- 2 years ago
En este 9° capítulo; Efraín Zavarce conversa con David Concepción sobre su amor por el deporte del bate y la pelota, además de hacer énfasis en aquellos jugadores que fueron ídolos en la infancia de esta leyenda en el beisbol venezolano.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00It's hard at this time to imagine someone who has played 19 years in major leagues,
00:05almost all that career as a starter, and also 23 years in the LVVP.
00:11Why did you do that?
00:12I was born to play ball, that's what I like.
00:15When I was playing baseball, I didn't feel like a kid.
00:18So a lot of good kids tell me,
00:21how do you dominate these games so fast?
00:24I learned it when I was 14, but I also liked it.
00:29I liked it so much that I forgot about baseball.
00:32What are you most proud of today?
00:34I feel proud of both countries.
00:37More than anything, of my town, Maracay, Venezuela.
00:39I think that wherever I go, they recognize me and know that it's me.
00:51David, now that we're talking about Marcano Trillo,
00:55Marcano Trillo has been a great friend of his.
00:59Trillo played with the Phillies for several years,
01:02he made a double with the Riboa.
01:05They won a World Series, the 1980 one, with Peter Rodos.
01:09The most valuable player, scoring the double for the third time in Houston.
01:13In Houston, exactly, in the National League Series.
01:17At 75, almost 77, because I'm going to jump to 77.
01:23Now, on June 17th, you're not going to be 76.
01:26That's fine.
01:28David?
01:28I don't want to take that into account.
01:31Okay.
01:32Well, Joe Morgan, David Concepcion.
01:37Did you see, in those years, or after retirement,
01:44a better double of overplay?
01:47And in general, in terms of the game?
01:51In terms of the game, my game with Trillo has been little.
01:56Star games.
01:58And we played the Caribbean Series.
02:01We've played 13 or 14 games.
02:08There you go.
02:10I played with Joe Morgan.
02:13He was a great player.
02:15Super good.
02:17He did everything.
02:19But, do you want me to tell you who was my second baseman?
02:24Please.
02:25Ronnie Oster.
02:27Oh, really?
02:29And he came...
02:30After Morgan left.
02:32And I think he...
02:33Morgan had a defect, he didn't have a good arm.
02:37He had to hit the ball fast.
02:41Pass the ball fast, or hit a ball in the right field.
02:45I was the carrossman, and he came in second.
02:48You had a better arm.
02:49Of course, and that was a combination.
02:52Ball in the right field.
02:53Do you know what Choupo runs?
02:54He runs in the right field.
02:56And I got there.
03:00I had to do the release.
03:04That was the worst thing he had.
03:07His arm.
03:08And he spoke very well of me because I helped him a lot.
03:13I gave him the fast ball.
03:15So that he could do the double play.
03:18And where did you like to receive the ball?
03:22I didn't throw it badly.
03:24When I threw it badly, the ball fell because I was wearing gloves the same size as my hand.
03:29I can't explain how I grabbed the ball.
03:31Very small.
03:32I grabbed it, I flicked it, I was a terrible flicker, with gloves like this.
03:37But I always made good shots.
03:39And you, when you were going to receive the shot, where did you like to receive the shot?
03:45He threw it like this.
03:47When I was in the front row.
03:49Many do it like this, they throw it like this, right?
03:52He grabbed it and threw it like this, he threw it with ease.
03:55And the glove?
03:57I put it where I wanted it, it didn't matter if it was low or what.
04:00I didn't like high shots because I couldn't defend myself.
04:04At that time, you had to defend yourself.
04:06If they gave you the ball here, you defended yourself.
04:08But if you grabbed the ball here, you did like this.
04:10And you forced the runner to throw himself.
04:12But if you threw it high here, I'm sure you were going to eat dirt.
04:27And speaking of that, of the double plays.
04:30I would also like to know, who did you have to take care of in those times?
04:35The runner.
04:37I warned him.
04:39Being taller and stronger than me, I told him, I'm going to hit you in the forehead.
04:44César Cedeno.
04:46I would hit him in the forehead.
04:49David Parker.
04:52I warned him and I told him.
04:55If I grab the ball fast,
04:58move away because when they hit me hard,
05:01because I was in the front row, they would move away.
