A few days before the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classicnext March 6, I have frequently read fans and colleagues remembering what happened in the previous edition of the tournament. Appealing to memory is fine. Remembering that Trea Turner hit a grand slam and ended the dreams of an entire baseball country, perhaps it hurts and stays with us forever.
I emphasize this because in these comments the eternal “what would have happened if…?” usually appears. We will never know. Because as the recently deceased Venezuelan journalist Humberto Acosta corrected me in the El Nacional editorial office in 2012—with the humility that always characterized him—the “would have does not exist.” And less in baseball. Things are or they are not. You don’t play with imaginary possibilities or lift trophies with assumptions.
Humberto, an obligatory reference in Venezuelan sports journalism, turned his Triple Play column into a lecture on simplicity and clarity. He explained the complex matter naturally, without exaggerations, without unnecessary embellishments. He had the virtue of landing any debate with a direct, almost pedagogical phrase. That teaching—which seems simple but is profound—today makes more sense than ever.
In 2023, Venezuela fell to the United States in the semifinals. That’s what happened. The hit existed. Elimination too. The rest belongs to the realm of the imagination.
Now, with all the difficulties that the technical and managerial staff may currently have, the country has a new opportunity. José Altuve will not be there due to insurance issues. Neither did Pablo López, who was emerging as the leader of the rotation, due to an injury. And there are more absences, they are realities. And in the face of realities one competes, one does not lament.
There is only what is or what happened. The rest is noise. Venezuela exists, has talent and has real possibilities in a short tournament where conviction weighs as much as the roster.
The best tribute to Humberto Acosta is not to quote him. It is understanding it. Leave the “would have” behind and focus on the opportunity that is in front of you. Because the past is not corrected, but the present is still played. And that teaching that I share today goes beyond a sport, it applies to life in general.
