José Alvarado’s postseason regret: His mom missing him pitch because he can’t fly her in from Venezuela
Travel restrictions from Venezuela have prevented Alvarado’s family from joining him in the playoffs. “It’s like so hard for me.”
José Alvarado has one regret from the Phillies’ World Series run last season, and it’s not what you might think.
His mother couldn’t watch him pitch in person.
Alvarado tried to fly his mom, Crelia, into town for the postseason. But the United States has imposed travel restrictions from Venezuela because of diplomatic relations between the countries.
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With help from the Phillies, according to Alvarado, he tried again this year, including trying to arrange for his mother, younger sister, and two children to travel to the U.S. through Colombia. Thus far, attempts have been unsuccessful.
”It’s like so hard for me,” Alvarado said.
So, after his rally-killing strikeout in the seventh inning of the Phillies’ playoff-opening 4-1 victory against the Marlins on Tuesday night, he settled for speaking to his mother on the phone.
”My mom is calling me, talking a lot and crying because she missed last year,” Alvarado said. “I control this moment because nobody here knows my situation right now with my family. I’m here to stay humble, stay ready to compete.”
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Alvarado starred in the playoffs last season, right up until allowing a go-ahead homer to Houston’s Yordan Alvarez in Game 6 of the World Series. The hard-throwing lefty rarely shares his heartbreak over the distance from his family.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he wasn’t aware of the situation.