05:03Because they hit me twice.
05:06I told him, I'm going to hit you in the forehead.
05:09In the forehead it hurts more than a spainer.
05:11In the famous burguer in La Canilla.
05:15Do you understand?
05:17So, those two threw themselves hard.
05:20Bill Malak.
05:22From the Pirates.
05:24From the Pirates.
05:25He also threw himself hard on the bases.
05:27Gladden.
05:29From San Francisco.
05:31From Gladden.
05:33Yes, he threw himself hard on the bases.
05:35There were about 10 players.
05:40They were going to hit you.
05:43They were going to break the double play.
05:45You had to force them to throw themselves.
05:48Because they were going up.
05:49And there was no one to protect them?
05:51No, nothing happened.
05:53The ball fell on you.
05:54It hit you.
05:55Now no.
05:56Now they are going to hit you.
05:58The runner is out.
06:00Their way of defending was?
06:02From below.
06:04Give it to me fast.
06:06Or I'm going to put it on the ground.
06:10And it got to?
06:12At some point.
06:13I surprised him with a hard rolling.
06:15Where John Morgan gave me the ball.
06:17And he shouted in the middle.
06:19No, he told me.
06:21No.
06:23He stepped aside.
06:25The rolling was hard.
06:27And no, no.
06:29I had to tell him.
06:31You are malicious to me.
06:33What am I going to do with you?
06:36There was a first base.
06:38I was throwing myself.
06:40And my foot went through.
06:42I'm going to cut you.
06:44I'm going to throw myself.
06:46Let's fight.
06:48How many fights do you remember?
06:50I don't know.
06:52But I lost like 3.
06:54What is the story of the nose?
06:58The fight was not with me.
07:00I'm going to tell you the truth.
07:02Mario Soto was pitching.
07:04And he accidentally gave the ball to Amaya Smith.
07:06The third base.
07:08Mario was pitching.
07:10And he was winning 3 to 0.
07:12And Mario Soto was pitching.
07:14In the 8th inning.
07:16With Ronrilla pitching.
07:18And I knew that the ball was coming.
07:20Because I had given him the best batter.
07:22And I sit.
07:24In the first step.
07:26Of the dugout.
07:28I knew it was coming.
07:30And once Mario came to hit me.
07:32I didn't feel like hitting him.
07:34The National League.
07:36And I gave him a ball.
07:38And I ran straight to the dugout.
07:40I didn't look for anything else.
07:42But the pitching.
07:44The fight.
07:46They pulled one over there.
07:48The other over here.
07:50When I got up.
07:52I had blood.
07:54They hit me in the nose.
07:56In the mouth.
07:58And you can't ask.
08:00Because they are going to ask.
08:02And they are going to tell you.
08:04And Mario Soto was a person.
08:06With a strong character.
08:08And he liked to fight too.
08:10Maybe he was the one who hit me.
08:12I don't know.
08:14David, you served as a mentor.
08:16To whom?
08:18To all his boys.
08:20That came to the Reds.
08:22I think I heard once.
08:24All of them.
08:26I talked to him.
08:28And I told him how good he was.
08:30Someone told me once.
08:32And I think it was Ron Oster.
08:34To whom you just mentioned.
08:36That he used to have a deck of his own.
08:38In the locker room.
08:40My good friends.
08:44We became good friends.
08:46We played together.
08:48From 1977.
08:50Until 1986.
08:52They took my job.
08:54We were together for 9 years.
09:16I was born to play ball.
09:18That's what I like.
09:20Playing ball.
09:22I didn't feel tired.
09:24They had to pick me up.
09:26From the stadium.
09:28At 7 at night.
09:30I lived a block away.
09:32From the stadium.
09:34I grew up there.
09:36I got there when I was 7.
09:38Until I was 14.
09:40We moved to Barraca.
09:42That's where I learned to play basketball.
09:44A lot of good basketball players.
09:46Tell me.
09:48How did you master these games?
09:50So fast.
09:52You learned at 14.
09:54I liked it.
09:56Basketball.
09:58I liked it so much.
10:00I forgot about baseball.
10:02There was a time.
