Thank you, Andrés Galarraga. I'm now 50 years old and I still remember those years with great emotion and fondness. You were and still are my idol. And I continue to relive those moments.
I only got to see him play only for the Montreal Expos in 2002 vs Mets. Could have seen him play in a Met uniform in 2005, but he decided to retire at the end of spring training before starting the season in April.
I loved the way he strutted to the plate. I also loved how he suited up every day after his cancer diagnosis to sit on the bench and lend his experience to the team. That's how baseball is supposed to be: honor, courage, no showboating, and cheaters go home. It was that way on the sandlot. The sandlots are gone, every kid has a uniform, and everybody gets a trophy. We figured out who was out and safe all by ourselves at the age of ten -- a skill that served me well.
Para Mí , Después de Luis Aparicio, Andrés es el Mejor Pelotero que hemos tenido en las MLB, Se Transformó en una Super Estrella, Venció Todos Los Obstáculos, pasó de ser un Gordito a Un Súper Atleta, A Ser el BIG CAT DE VENEZUELA
Pienso que el Gato es un gigante, y es uno de los mejores exponentes del siglo xx, y tiene un plus de gallardía cómo superó el cáncer,, no obstante, creo que en el siglo XXI, hemos tenido otros exponentes de mayor trascendencia, Miguel Cabrera... seguro salón de la fama en primera ronda, José Altuve, que si sigue sano romperá todos los records de postemporada, y es posiblemente el mejor 2b de la historia, pienso que Acuña, está hecho para ser otro de los grandes... en fin... para mi Galarraga es el ídolo de mi niñez, cabrera el de mi adolescencia y adultez temprana y altuve el de mi adultez. PD: nadie me sacará de la cabeza que el Big Cat tiene el HR más largo de la historia del baseball y que si batea esa bola en colorado llega a 600 ft.... pero bueh... no le iban a dar a un venezolano el record del HR más largo de la historia...
Back in either June or July of 2000, I was fortunate to catch what was at the time a rare interleague night game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves in Baltimore at Camden Yards. My family and I had just finished having my follow up appointment with the orthopedic oncologist surgeon who saved my leg from amputation due to bone cancer at the Washington Hospital Center in DC. On a whim we decided to go to the Baltimore Harbor to have dinner and enjoy the evening when we found out that they were playing a game starting at 7:30pm. We managed to get 2 amazing seats for my dad and I only 3 rows from the third baseline just beyond the dugout. We got my mom a ticket in the cheap seats because she isn't a baseball fan and we knew that she would just wander the shops in the stadium instead of watching the game 😂. Stupidly I decided to try my luck with the other kids begging for autographs and wasn't having much luck. I say stupidly because at the time I was nearly a full year into undergoing harsh chemotherapy treatments and several surgeries due to bone cancer. At the game I had on shorts with a full leg immobilizer brace standing with two crutches, a very pale Casper white complexion, completely bald with no eyebrows or eyelashes, and weighed roughly 118 pounds on a good day at 5'8" tall and 16 years old. Andres Galarraga had just gotten over his very own battle with cancer and the moment he locked eyes with me while I was standing amongst the crowd of other kids I immediately felt his recognition of my condition and the concern for my well-being that came across his face was purely genuine. He motioned for me to step forward through the crowd and he welcomed me with a huge smile and a pat on my back once I made my way to him. He was awesome by allowing my mom and I to get a picture with him and he autographed a ball for me. Due to the language barrier between us there were very few words actually spoken but there didn't need to be either. In the moment we shared together he acknowledged the fight I was up against and reminded me that I wasn't alone in the struggle and he was pulling for me. It was a special moment that I will never forget. He was an amazing baseball player but more than that The Big Cat was a Hall of Fame Person. I am turning 40 years old this year and thankfully cancer free. I have that picture of the 3 of us and the autographed ball with the ticket stubs from that game sitting on my desk at home.
Excelente historia me da mucho sentimiento por lo que significa Andres Galarraga para nosotros los Venezolanos. Y Feliz por ti porque estas bien y libre de cáncer. Que Dios te bendiga y te de larga vida mucha salud y felicidad.
In 2000 I saw him hit a line drive at Shea Stadium and God Almighty I don't know how Robin Ventura snagged this thing. You could feel it off the bat and in the glove.
Luis omar desde la República Dominicana my respecto a este hombre que marcó un antes y un después en el béisbol de las grandes ligas que grade eres big Cat Andrés el gato galarraga se me eriza la piel cuando veo los videos de este hombre
As a youngin I really have no recollection of the ws appearances of the 90s. BUT what I absolutely do remember is bring live at a game when the big cat hit a grand slam. Never forget how insane the crowd got.
I watch this and i remember how much i used to love baseball, it's amazing to me how much i enjoyed it back then and now i pay absolutely no attention to it whatsoever.
La fase más bonita de Atlanta bravos fue Andrés galarraga en el 92 93 y felicito a los bravos de Atlanta por la serie mundial de 2020 2021 el mejor de todos los tiempos ( BIT CAT
