southsider2k5 Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Man I knew I hated that guy for a reason http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-08-0...or-in-venezuela Magglio Ordonez, a six-time Major League Baseball All-Star with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, will run for mayor of a Venezuelan oil town in the socialist party of the late President Hugo Chavez. “We invite our major leaguer, Magglio Ordonez, to hit a grand slam in Puerto La Cruz,” Chavez’s successor, President Nicolas Maduro, announced on state television yesterday. Ordonez, a 39-year-old former outfielder, hit 294 home runs during 15 seasons with the White Sox and Tigers, and won the American League’s batting title with Detroit in 2007. He moved to Puerto La Cruz in his native Venezuela after retiring in 2011. The city of about 500,000 is 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Caracas. Ordonez, who earned an estimated $133 million over his professional career, according to baseball-reference.com, supported Chavez’s “21st Century Socialism.” In 2009, he told Venezuelans in political ads that “the best of the revolution is yet to come.” During his 14 years in power, Chavez, a former paratrooper, tapped the world’s biggest oil reserves to cut Venezuela’s poverty rate to 29.5 percent in 2011 from 48.6 percent in 2002, according to the United Nations. His term was also marked by falling oil production, declining foreign currency reserves and one of the fastest inflation rates in the world. He died from cancer in March. Puerto La Cruz is currently run by Stalin Jose Fuentes of the ruling United Socialist Party. Active Players Baseball has made millionaires of hundreds of working-class Venezuelans. There are about 60 Venezuelans currently playing in the major leagues, the second biggest group outside North America after people from the Dominican Republic, according to Jose Grasso, former president of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. A total of 294 Venezuelans have played in the MLB, according to baseball-reference.com. “It’s the dream of every Venezuelan,” Grasso said in a telephone interview from Caracas today. “Ordonez is loved by everyone here, and as a retired player he has every right to run for any office and for any party.” Both Chavez and Maduro pitched in minor leagues in Venezuela, the only South American country where baseball tops soccer as the most popular sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eminor3rd Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 lol wat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shago Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Nothing says 'Socialism' like $133mm in your pocket ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quin Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Well then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 QUOTE (La Marr Hoyt HOF @ Aug 6, 2013 -> 04:17 PM) Nothing says 'Socialism' like $133mm in your pocket ... Something seems a little fishy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptatc Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 6, 2013 -> 03:51 PM) Man I knew I hated that guy for a reason http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-08-0...or-in-venezuela The steroids must have melted his brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayitaintso Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAGGLIO....sorry I couldn't help it. Anyone think they'd chant this if he was elected?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleHurt05 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 QUOTE (La Marr Hoyt HOF @ Aug 6, 2013 -> 04:17 PM) Nothing says 'Socialism' like $133mm in your pocket ... In an oil town... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkfan Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 He Raked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabiness42 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Magglio is my second-favorite all time Sox player born on 1/28/74. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ginger Kid Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Socialism in a country like Venezuela looks a lot different than in a progressive country like our own. I graduated from high school in Valencia, Venezuela (dad is an oil man), and the disparity between rich and poor is so dramatic that you kind of wonder how a revolution doesn't break out at any moment. Keep in mind, they're an OPEC nation with an abundance of natural resources, but corruption keeps the proceeds in the hands of a few. So when a politician comes along and promises to spread the wealth to those who aren't given an opportunity to participate (like we are in this country), then it's very attractive. It's an unfortunate solution, but one that's easy to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.