Inciarte dreams big and reaches 200 hits
By César Augusto Márquez
It was a preseason goal, one that many inside the Atlanta Braves clubhouse thought was a harmless fantasy. Only first base coach Eduardo “Eddie” Pérez, a fellow Venezuelan and one of his best friends, took outfielder Ender Inciarte seriously.
But that’s how you get to 200 hits in a season. Start with a dream and keep swinging.
“No one believed that he would be able to do what he’s accomplished,” said Pérez in an interview in Spanish with La Vida Baseball. “I know Ender’s potential and what he’s capable of doing. Not everyone believed it, but I did, and more importantly, he did.”
Like countrymen José Altuve, Marwin González and Carlos Carrasco, Inciarte was able to keep his focus this year and shine on the diamond despite being consumed by the political violence and economic crisis that has battered Venezuela.
One of the players who spoke out openly against the government of President Nicolás Maduro, Inciarte seemingly worked out his frustrations against opposing pitchers, leading the National League in at-bats while rapping out 201 hits and averaging .304 through Sept. 29.
And in the process, he joined an elite club of Venezuelans to reach 200 hits in a season: Altuve, who has done it each season since 2014; Miguel Cabrera (2012); Magglio Ordóñez (2007); and César Tovar (1971). And he joins Dominican Felipe Aloú (1966 and 1968) as the only Latinos to hit that mark for the Braves. Heady company indeed.
“It’s so hard to do,” Inciarte told MLB.com. “I’ve come in every day wanting that to happen. … That’s actually my mentality, come in every day, play hard, expecting to get three or four hits every night.”
Strategic leader
It’s been quite a thrilling ride for Inciarte, 26, who broke in with Arizona in 2014 and finished fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. Traded to Atlanta after two seasons, he’s blossomed beyond expectations. A Gold Glove in 2016. An All-Star selection this summer. And now 200 hits.
Affable off the field, relentless on it, Inciarte takes all aspects of the game seriously. Five-foot-11, he makes up for his lack of size with hustle and smarts. In the outfield, he will position teammates according to the batter, and then track down fly balls that, according to Statcast, have less than a 50 percent catch-probability.
“He charts for the team and moves the other two outfielders around,” Pérez said. “He takes initiative, knows the game and is intelligent. He’s a leader among the Latino players and is on his way to becoming a leader on the team. All that he needs is time.”
Inciarte was born in Maracaibo, the birthplace of Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio. Pérez forged his friendship with Inciarte when he managed him on the hometown team — the Zulia Eagles — in the Venezuelan Winter League.
“Ender is a winner, a fighter, a hard worker,” Pérez said. “He likes to win, but above all he wants the team to succeed. He never thinks about his own stats, but about the team. Say the game is tied, he’s gone 3-for-3, and he fails to get a hit in his fourth at-bat. He’ll feel like he struck out for the fourth time. Sometimes you got to calm him down. He only winds down after the game.”
That’s how you get to 200 hits. Dream — and not calm down until after the game.
Featured Image: Patrick Duffy / Atlanta Braves / Getty Images Sport