Instead, in a mocking tone he
called him licenciado — the title used for college graduates. Chávez
refused to respond to the captain until he used his military rank.
Fresh out of the academy, the rebellious Chávez's troubles already
were beginning.
Chávez was immersing himself in themilitary and coming to love
it, but he had not abandoned his passion for sports. He still played baseball
frequently. That was another thing the captain did not like. "He
told me, 'Are you a solider or a baseball player?' " Chávez recalled. "I
could never convince him you could do the two things at the same
time. He told me to dedicate myself to sports with the soldiers. 'I am
dedicated, Captain.' The team of the soldiers was good, but I wanted to
play in an organized league."
One day the manager of the Barinas team that played in anational
league called Chávez and invited him to play that weekend in a game
against a team from Caracas that was coming to town. It was a big
game: The team was inaugurating a stadium that was to be used for a
national championship series later in the year. On top of that, the manager
needed a left-handed pitcher. Chávez doubted his superiors would
give him permission to play. So he went without telling them.
In the first inning in his first at-bat, Chávez cracked a hit. In his
second at-bat the pitcher threw a curve and Chávez knocked it out of the
park. It was the first home run in the new stadium. The crowd exploded
in cheers. So did Chávez's soldiers back in the barracks. Unknown to
Chávez, Radio Barinas was broadcasting the game live and his troops
were listening in. The radio announcer even identified Chávez as the
second lieutenant of the local battalion. It was after 9 P.M. The barracks
were supposed to be silent.
The ruckus woke up the captain. He angrily marched down to the
dormitory to see what was going on. "Turn on the light," he barked.
"What's happening here?" "Captain, we're happy because our commander
Chávez hit a home run," the soldiers said. What? Chávez
Frías? The second lieutenant was supposed to be in the barracks, not
out playing baseball.
The next day the captain tried to arrest Chávez for violating orders.
He hauled him into the commander's office. Chávez tried to talk his
way out of it. "Look, commander, here in this battalion there are some
ten second lieutenants," he said. "If you go at night to the Guayanesa —
a famous brothel in Barinas — you'll find them there with a bunch of
women and a bottle of rum. Or if you go to the military club, they'll be
there with their girlfriends, dancing and drinking. On the other hand,
I like sports. I can't understand why they are going to arrest me for
playing baseball, and for holding up high the name of the battalion that
you command."
The commander was listening. Chávez was still in his early twenties,
but he was charismatic and convincing. He continued. "Don't you
think it's better that I'm involved in baseball rather than women and
booze?" There wasn't much the commander could say. "You're right,"
he told Chávez. "I give you permission to play."
He kept on playing. A few times a week Chávez drove an old Volkswagen
from the barracks to the ball field and changed in the dugout from his
combat fatigues into his baseball uniform. He also got the chance to
expand his passion for sports throughout the battalion. His unit often
traveled to the Wild West-style border zone with Colombia to hunt
for whatever guerrillas still existed. The movement had largely died off
after Rafael Caldera assumed the presidency in 1969 and offered an
amnesty to any guerrillas willing to give up the armed struggle. Most
did. During the excursions to the border, as the officer in charge of
communications Chávez often stayed with the battalion's commander
or his top aide at the command posts. Chávez developed a good relationship
with the commander.
One day he asked Chávez to organize a sports program for the battalion.
In what he later
called him licenciado — the title used for college graduates. Chávez
refused to respond to the captain until he used his military rank.
Fresh out of the academy, the rebellious Chávez's troubles already
were beginning.
Chávez was immersing himself in themilitary and coming to love
it, but he had not abandoned his passion for sports. He still played baseball
frequently. That was another thing the captain did not like. "He
told me, 'Are you a solider or a baseball player?' " Chávez recalled. "I
could never convince him you could do the two things at the same
time. He told me to dedicate myself to sports with the soldiers. 'I am
dedicated, Captain.' The team of the soldiers was good, but I wanted to
play in an organized league."
One day the manager of the Barinas team that played in anational
league called Chávez and invited him to play that weekend in a game
against a team from Caracas that was coming to town. It was a big
game: The team was inaugurating a stadium that was to be used for a
national championship series later in the year. On top of that, the manager
needed a left-handed pitcher. Chávez doubted his superiors would
give him permission to play. So he went without telling them.
In the first inning in his first at-bat, Chávez cracked a hit. In his
second at-bat the pitcher threw a curve and Chávez knocked it out of the
park. It was the first home run in the new stadium. The crowd exploded
in cheers. So did Chávez's soldiers back in the barracks. Unknown to
Chávez, Radio Barinas was broadcasting the game live and his troops
were listening in. The radio announcer even identified Chávez as the
second lieutenant of the local battalion. It was after 9 P.M. The barracks
were supposed to be silent.
The ruckus woke up the captain. He angrily marched down to the
dormitory to see what was going on. "Turn on the light," he barked.
"What's happening here?" "Captain, we're happy because our commander
Chávez hit a home run," the soldiers said. What? Chávez
Frías? The second lieutenant was supposed to be in the barracks, not
out playing baseball.
The next day the captain tried to arrest Chávez for violating orders.
He hauled him into the commander's office. Chávez tried to talk his
way out of it. "Look, commander, here in this battalion there are some
ten second lieutenants," he said. "If you go at night to the Guayanesa —
a famous brothel in Barinas — you'll find them there with a bunch of
women and a bottle of rum. Or if you go to the military club, they'll be
there with their girlfriends, dancing and drinking. On the other hand,
I like sports. I can't understand why they are going to arrest me for
playing baseball, and for holding up high the name of the battalion that
you command."
The commander was listening. Chávez was still in his early twenties,
but he was charismatic and convincing. He continued. "Don't you
think it's better that I'm involved in baseball rather than women and
booze?" There wasn't much the commander could say. "You're right,"
he told Chávez. "I give you permission to play."
He kept on playing. A few times a week Chávez drove an old Volkswagen
from the barracks to the ball field and changed in the dugout from his
combat fatigues into his baseball uniform. He also got the chance to
expand his passion for sports throughout the battalion. His unit often
traveled to the Wild West-style border zone with Colombia to hunt
for whatever guerrillas still existed. The movement had largely died off
after Rafael Caldera assumed the presidency in 1969 and offered an
amnesty to any guerrillas willing to give up the armed struggle. Most
did. During the excursions to the border, as the officer in charge of
communications Chávez often stayed with the battalion's commander
or his top aide at the command posts. Chávez developed a good relationship
with the commander.
One day he asked Chávez to organize a sports program for the battalion.
In what he later
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