It’s about 335 mile drive from Maracaibo to Valencia, Venezuela –– about a six-hour drive between the hometowns of Atlanta Braves star centerfielder Ender Inciarte and Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez. Venezuela has a rich baseball heritage and many only have eyes for the diamond –– and that’s how Inciarte has made his name. But he’s always had a deep love for the beautiful game.
“I’ll always remember I was watching an Inter Milan game as a kid, and the Brazilian Ronaldo hurt his knee,” Inciarte says. “He was crying on the field and people were saying he wasn’t going to be able to come back.