Néstor Chávez
Encyclopedia
Néstor Isaías Chávez Silva was a Major League Baseball
right-handed starting pitcher
who played for the San Francisco Giants
(1967).
Chávez was born on July 6, 1947 in Chacao, Miranda State
, Venezuela
. He was signed as an amateur free agent in 1964 after going for a 34-3 record at the college. Chávez was nicknamed "Látigo" (whip) in his homeland, both for his stunning and sharp fastball
.
Listed at 6 feet (1.83 m), 170 pounds (77 kg), Chávez was one of the best pitching prospects in the Giants farm system. At nineteen, he was called up to the big club after a combined 47-20 mark in the minors. In two games with the Giants, he compiled a 1-0 record with three strike out
s and a 0.00 ERA
in five innings. After the season he had shoulder surgery and was sidelined for more than a year.
On March 16, 1969, Chávez was ready at the airport in order to start his rehabilitation in the minors
. That never happened. He died in Maracaibo
, Zulia State, in one of the worst aircraft tragedies in Venezuelan history, Viasa Flight 742
struck power lines while taking off, killing all 84 aboard and 70 on the ground. He was 21 years old.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
who played for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1967).
Chávez was born on July 6, 1947 in Chacao, Miranda State
Chacao Municipality, Miranda
Chacao Municipality, is one of the five political and administrative subdivisions of the city of Caracas, Venezuela. The other four are Baruta, El Hatillo, Libertador and Sucre. This legal entity is known as the Caracas Metropolitan District...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. He was signed as an amateur free agent in 1964 after going for a 34-3 record at the college. Chávez was nicknamed "Látigo" (whip) in his homeland, both for his stunning and sharp fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
.
Listed at 6 feet (1.83 m), 170 pounds (77 kg), Chávez was one of the best pitching prospects in the Giants farm system. At nineteen, he was called up to the big club after a combined 47-20 mark in the minors. In two games with the Giants, he compiled a 1-0 record with three strike out
Strike Out
Strike Out, , North American Harness racing championStrike Out was born in 1969 at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and is by Bret Hanover out of the mare Golden Miss....
s and a 0.00 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in five innings. After the season he had shoulder surgery and was sidelined for more than a year.
On March 16, 1969, Chávez was ready at the airport in order to start his rehabilitation in the minors
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. That never happened. He died in Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
, Zulia State, in one of the worst aircraft tragedies in Venezuelan history, Viasa Flight 742
Viasa Flight 742
Viasa Flight 742 was an international, scheduled passenger flight from Maracaibo, Venezuela to Miami, Florida that crashed on 16 March 1969. Faulty temperature sensors along the runway resulted in an incorrect takeoff configuration, and the aircraft was unable to gain altitude quickly enough...
struck power lines while taking off, killing all 84 aboard and 70 on the ground. He was 21 years old.