1. Eddy Alvarez has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.
45 Facts About Eddy Alvarez
1. 2.
Eddy Alvarez is the sixth athlete and third American ever to medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics in different disciplines.
3.
The son of Cuban immigrants, Eddy Alvarez grew up in Miami, Florida.
4.
Eddy Alvarez took up roller skating at age five, began ice speed skating at age seven, and at eleven he won national age-level titles in inline, long track, and short track speed skating.
5.
Eddy Alvarez played well enough to earn a college scholarship, but instead quit the sport to pursue his Olympic dream.
6.
Eddy Alvarez made the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships, winning a gold medal in 2009.
7.
Eddy Alvarez became an All-Conference shortstop, but his knees did not improve.
8.
In early 2012, Eddy Alvarez underwent surgery to repair badly torn patellar tendons that left him completely immobile for four weeks.
9.
Eddy Alvarez finished the season as the country's third highest ranked skater.
10.
The son of Cuban immigrants, Eduardo Eddy Alvarez was born January 30,1990, to Mabel and Walter Eddy Alvarez.
11.
Eddy Alvarez grew up in Miami, graduating from Christopher Columbus High School.
12.
At age five, Eddy Alvarez was given a pair of plastic roller skates.
13.
Eddy Alvarez quickly found he had a talent and passion for the sport, performing tricks such as jumping over boxes for weekend crowds in South Beach.
14.
Eddy Alvarez played well enough to earn a full athletic scholarship to St Thomas University as a shortstop.
15.
However, the idea of competing in the Olympics drew him back to speed skating and Eddy Alvarez declined the scholarship.
16.
Eddy Alvarez made the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships, winning a gold medal in the 3000 meter relay at the 2009 edition.
17.
Eddy Alvarez's doctor found that Alvarez had multiple tears, twelve total, in the patellar tendons of both knees.
18.
Eddy Alvarez underwent five plasma injections before resorting to a surgery that could have ended any chance of a skating comeback.
19.
Eddy Alvarez had surgery in March 2012 and was completely immobile the next four weeks.
20.
Eddy Alvarez returned as the team was falling apart in the aftermath of accusations that head coach Jae Su Chun had mentally and physically abused athletes.
21.
Eddy Alvarez made the World Championships, and moved up to third by the end of the season.
22.
Eddy Alvarez opened the 2014 Winter Olympic Trials by placing second in the 1,500 meters.
23.
Eddy Alvarez followed it up with a second-place finish in the 500 meters, securing a spot on the Olympic team.
24.
Eddy Alvarez became first Cuban-American male speed skater to make a US Olympic team.
25.
Eddy Alvarez concluded the Trials by placing third in the 1,000 meters.
26.
Eddy Alvarez opened the Olympics with a disqualification in the 1,500 meters after running into an Italian skater.
27.
Eddy Alvarez was taken down by a South Korean in the qualification round of the 5,000 meter relay, but the United States was advanced when a judge ruled the South Korean had impeded Alvarez.
28.
Eddy Alvarez finished strong, as he and his teammates won the silver medal in the 5,000 meter relay final, finishing 0.271 seconds behind Russia.
29.
Eddy Alvarez made his professional debut with the Arizona White Sox of the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he played 27 games.
30.
On March 27,2019, Eddy Alvarez was traded to the Miami Marlins.
31.
Eddy Alvarez was assigned to the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to begin the 2021 season.
32.
On January 1,2022, Eddy Alvarez signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
33.
Eddy Alvarez was optioned back to the Triple A Oklahoma City Dodgers on July 3,2022.
34.
On July 13,2023, Eddy Alvarez was released by the Brewers organization.
35.
On July 26,2023, Eddy Alvarez signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox organization.
36.
Eddy Alvarez began the 2024 campaign with Worcester, playing in 114 games and slashing.
37.
On September 8,2024, Eddy Alvarez was traded to the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations.
38.
The next day, the Mets selected Eddy Alvarez's contract, adding him to their active roster following the loss of second baseman Jeff McNeil, who suffered a broken wrist when he was hit by a pitch.
39.
On January 6,2025, Eddy Alvarez signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.
40.
In May 2021, Eddy Alvarez was named to the roster of the United States national baseball team for qualifying for baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
41.
Eddy Alvarez was the first baseball player to be selected as a flag bearer for the United States.
42.
Eddy Alvarez became the 135th athlete to compete in both the Winter and Summer Olympics and only the sixth to medal at both the Winter and Summer Olympics.
43.
Eddy Alvarez joined Eddie Eagan and Lauryn Williams as the only three Americans to earn medals at both the Winter and Summer Games.
44.
Eddy Alvarez's sister, Nicole, is a radio DJ in Los Angeles for KROQ FM.
45.
Eddy Alvarez says training with Celski, whom he has known since age six, has been the biggest factor in his success as a speed skater.