Antonio Moschella Highlights Venezuela’s Top MLB Players

South Americans like Antonio Moschella love their baseball. Venezuela, in particular, has produced one Major League Baseball Hall of Famer (Luis Aparicio) and more than 40 MLB All-Stars.

And while the country has a rich history on the baseball diamond, Antonio Moschella knows the future of Venezuelans in the MLB seems even brighter. To put this into perspective, Antonio Moschella is here to highlight some of Venezuela’s most established stars in the MLB.

Miguel Cabrera – 1B/3B

Cabrera is perhaps the best Venezuelan player to ever take the field in the MLB. The third baseman/first baseman has spent his 14-year MLB career with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins and Detroit Tigers. He won a World Series with the Marlins in 2003 and became the first player to hit for the Triple Crown in 45 years when he did so in 2012. Once he retires, he’ll be on the fast track to the Hall of Fame.

Felix Hernandez – P

King Felix, as he’s known in MLB circles. Hernandez has had a brilliant 12-year pitching career on the mound for the Seattle Mariners. He’s a six-time All-Star, a former American League Cy Young winner (2010) and has led the MLB in wins once (2009) and the AL in ERA twice (2010, 2014). Hernandez also pitched a perfect game on August 15, 2012. He’s another Venezuelan on his way to Cooperstown.

Salvador Perez – C

Perez is considered one of the best young catchers in the MLB. The 27-year-old has already won a World Series (2015) and was named MVP of that series. He’s a five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. Perez also won the Silver Slugger Award in 2016. He’s had a few injuries early in his career, but as long as he’s healthy, he’s one of the best behind the plate that the league has to offer.

Jose Altuve – 2B

Altuve is perhaps the most talented Venezuelan currently in the MLB. No player in the league does more for their size. The 5-foot-6, 165-pound second baseman is one of the best hitters and base runners in baseball, as well as a plus defender. His career is only six years old, but Altuve has already earned five All-Star bids, a Gold Glove, three Silver Slugger Awards, two AL batting titles and two AL stolen base titles. Altuve is on his way to becoming a Venezuelan legend.

Carlos Gonzalez – OF

Car-Go, as MLB fans like to call him, Gonzalez has had a solid career so far with the Colorado Rockies after being traded from the Oakland Athletics at the conclusion of his rookie year. Gonzalez had an impressive stretch of seasons where he was named to three All-Star games, earned three Gold Gloves and won two Silver Slugger Awards. He was the National League batting champion in 2010 and he hit for the cycle on July 31, 2010.

Antonio Moschella Offers Advice on Going to College for the First Time

 

The first time you go off to college, it can be exciting, but it can also be quite overwhelming. Antonio Moschella understands this all too well. As a junior at New York University, he was once in that exact position. Although his family came from Venezuela, Antonio Moschella had lived in Maryland for most of his life. Moving to the Big City was quite the change for him, but he had a good roommate and cousin who lived in New York, so this helped with the transition. Today, he loves it at NYU. If you are worried about going away to college, here are a few tips from Antonio Moschella to help you out:

 

Go to Orientation: Although you might think that it’s not important, orientation is a great way to meet new friends and get to know the lay of the land better. Orientation will help you find where everything it is, and it often includes exercises designed to introduce you to your fellow classmates.

 

Make an Appointment with Your Counselor: In addition to orientation, you should schedule an appointment with your academic advisor as soon as possible. You can go over your plans, and he or she can provide you with advice on which classes to take so you stay on track.

 

Practice Healthy Habits: You are away from home now, but that doesn’t mean you should just do anything you want. Eat nutritious meals, get a good night’s sleep, and avoid drugs and alcohol so you can be your best yourself in the classroom.

 

Remember Why You’re There: Make academics a priority. Although the social aspect of college is important, your number one goal should be to get your degree and move on to the workforce.

Antonio Moschella Talks about Oil Reserves in Venezuela

 

As a historian who specializes in Venezuelan history, Antonio Moschella would be the first person to say that oil has had a significant impact on the history of Venezuela.

 

This is because the proven oil reserves in Venezuela are actually the largest in the world. While a lot of people consider Saudi Arabia to have that crown, that honor actually goes to Venezuela. As of 2014, Venezuela’s reserves stood at 297 billion barrels. According to Hugo Chavez, then president of Venezuela, Venezuela surpassed Saudi Arabia in 2011. As of 2009, Saudi Arabia had about 265 billion barrels in 2009.

 

In addition to its oil reserves, there is some potential for much more in reserves through the Orinoco Belt. The Orinoco Belt may contain as much as 1,400 billion barrels of heavy crude. Heavy crude is any petroleum with API gravity less than 20°. Extra heavy oil is had an API gravity lower than 10.0 °API. To put things in perspective, any liquid with an API of more than 10 will float on water.

 

We don’t exactly know much fuel can be extracted from the Orinoco Belt because it will likely involve a significant investment in technology to recover the heavy crude. Oil refineries get more fuel from light crude oil, but this doesn’t mean that the heavy crude and extra heavy crude in the Orinoco Belt won’t be a cash cow for Venezuela in the future.

 

In the meantime, Venezuelans can take solace in knowing that they won’t be running of oil anytime in the near future.

Antonio Moschella Discusses Whether or Not You Should Adopt a Dog

 

As an animal lover who spends time volunteering at his favorite animal shelter, Antonio Moschella is an expert when it comes to dog ownership. He has been known to help people who come into the shelter choose their perfect match of a pet just on feeling alone. If you are considering adopting a dog over the summer, Antonio Moschella wants you to consider the following:

Do You Have the Time? There are some dogs that don’t require constant companionship. There are other dogs that are lackey dogs who will actually feel abandonment if you leave the house. For example, you wouldn’t want to leave an Australian Shepherd home alone when you’re at work. Dogs also need to be walked, played with, and trained. These all take time, so you should certainly consider the schedules in your household to see if it’ll work.

Are You Allergic to Dogs? Antonio Moschella sees this all of the time, and it breaks his heart. A family adopts a dog only to return it a few days later because they found out someone was allergic. If you are thinking about adopting a dog, it is a good idea to get tested beforehand to make sure the dog won’t accidentally cause anaphylactic shock.

Do You Have the Money? Dogs can be expensive. Obviously, you will need to feed the dog and provide him or her with toys, but this is only the beginning. In addition to adoption fees, consider the other expenses you may have to pay.  You will have to take your pup to the vet for checkups, vaccine shots, and sick visits. You will also likely need to get the dog trained. All of these costs do add up, so make sure you are able to afford them for the benefit of the dog and yourself.