10:04I didn't want to play baseball.
10:06How did you return to baseball?
10:08As a teenager.
10:10Well.
10:12They called me to play in a youth team.
10:14I played well.
10:16They put me in the national team.
10:18And I went to Caracas.
10:20But I came back.
10:22And I still play basketball.
10:24First class.
10:26We were a first class team.
10:28And we were champions in Maracay.
10:30In the state.
10:32And I was a national champion.
10:34Being a regular.
10:36They never picked me up.
10:38I was lucky.
10:42They never picked me up.
10:44Until 1986.
10:48I lost my career.
10:50Because of a hand fracture.
10:52They didn't give me a chance.
10:56There was a collusion.
10:58I won money for that collusion.
11:00I won 400,000 dollars that year.
11:04About 5 years later.
11:08Some lawyers.
11:10They reported to La Liga.
11:12That the free agents.
11:16In the mid 80's.
11:28There was a collusion.
11:30From the team owners.
11:32Against the free agents.
11:34That was in the mid 80's.
11:36Yes.
11:38In the year 56.
11:40Free agents.
11:42And many.
11:44No team signed them.
11:48I tried to help.
11:50But they said no.
11:54I stayed in Cincinnati.
11:56They didn't offer me a contract.
12:00So I called my lawyer.
12:02To talk to the Reds.
12:04To see if they wanted me to come back.
12:06Yes.
12:08I said ok.
12:10I'll take it.
12:12I stayed there.
12:14I beat 3.
12:16Against Pichesuno.
12:18When Pirro started.
12:22319.
12:24With almost 300 turns.
12:26They didn't give me a raise.
12:28The following year.
12:30I had a bad season.
12:32Because I didn't play.
12:34There were some lawsuits.
12:36Antonio Armas.
12:38Players that weren't regular.
12:40They also made money.
12:44And that helped you?
12:46Of course.
12:48I recovered half of the money.
12:52I recovered 400.
12:54And I lost half.
12:58Today.
13:00Because this is a job.
13:02There is an achievement.
13:04Your son.
13:06His marriage of more than 50 years.
13:08It's an achievement.
13:10His career.
13:12To be among the greats.
13:14Of a franchise like the Cincinnati Reds.
13:16To be admired.
13:18In Venezuela.
13:20And beyond.
13:22It's a great achievement.
13:24What are you most proud of?
13:26I'm proud of both countries.
13:28Especially of my town.
13:30Maracay.
13:32Where I go.
13:34They recognize me.
13:36They know who I am.
13:38I am.
13:40How can I tell you?
13:42I am.
13:44The boom.
13:46That gave the Venezuelan TV.
13:48That started.
13:50To broadcast the games.
13:52At that time.
13:54I didn't know Luis Aparicio.
13:56Watching him on television.
13:58In Venezuela.
14:00There were no TV stations.
14:02There was television.
14:04But when I got there.
14:06They started to broadcast the games.
14:08The ones from the United States.
14:10The ones from Venezuela.
14:12So people know me for that.
14:14For the.
14:16For the television.
14:18For the journalists.
14:20There were.
14:22There were more.
14:24Commercial.
14:26There were more journalists.
14:29There were 1 or 2.
14:31Then there were.
14:3310 or 15 sports journalists.
14:35They were good.
14:37They wrote for Nacional.
14:39La Noticia.
14:41Meridiano.
14:43The Universal.
14:45So you feel.
14:47That the media.
14:49The television.
14:51The media.
14:53Especially the television.
14:55Helped me a lot.
14:57There is an issue that.
14:59Also catches my attention.
15:01From you.
15:03For example.
15:05Omar Vizquel is an idol.
15:07Osvaldo Guillen is an idol.
15:09Carlos Garcia is an idol.
15:11There are other baseball players.
15:13That have had important careers.
15:15Maybe not the status of an idol.
15:17But they have important positions.
15:19Like José Alguacil.
15:21He is the coach.
15:23Of Infield.
15:25He is playing very well.
15:27Champion manager in Venezuela.
15:29And all these characters.
15:31When they are asked.
15:33Who was your idol?
15:35The answer is.
15:37David Concepción.
15:39That is.
15:41You are an idol.
