The Kansas City Royals won 3-2 last night to take a 2-1 lead in the 2014 World Series over the San Francisco Giants. With seven straight series wins at home, the Giants plans to take control of this series was upset by a Venezuelan shortstop, Aicides Escobar, who went 2 for 4 and scored two runs. Alcides smacked the first pitch for a double.
When I went to home plate, I said, ‘If he throws me a fastball right now, I’m going to swing the bat.”
He also singled in the sixth setting up the run that would set up the lead the Royal bullpen barely held on too.
The La Sabana native, who idolized Omar Vizquel, and started playing the game at four, has baseball pedigree. He is a cousin of former MLB pitcher, Kelvim Escobar. Signed at the age of 16 by the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2003, for 35,000 dollars. He was largely ignored. That is until the 2009 All-Star futures game where he went 2 for 4.
The Brewers brought him up for good and his first game he pinch ran for Prince Fielder on August 12, 2009. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. He also got the starting job in 2010.
However a big trade for Zack Grienke sent Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, and two others for the coveted pitcher. He was now in Kansas City and proved good enough to sign a four year, ten million dollar pact to keep him away from free agency, at least for a year. It has worked out well for the Royals. He has proven to be endurable, playing all 162 games this year. Only two other players did that this year. Escobar is having a monster post season as a small ball hitter like another pretty good shortstop that also wore #2, Derek Jeter.
