Washington Nationals Catcher Kidnapped by Gunmen in Venezuela
- Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:02am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Professional baseball player Wilson Ramos, a catcher seen as one of the young building blocks for the Washington Nationals, was abducted by gunmen Wednesday from his home in his native Venezuela.
Ramos, a 24-year-old who just finished his rookie season, was taken away in an SUV by four armed men in Santa Ines in central Carabobo state, the spokeswoman for his Venezuelan League team, the Aragua Tigers, said on her official Twitter account.
“This is sad, worrisome and true that Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped,” Katherine Vilera wrote.
She said Ramos was taken at 6:45 p.m. at his home in the region 95 miles (150 kilometers) west of Caracas. She said police were notified.
A person close to Ramos’ family, who asked not to be quoted by name out of safety concerns, said the catcher was at home with his father and brothers when several men “entered the house and took him away.”
“As of this hour, there has been no contact” between the kidnappers and Ramos’ family, the person said.
Drew Storen, a relief pitcher for the Nationals, tweeted his concerns: “Extremely upsetting news about Ramo. Thoughts and prayers with him. Scary situation.”
Spokesmen for the Nationals did not respond immediately to phone and email messages Wednesday night.
Ramos is considered one of the Nationals’ key young players as they try to become a contender in the National League East. As a rookie in 2011, he hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in 113 games. He also threw out 19 of 67 runners attempting to steal a base, a 28 percent success rate that ranked third among qualifying catchers in the National League.
Washington acquired Ramos from the Minnesota Twins in a trade for All-Star relief pitcher Matt Capps in July 2010.
The abduction appeared to be the first case involving a Major League Baseball player.
But in Venezuela, which is home to dozens of major league players, the families of wealthy athletes have been periodically targeted by kidnappers in hopes of a hefty ransom.
In November 2009, the then 56-year-old mother of Victor Zambrano, who retired after pitching for four teams during a seven-year major league career, was rescued in a “commando-style operation” after a three-day kidnapping ordeal.
Zambrano‘s mother was abducted nine days after the former pitcher’s cousin, Richard Mendez Zambrano, had been kidnapped and later killed.
In June 2009, Colorado Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba’s then 11-year-old son and brother-in-law were kidnapped and released a day later.
The mother of former player Ugueth Urbina, who was a two-time All-Star pitcher while playing for six teams, spent more than five months in captivity until she was rescued in early 2005.
Around the same time, the mothers of five Brazilian soccer players were abducted in Brazil, including those of star strikers Robinho and Luis Fabiano.
—
AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich in Washington and AP freelance writer Billy Russo in Venezuela contributed to this report.
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NI6HTHAWK
Posted on November 11, 2011 at 6:00pmDoes anybody see Iran Hostage Crisis written on this or am I the only one who sees the Iran/Venezuela – Hezzbola/Cartel connection here?
Report Post »Big Lambowski
Posted on November 11, 2011 at 6:12amDon’t be surprise if Dictator Chavez has a hand in these types of kidnappings. You think Fidel Castro is bad; this man would fire dirty bombs at US soil if he had the capabilities. I wish death on no one, but I wouldn’t shed one tear on people like him.
Report Post »Sicialian Eyeball
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 7:02pmAhhhh…… Those fun loving latinos are such a bunch of pranksters.
Report Post »TSG-01
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:00pmAn ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Many people think because they are ‘locals’ or because they ‘blend’ or even because “we’ve never had a problem with this before” that it can’t / won’t happen to them.
We exist as a company for this very reason.
http://www.SoterianGroup.com
Report Post »michael79
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 4:41pmRent the movie “Secuestro Express”, kidnapping is a way of life in Venezuela.
Report Post »Green is a Lie
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:29pmPrayers with him and family. Unfortunately, this is what happens when you only allow the bad guys(and goverment) to have the guns. Perhaps if his father and brothers would have been packing, they could have dropped the home invaders. Lest us not forget Hitler’s removal of the guns from the Jews to prevent their defense for his future holocaust. We are less than 24 months from the same disarmament right here in the USA. Obama and Holder stripping the weapons from your very hands via backdoor paperwork requirements, frivilous dilution of gun right laws, and egregious legislation. This could be your brother or son and you will still be waiting for the taxpayer funded police to arrive and assist you.
Report Post »amrcn
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:38pmKeep the guns you have and buy more and support the NRA which helps us keep our guns from the tyranny of a liberal socialist government of political whores in the US.
Report Post »georgeisn6
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:31pm“O” my goodness” some one may miss a ball game, now that will get the attention of the brain dead american people. Somthing importent has happend in their lives.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:20pmI hear the Chicago Bears will finally get their first real quarterback since Sid Luckman by using kidnapping since the trades & the draft don’t work.
Report Post »otmonger
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:15pmThis crap is coming to state near you!!!!!!! Obama is on it!!!!!!!
Report Post »ColoradoMaverick
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:03amHugo Chavez, you are doing a bang up job with your country! Maybe you can give Obama some advice. I hope Sean Penn is next.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:57amWTF?? Pray for him and his family.
Report Post »vtxphantom
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:51amThere are many kidnappings in South America. People take precautions when living and traveling there. Since no specifics have been given in this article it is difficult to make a judgement on this kidnapping. I’ve traveled to Venezuela and I was told in what areas to stay away from and I did. Someone or group is looking to make money. Will someone pay?
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:25pmALL of Latin America is pretty much a mess. It’s a legacy of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism.
Report Post »LukeAppling
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:44amThis is the end result of socialism chaos reigns. We are on this path if we keep Obama. When the russian Revolution began it wasimilar to the OE$S riots against wealth, power and Czars. After a few years Stalin began killing all dissenters and those with whom he disagreed when he finished there were 35,000,000 les Russians for him to deal with. These big government ideas all end with the murders of millions and chaos.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:14amWhat do you expect when you travel to a Third World country and you’re wealthy? I don’t care what might be waiting for you in a place such as that, but you have to exercise good judgment.
Report Post »KangarooJack
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:58amPrayers for this young man and his family. I hope he is returned safe.
Report Post »c.rozycki
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:50amCHAVEZ needs to be held responsible!
Report Post »Carter John
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:30amI’m praying for this man. This seems too organized, who is doing this?
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:26amThe way to game and FORTUNE in a SOCIALIST COUNTRY WITH A DICTATOR! I’ll stick with capitalism, thanks. Pray for this guy. Chavez will do nothing to intervene. (Unless it’s a set up to boost Obama’s POLL NUMBERS when he SAVES him?) I guess I am very cynical these days, but nothing would surprise me and that, in itself, is scary!
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:15amEven as a Phillies fan this is very disturbing. This is what Democracy looks like people…Prayers for him and his family.
Report Post »diablosho
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:12amPlease God let this man be freed unharmed. This is so horrible. No one deserves the FEAR that comes with being imprisoned by unknown captors, for an unknown length of time, with an unknown fate involving an unknown amount of pain and suffering. Makes me want to have a heart attack just thinking about it. Many prayers for this man and his family.
Report Post »HurtMaleNurse
Posted on November 11, 2011 at 2:20pmJust ask the Christian Minister In Iran . . .
Report Post »It has been years of Captivity and ‘ReProgramming, for him.
/pray for their return