(WSVN) - Miami Marlins fans now have an extra reason to pay attention to next year’s and this month’s portion of the Olympics.
Eddy Alvarez has been in the Marlins organization for just over two years. He was called up to the big club last August where he made his big league debut.
Alvarez is still in the Marlins Minor League system. Soon, he hopes to make a major impact in Tokyo.
Alvarez is headed to the Olympics to represent the United States. He is looking to become the third American to earn medals at both the winter and summer games.
“It just so happened that the stars aligned,” Alvarez said. “I could potentially be a two-time Olympian in two different sports, and it’s an absolute dream come true of mine.”
It’s a reality for Alvarez and his USA teammates, because baseball is back in the summer games.
It’s the first time since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Americans qualified last week. They are one of six teams in next month’s Tokyo games.
“Being able to wear our colors on our backs and, you know, wearing the USA on our chest, it really feels like a full circle to me,” Alvarez said.
That’s because, at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Alvarez was part of the foreman USA short track speed skating team that won a silver medal.
Alvarez had a message for his USA baseball teammates about coming up short of striking the goal.
“The feeling of listening to someone else’s national anthem when you were so close to winning, it really sucked,” he said. “Standing on an Olympic podium at the top is what we’re all really searching for here.”
His teammate on the road to bring home a gold medal is a former ‘Cane and 11-year major league veteran Jon Jay.
“Was born and raised in Miami, comes from a Cuban background. The culture runs deep in the 305, that’s kind of our running joke here,” Alvarez said. “We kind of throw up the sign. That makes it extra special to be on this team with someone I can share this exact emotion with.”
Alvarez and Jay can be on Team USA because they are not on a major league roster. Also on the U.S. team is three-time all-star outfielder Matt Kemp and two-time veteran all-star infielder Todd Frazier.
The opening game for the Olympics for the Americans could be July 27 against host nation Japan.
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