15:43Of idols.
15:45I thank you for the communication.
15:47Yes.
15:49Without the communication.
15:51Those boys would not have known me.
15:53If there is no communication.
15:55There is no way to get to anything.
15:57How did you find out.
15:59About the performance of the Venezuelan baseball players.
16:01Who were in the big leagues.
16:03The few there were.
16:05When you were a child.
16:07At that time.
16:09The last national news.
16:11That had his sports page.
16:13Nothing else.
16:15We went to Teodoro Grecón.
16:17What he did in AAA.
16:19There began the evolution.
16:21The evolution.
16:23Year.
16:2565 or 66.
16:27And you grew up admiring who David?
16:29Me.
16:31You will not believe it.
16:33Let's see.
16:35Of course.
16:37I was an idol.
16:39But you were appreciated.
16:41Luis Aparicio.
16:43Because he was the one who saw.
16:45I did not see Raquelito play.
16:47I was an idol.
16:49Teodoro Grecón.
16:51Gustavo Gil.
16:53Fiona Cota.
16:55Luis Rodríguez.
16:57They were my idols.
16:59You saw him play.
17:01And I want to ask you especially.
17:03For Gustavo Gil and Teodoro Grecón.
17:05I had named one.
17:07I liked it.
17:09I loved to see him play.
17:11Camaleón García.
17:13In third base.
17:15He had a particular style.
17:17How was Camaleón García?
17:19Strong.
17:21A guy like me.
17:23Strong.
17:25But he had a walk.
17:27A style.
17:29I saw him 40 years ago.
17:31Playing against him.
17:33But I stopped to see him.
17:35He was agile.
17:37Yes.
17:39He had hands.
17:41I did not want to play.
17:43Because he did not want to get on a plane.
17:45But he had to get to the Grandes Ligas.
17:49A long time with that bat he had.
17:51And the hands.
17:53His hands.
17:55Compared to Pírrula.
17:57Pírrula in third base.
17:59Spectacular hands.
18:01Did you see him in Paris?
18:03In his last years in Venezuela.
18:05I saw him play 1, 2, 3 games.
18:07And then I gave the gloves.
18:09To Enzo Hernández.
18:11My great friend.
18:13Learn more about your passion for baseball.
18:15While you perform your 24-7 sports plays.
18:17And much more.
18:19www.sellatuparley.com
18:21Tell me about those two other top players.
18:23Luis Aparicio.
18:25Who is our great reference.
18:27I understand.
18:29In his last years.
18:31And Enzo Hernández.
18:33With whom you were contemporary.
18:35Because Enzo debuted in the same year.
18:37In 1972 he debuted.
18:39I debuted in 1970.
18:41We were good friends.
18:43I got married.
18:45And I went to his house in Oriente.
18:51Enzo didn't last longer.
18:53As I told you.
18:55Because of the doctors.
18:57The doctors said he had nothing.
18:59Enzo retired with an injury.
19:01In his spine.
19:03They operated him here in Venezuela.
19:05And he was left with a wheelchair.
19:07Because he was injured.
19:09In the United States.
19:11No one ever complained.
19:13That he had a back injury.
19:15Well he died of that.
19:17But he had the hands of Luis Aparicio.
19:19Or the hands of Omar Luis Querencio.
19:21Similar.
19:23Hands of that age.
19:25Tremendous hands.
19:27I have heard.
19:29And I have read.
19:31That he grew up admiring.
19:33Luis Aparicio.
19:35He saw him a lot.
19:37His movements were similar.
19:39He ran the same.
19:41He had the same gloves as Aparicio.
19:43Aparicio was his tutor.
19:45Aparicio was his manager.
19:47Aparicio moved to play third base.
19:49The first time I see him in my life.
19:51And Enzo was the cheerleader.
19:53In 1967.
19:57You know what I see?
19:59His gloves.
20:01His gloves were spectacular.
20:03Spectacular.
20:05He learned to bat with the opposite hand.
20:09That is difficult.
20:11To the left.
20:13To the left.
20:15I did it.
20:17And I retired.
20:19When did you try it?
20:21In 1971.
20:23They sent me from Grande Liga.
20:25I told them I couldn't.
