Eddy Alvarez; Winter Olympian and Potential Minor Leaguer

Feb 4, 2014; Sochi, RUSSIA; Eddy Alvarez addresses the media in a press conference prior to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games at Main Press Center-Dostoyevsky Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Much of the country is dealing with freezing weather and snow storms, but there is a break on the horizon as teams are arriving in Arizona and Florida to begin Spring Training.  Meanwhile, the Winter Olympics are offering a distraction for baseball fans like me craving baseball, and the college season having started Friday is certainly a welcoming site, but a baseball storyline can also be found in Sochi, Russia.

Amidst all the horror stories regarding the accommodations leading into the winter games, Shaun White failing to bring home a medal, much less a gold, for the first time, incredible hockey shootouts, and the always fascinating curling matches, a potential minor league ballplayer has jumped into the American conscience, most just haven’t realized it.

Short track speed skater, Eddy Alvarez is in his first, and potentially last, Olympics, as when he comes home, he will pursue his other sports love, baseball.

His older brother, Nick Alvarez, spent seven seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, before finally finishing his baseball career at Triple-A in 2006.  Nick spent the majority of his baseball career between left field and first base, but also saw time at third, right, catcher, and even a game at short.  He ended his career with a triple slash of .274/.340/.414 and 52 home runs.

So Eddy spent his early years visiting his brother in college and minor league clubhouses, where, along with his Cuban heritage, helped shape a true love for the game of baseball.  Eddy even followed in his brother’s footsteps, enrolling at St. Thomas University in Miami, before ultimately moving to Salt Lake City to focus on the sport that would eventually land him in the Olympics, short track speed skating.

While in Salt Lake City, Alvarez couldn’t turn his back on the game he loved, so he enrolled at Salt Lake Community College and became the starting shortstop on the top ranked junior college baseball team in the country.  The switch hitter hit better than .300 and flashed a good glove up the middle of the infield.  Following the season, however, it was discovered he had 12 tears between both his knees and needed to undergo surgery to repair the knees.

He made the 2014 Winter Olympic team, where he will compete in the 500 meter race on the 18th of February, and will team up with other American short track skaters to try and bring home gold in the 5,000 meter relay at 1:15 PM ET on the 21st.  He did advance to the quarter finals in the 1,000 meter race and the semis in the 1,500 meters.