Daniel Canónico
| Daniel Canónico | |||
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Illustration realized by Francisco Maduro
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| Pitcher/Manager | |||
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Born: February 3, 1916 Guarenas, Miranda, Venezuela |
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Died: August 20, 1975 (aged 59) Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela |
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Daniel Canónico (February 3, 1916 – August 20, 1975) was a Venezuelan baseball right handed pitcher. His friends and fans affectionately called him Chino, a moniker that he proudly used throughout his life.
Daniel Canónico is best known as the man who anchored the pitching staff for the Venezuela national baseball team which captured the Baseball World Cup in 1941. A short, stocky sort of pitcher with a wicked curveball, Canónico became an instant celebrity in his country, as he was undefeated through five games in the tournament, including the series-tying and deciding games, both against host country Cuba, while placing Venezuela for the very first time among the world baseball elite. But plagued by shoulder and elbow ailments for most of his career, he was solid yet unspectacular over almost two decades in Venezuelan baseball. After retiring, he became a successfully manager and coach in amateur baseball.
Canónico was born in Guarenas, Miranda and was raised in Caracas. He was the son of Benito Canónico an italian descendent and respected music composer of popular Venezuelan merengues. Mr. Canónico taught his son music theory at an early age and encouraged him to experiment with diverse instruments. As a young man, Daniel was leading his own little group playing popular tunes and then tried to pursue a professional career as a drummer, but he was not destined to be one of them, as he grew up playing sandlot ball and his passion for baseball led him to neglect his musical education.
At age 18, the determined Canónico approached a talent scout of the Liga Nacional de Béisbol, which had stabilized the first national championship of first division in Venezuela since its inauguration in 1930. Canónico then received an invitation to a tryout in 1934 and was offered a contract to play with the Senadores BBC, where he pitched and played some outfield. By then the league had established itself as an integral part of Venezuelan popular culture through the baseball, as it had a good blend of local and foreign players that included future Venezuelan big leaguers as Alex Carrasquel and Chucho Ramos, as well as several Negro League stars such as Leon Day, Josh Gibson, Bertrum Hunter and Leroy Matlock, among other renowned players. This was a great chance for the young Canónico to prove himself. If he could do this, he knew he would be capable of much more if he was given the opportunity.
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Wikipedia