Classic by defeating the United States 3 runs to 2, in a dramatic final game played at loanDepot park in Miami before more than 36 thousand spectators.
Many of those children, today grown men and stars in Major League Baseball, gave Venezuela a long-awaited title, following a dream tournament where they eliminated another heavy favorite in the quarterfinals—Japan, featuring superstar and the world's highest-paid athlete, Shohei Ohtani—and Italy, the sensation of the tournament, in the semifinals.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS Maikel García, star of the Kansas City Royals, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player for his performance and timely offense during the tournament. Meanwhile his cousin, the great figure of the Venezuelan national team, Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves, confirmed himself as the leader of a highly talented squad. They were masterfully managed by Omar López and his assistants on the coaching staff: Miguel Cabrera, hitting coach and possible future Hall of Famer, and Johan Santana, pitching coach and winner of two Cy Young awards.
A DRAMATIC FINAL It was a close game that Venezuela was winning 2-0 until the bottom of the eighth inning, when a home run by Bryce Harper with a man on base tied the game. Venezuela reacted immediately in the top of the ninth inning, and with a double by Eugenio Suárez that drove in pinch runner Javier Sanoja from second base, the Venezuelan team scored the difference-making run for a 3-2 lead.
The Venezuelan pitching remained solid, as was its trademark in the tournament, and Daniel Palencia dominated the last three American batters to seal the victory.
This is Venezuela's first title in the World Baseball Classic and the fourth in its entire history (the previous three were won in the 1940s). It is the missing gem in the rich history and tradition of this sport in the country.
NATIONAL DECREE IN VENEZUELA There is total jubilation in the country, with spontaneous celebrations in the main cities and a national decree making Wednesday a National Day of Jubilation, a non-working day for the expected celebrations. This country, called "baseball," finally breathes after weeks of political and social events marked by tension, uncertainty, expectations, and hope.
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