WEST PALM BEACH — It’s hard to find a more complete ambassador of South Florida than Eddy Alvarez.
Alvarez, the son of Cuban immigrants, grew up in the heart of Miami. He nourished his first love, skating, weaving and performing through the streets of South Beach.
His Major League Baseball breakthrough came thanks to the hometown Miami Marlins last season, and the infielder has bonded with United States national team roommate Jon Jay over “cafe cubano” and their shared love for the 305.
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But it's the Baseball Americas Olympic Qualifier, hosted just a bit up I-95 in Port St. Lucie and West Palm Beach, that has given Alvarez — now an infielder with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp — a chance at returning to his second home: the Olympic Village.
Alvarez competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia as a speed skater, an experience he is still coming to terms with seven years later.
“Walking in the opening ceremony and just being part of the Olympics is so special and it’s something to cherish forever,” Alvarez said. “I’m still in awe of it.”
The silver-medalist in the 5,000-meter relay elected to pivot toward baseball after the games. Upon rising through the minor-league ranks, the 31-year-old earned a call-up to the USA baseball team in May ahead of the Olympic Qualifiers.
The United States reached the final by defeating Canada 10-1 Friday night. Alvarez drove home the third run for the Americans in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-out triple.
After defeating Venezuela in Saturday night's final, Alvarez is now in line to become the 135th athlete to appear in both the Winter and Summer Olympics — and he would have a strong chance at becoming just the sixth athlete to medal at both games.
He already was the first Cuban-American male speed skater to make a U.S. Olympic team.
But Alvarez’s sights are firmly set on the elusive gold medal he came milliseconds away from in his last trip to the Olympics.
As part of a four-man relay team in the 5000m speed skating competition, Alvarez and his teammates advanced through the semifinal round due to a Korean penalty and forced a photo-finish against the Russian quartet.
The U.S. battled Russia evenly for six minutes across the three-mile circuit, but Alvarez solemnly glided across the finish line after watching his teammates fall just .27 seconds short of the gold medal. Alvarez also competed in three individual events in Sochi but failed to medal in any of them.
“It’s a bit of a redemption trip for me,” Alvarez said of the silver medal. “There was that feeling of standing on the podium and listening to someone else’s national anthem that really sucked.”
Alvarez’s switch to baseball brought much more modest circumstances, as he trained independently before signing a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox and reporting for Single-A duty a month later in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
"I remember after the games I was lifting weights with propane tanks on them,” Alvarez said, “and getting to experience opening ceremonies again was something I dreamed of every day.”
As a 24-year-old rookie, Alvarez held a slim chance of ever breaking into the majors. However, after batting nearly .300 and using his Olympic speed to leg out seven triples in 2015, he advanced to Triple-A the following season. He was traded to the Marlins in 2019.
The Miami Columbus graduate ended up playing 12 games for the Marlins in a truncated 2020 season held amid the coronavirus pandemic. He started the 2021 season with the Jumbo Shrimp, the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate.
The impressive hitting numbers that vaulted Alvarez onto Don Mattingly’s roster last year also have transferred over into the international game. Alvarez also roped two doubles and scored two runs in America’s 8-6 victory over the Dominican Republic last Tuesday.
But his coveted Olympic experience possibly makes the former speed skater even more valuable in the dugout. Baseball was voted out of the 2012 Games by the International Olympic Committee in 2005, meaning that Alvarez is the only player on the roster to have played in the Olympics.
“It’s a 26-man roster and I think I’ve basically repeated every story to 26 different guys,” Alvarez said. “I’m trying to relay as much information as I can to them so they’re not what I was when I got there, which was over-the-moon excited. It took away from my concentration.”
Alvarez’ overarching message centered around focus, both in the qualifiers and a prospective Olympic appearance.
“We’ve just got to do our job and take things one step at a time," he said. "Don’t want to think too far ahead.”
The Link LonkJune 10, 2021 at 02:54AM
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Jumbo Shrimp infielder Eddy Alvarez, former Olympic speed skater, awaits USA Baseball shot - The Florida Times-Union
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