The ground rolled beneath Estadio Universitario in the middle of an at-bat on Wednesday night. Marineros de Carabobo and Senadores de Caracas were in the top of the first inning when Williams Cacique stepped out with the count at one and two. The plate umpire and catcher removed their masks. Seconds later, the ballpark shook hard enough for light posts, speakers, and nearby structures to sway.
Players and coaches left the dugouts. Fans moved from the stands toward the field, turning the diamond into an open safety zone.
The quake was part of a double blow. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck west of Morón on Venezuela’s northern coast, about 170 kilometers west of Caracas. A 7.5-magnitude mainshock followed 39 seconds later near Morón. By Thursday night, the official death toll had climbed to around 235, with at least 4,300 people injured. The damage hit La Guaira and Caracas hard: collapsed buildings, broken streets, damaged hospitals, power outages, and families searching rubble through the night.
For Venezuelan players across MLB, the first question was no longer about the next pitch. It was whether the people they loved were safe.
Phones Became The First Concern In MLB Clubhouses
While games continued in the United States, the league’s Venezuelan contingent faced an agonizing task that does not show up in a box score. They tried to reach parents, children, siblings, friends, and former teammates. Some received quick relief. Others waited through hours of silence.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia lived through that wait. He could not get through to his daughter and her mother for hours on Wednesday. Later, he finally learned they were safe. His update brought relief, but it also showed how quickly a normal game day had turned into something far heavier for Venezuelan players across the league.
The concern stretched from Kansas City to San Francisco to Houston. Clubhouses became makeshift crisis rooms. Players stood near lockers, checked phones, passed along updates, and tried to prepare for games while their minds stayed thousands of miles away.
The shaking stopped the game in Venezuela. The waiting followed players into every corner of the sport.
Victor Bericoto’s Milestone Week Turns Painful
For San Francisco Giants rookie Victor Bericoto, the week moved from career joy to personal grief in less than 24 hours.
On Wednesday night, Bericoto found out about the earthquakes before the Giants’ 2 to 1 comeback win over the Athletics. He reached his family before the game and felt some relief. At that point, he still did not understand the full scale of the disaster back home.
Then he delivered the biggest swing of his young MLB career, a first-career walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. By the end of the night, that milestone felt much smaller. Bericoto later learned that his brother’s girlfriend had died in the earthquakes. He also said friends and former teammates had lost loved ones.
Victor Bericoto, speaking in Spanish, kept his message focused on the people back home:
“The message is we’re with them and supporting them through these terrible times that they’re going through.”
By Thursday afternoon, Bericoto was back in the lineup. He homered again, a 445-foot shot in a 9 to 6 loss to the Athletics. It was not a Hollywood ending that erased his grief but a quiet testament to playing through unimaginable heartbreak.
Giants, Astros And The MLBPA Bring Venezuela Onto The Field
San Francisco had several direct links to Venezuela inside its clubhouse. Bericot, second baseman Luis Arráez, and reliever José Buttó were part of that group. Bullpen catcher Eliezer Zambrano also is Venezuelan. Across the field, Athletics reliever José Suárez carried the same concern.
At Oracle Park, Venezuelan players wore VZ stitches on their caps. The gesture was simple, but it gave them a way to carry on onto the field. It also kept the crisis visible during a regular season game that suddenly felt far from routine.
The Major League Baseball Players Association also issued public support for the people of Venezuela, Venezuelan players, their families, and the wider baseball community. In Houston, Astros bench coach Omar López, a central figure in Venezuelan baseball, stayed connected with Team Venezuela members as they checked on one another. José Altuve and others also joined the visible show of support.
The response mattered because Venezuela is not just a source of talent for MLB. It is woven into the daily life of the league. Its players fill lineups, rotations, bullpens, and coaching staffs. When disaster struck, the impact did not stay inside national borders.
Baseball Can Keep Venezuela In View
Public reaction quickly moved from shock to practical concern. Some fans thanked players and baseball organizations for acknowledging the disaster. Others asked for credible relief options and donation routes.
That is the useful space for baseball now. It can keep Venezuela in view while rescue crews, families, and volunteers do the hardest work on the ground. It can give players room to speak, grieve, and ask for help without forcing them to turn pain into performance.
The schedule will not stop. Games will continue. Box scores will keep filling. But for many Venezuelan players, this week will not be remembered first for homers, wins, or losses. It will be remembered by phone calls answered, phone calls missed, and the difficult act of taking the field while home was still shaking.
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FAQs
Why were Venezuelan MLB players worried after the earthquakes?
Many had family, friends and former teammates in Venezuela. Some waited for hours to learn whether loved ones were safe.
Which baseball game was stopped by the Venezuela earthquake?
The quake interrupted Marineros de Carabobo against Senadores de Caracas at Estadio Universitario in the first inning.
What happened to Victor Bericoto after the Venezuela earthquakes?
Bericoto learned his brother’s girlfriend had died. He still played and homered on back to back days for the Giants.
How did MLB respond to the Venezuela earthquakes?
The MLBPA issued support, and Venezuelan players and staff wore VZ markings on caps to honor those affected.
Why does this story matter beyond baseball?
It shows how a national disaster followed Venezuelan players into MLB clubhouses, even as the schedule kept moving.
