The Philadelphia Phillies are three wins away from a spot in the 2023 World Series after notching a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
Despite the team's recent success, pitcher Jose Alvarado couldn't help but feel sad. Most of his family are in his home country, Venezuela, unable to obtain the necessary visas to join him.
The strained diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the United States led to the suspension of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela since 2019.
"It's been really hard for me. Sometimes, when I talk to my kids on the phone, they start to cry, because they want to see me, and I want to see them. And I can't see them," the 28-year-old said.
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Jose Alvarado receives warm visit
During this year's postseason, Alvarado decided to make his life easier.
The Venezuelan arranged for his older brother, Dario, who resides in Tampa and works as a welder, to join him in Philadelphia for the wild-card series and the National League Division Series.
"We cried a lot. He told me he was so proud of me to see how well I'm doing in my job," Alvarado emotionally remarked.
Dario's demanding work schedule has prevented him from attending Jose's games for the past few years.
However, he managed to secure time off from work in early October, enabling him to spend two weeks with his brother.
The @MLB postseason has amazing human stories. Here’s one: @Phillies reliever José Alvarado celebrating with his brother, Dario, after the Wild Card Series. Nearly all of José’s family is in Venezuela. He rarely sees them. Dario represents them all. (Video courtesy: Felix Olivo.) pic.twitter.com/zEDSHeEcyH
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 14, 2023
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