Venezuelan Jackson Chourio arrived with a star label before making his debut in the Major Leagues. His potential was so amazing that the Milwaukee Brewers decided to make him a million-dollar offer without even having graduated as a major leaguer.
The center fielder has not disappointed and has known, both with his glove and his wood, to honor each of the millions they gave him. And although his overall numbers this season are not stunning, he remembers a constant phrase in the world of sports.
“It’s not how you start, but how you finish,” he said exclusively for DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS, who in the last two campaigns has managed to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 hits.
Fortunately for the hoppy ones, the absence of Chourio – who was injured in the World Baseball Classic, which won with Venezuela – was not notable and when the Venezuelan returned he put his team comfortably at the top of the central division of the National League.
During that time, the player says that not only did he have to work on his physical part to recover from a fracture in his left hand. The mental aspect also had to be managed, because he wanted to be on the field with his teammates.
“The truth is that it is quite strong. I think it was simply the fact that the team was playing and I wanted to be part of everything. I think that, thank God, I worked hard and stayed there,” added the Venezuelan who – at the time of writing this note – had already played 23 games, having an offensive line of .276/.336/.418/.775 with an OPS+ of 111.
They are modest numbers, but with the same nature that Chourio can hit a home run at any time – he has two this season – he says that he is a competitive man. The numbers in his first two years, especially in his debut when he was third in the Rookie of the Year race, back him up.
“I think that for my part I have always been very competitive, I have always liked to compete and, as I have always said, every time I try to play I try to give my best and try as hard as I can.”
While others already have hundreds of at-bats, Chourio is just warming up and reminds himself daily of something he would say to anyone starting out in the Major Leagues: “You have to keep going, keep moving forward. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Miggy’s advice
Jackson Chourio was part of the most recent Venezuelan baseball team, the one that won the Classic less than three months ago. And among those star clusters there were luminaries both inside and outside the terrain.
Miguel Cabrera was the star, perhaps, of greatest magnitude. With a career that projects to the Hall of Fame, the Milwaukee center fielder did not miss the opportunity to ask advice from the last offensive triple crowned that the Major Leagues have seen.
“The truth is that it was a super special, unique experience. From Miguel, imagine, who wouldn’t want to be there and learn a little from him?” Chourio continued. “Well, something I asked Miguel, which made me laugh. I asked him: ‘How could you hit so much?’ And he told me: ‘Look at it and hit it (the ball.’) So I think it’s obviously funny, but it worked for him, so I think in the end it’s something I do too.”
Chourio has more than half of the season ahead of him to apply Miguel Cabrera’s “funny” advice and demonstrate, for the third consecutive year, why the Brewers decided to give him more than $60 million when he had not even set foot in an MLB stadium.