20:27I couldn't.
20:29To do it here in Venezuela?
20:31No.
20:33They sent me to La Liga.
20:35They beat me up.
20:37I couldn't move.
20:39They hit me with a ball.
20:41I said I'm going home.
20:43That is difficult.
20:45To do what he did.
20:47He dominated him.
20:49He did it in his career.
20:51He was in double A.
20:53I don't remember.
20:55It is not easy to change.
20:57To bat with the left hand.
20:59Who were the best shortstops?
21:01At the time.
21:03According to your criteria.
21:05With me.
21:07They played against me.
21:09Enzo Hernandez.
21:11He was the most competent.
21:13Then came
21:15Ovaldo Guillén.
21:17Then Guillén.
21:19I think Michel came.
21:21And then
21:23Pedro Fuentes.
21:25He was so good.
21:27And in the big leagues.
21:29Non-Venezuelan.
21:31In the big leagues, non-Venezuelan was good.
21:33People didn't like him.
21:35But I said
21:37he didn't have arms.
21:39But he took them all.
21:41The ribos.
21:43Gary Tapperton.
21:45Then
21:47the magician
21:49O.C. Smith.
21:51O.C. Smith.
21:53Boo Harrison.
21:55And then came O.C. Smith.
21:57Yes.
21:59When you get used
22:01to eating flour
22:03with a name.
22:05You take the name from the flour
22:07but you keep eating the same flour.
22:09Produced the same.
22:11Like bread.
22:13You eat bread and the bread has a name.
22:15That's how we started.
22:17We started
22:19with Alfonso Carraquel.
22:21Luis Aparicio.
22:23The line.
22:25We have
22:27good people.
22:29But
22:31out of 10 we have one
22:33that can be a superstar.
22:35Right?
22:37There are the two brothers Contreras.
22:39Salvador Perez.
22:41But the line
22:43is Mr. Estodo.
22:45We are Mr. Estodo Nato.
22:47David.
22:49Maybe we can close with this.
22:51You were 19 years old
22:53playing in the Riverfront Stadium.
22:55Artificial grass.
22:57A lot of players.
22:59That type of surface
23:01did a lot of damage to you.
23:03And yet you had a tremendously
23:05extensive career.
23:07I didn't suffer from the knee.
23:11My career had a lot
23:13of fractures.
23:15But not because of
23:17the structure.
23:19The structure
23:21damaged me after I retired.
23:23The back started to hurt.
23:25The vertebrae
23:27started to join.
23:29I think
23:31it was because of the
23:33structure that was stronger
23:35than the grass.
23:37It was picking up
23:39the vertebrae. I have 12 screws
23:41in my spine.
23:43I had surgery
23:45early in 2000.
23:47I had surgery in 2017.
23:49And maybe this year,
23:51when I have vacations,
23:53I will have surgery on the last vertebrae
23:55that is in the coccyx.
23:57It's bothering me.
23:59Was it after
24:01your career?
24:03After my career, a lot of players
24:05the structure damaged them.
24:07Especially the knee.
24:11Because it was strong.
24:13It was strong, but
24:15it was easy for me.
24:17I got used to
24:19playing it.
24:21I got used to
24:23the bounce.
24:25And then I invented
24:27the first bounce.
24:29It was easier for the first
24:31base to catch it.
24:33I understand that it came
24:35from what you saw in the 1970 World Series.
24:37That's where
24:39the copy came from.
24:41They gave a rolling for third.
24:43And for first, they gave it
24:45a bounce.
24:47That stayed with me.
24:49And for first,
24:51it was easier.
24:53Now,
24:55in the future,
24:57if I feel a little
24:59sore in my arm, I will do the same.
25:01And then I did it
25:03forward, back, everywhere.
25:07And that's where you patented it.
25:09That's where I patented it.
25:11That's where I patented it.
25:13David, thank you very much
25:15for your time,
25:17for welcoming us here,
25:19for that delicious breakfast
25:21with that cheese produced here
25:23in your farm, Vista Linda.
25:25It has been an unforgettable
25:27time for us
25:29to be here today with you.
25:31Thank you, Sabarse.
25:33Nice to meet you.
25:41you
Comments