PHOTO: Jose Alvarado sports custom cleats with mom's name 'Crelia' for heartfelt Mother's Day tribute
The entire league celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday in different fashions. That includes Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jose Alvarado, who also recognized his mother, Crelia Lizarzabal's, contribution to making him who he is today.
During the Phillies postseason in 2023, Alvarado opened up about his family struggles and not having them with him at his home in Miami. He was heard as a congressional inquiry paved the way for his family, which includes his mother, son Dylan, daughter Victoria, and sister Mariu, to come to his home in the States.
On Sunday afternoon, in a game against the Miami Marlins, the Phillies reliever flaunted customized cleats with her mother's name, Crelia, inscribed on them. Phillies writer Alex Coffey shared the image of pink-hued Mother's Day special custom cleats on social media.
Against the Marlins, Jose Alvarado was called to pitch the seventh inning, and he cruised past easily, registering a clean inning. However, the Phillies lost the game 7-6.
“She’s like the best cook." Jose Alvarado sang praise of his mother's culinary skills
For two years, Jose Alvarado had to celebrate Mother's Day on FaceTime before finally bringing his family with him to live in the States. The moment culminated with Alvarado feeling blessed to have his mother and his family living with him in South Florida.
“It means a lot,” Alvarado said. “It’s like I can sleep now. My mind is clear. I don’t think like, I need to work for my mom and my family over there in Venezuela. Now, I focus on my job, finish the game, go to my house, and I’ve got my kids, my mom waiting for me before I go to sleep. That’s so special for me to have my family wait for me every night.” [via The Guam Daily Post].
Now that Alvarado has his mother by his side every day, it feels like Mother's Day for the reliever. It comes with icing on the cake, with Jose Alavarado crediting his mother's culinary skills.
His mother's famous pabellón, a traditional Venezuelan specialty, includes “white rice, carne mechada (shredded beef), black beans, tajadas (a sweet fried plantain), cheese and avocado,” per Jose.
“She’s like the best cook,” Alvarado said. “I need to be careful because she’s so good.”
Even Alvarado’s friend and agent, Felix Olivio, describes his mother as important to him.
“His favorite person is his mother. He dies for his mother.”
This season, Lizarzabal has come to watch games at Citizens Bank Park. Moreover, Jose Alvarado also accompanies her mother regularly to the doctor for her diabetes. Every mother-child bond is beautiful and Jose-Crelia is a good example of that.