CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Just three months after becoming the first Venezuelan to win the World Series MVP award, Pablo Sandoval is celebrating a new feat — the championship win of his team in Venezuela’s professional league.
The 26-year-old slugger helped lead his team, the Navegantes del Magallanes, to an 11-9 win on Wednesday night in the final game of the championship series over the Cardenales.
Sandoval hit one homerun and two doubles, and had two RBIs. He was selected most valuable player for the series, and his team won its first title since 2002 in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.
Sandoval said afterward that it’s impossible to compare the experience with October’s World Series win with the San Francisco Giants. But he said “it’s very special to be champion here.”
