Salt Lake Community College alumnus Eddy Alvarez is preparing for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo with the USA Baseball team.
A Florida native, Alvarez played for the Bruins in 2011 and earned recognition from the Scenic West Athletic Conference for his success. He is a multi-talented athlete that will have the rare experience of competing in both the Summer and Winter Olympics for Team USA.
In addition to playing baseball, Alvarez is an excellent speed skater, winning a gold medal in the 3,000-meter relay at the 2009 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships. He was the first Cuban-American male speed skater to compete for Team USA and won a silver medal in the 5,000-meter relay at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
After the Sochi Games, Alvarez returned to his baseball career, joining the Chicago White Sox organization as an undrafted free agent before being traded to the Miami Marlins. He debuted for the Marlins against the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 5, 2020.
The @eddyalvarez90 journey:@USSpeedskating ➡️ @Marlins ➡️ @USABaseball #TokyoOlympics. pic.twitter.com/KS1dZuOKxF
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 2, 2021
Alvarez has also played for the Marlins AAA affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, for most of the 2021 season.
In May, Alvarez was named to the Team USA roster for the Olympic qualifying event. USA Baseball qualified to compete in Tokyo after defeating both Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Alvarez scored a run in the game against Nicaragua and had two doubles in the game against the Dominican Republic.
SLCC baseball coach D.G Nelson described Alvarez as “humble, hard-working and gifted.”
On Wednesday, Team USA announced that Alvarez and women’s basketball player Sue Bird will represent Team USA as flag bearers for the opening ceremony.
“To be able to lead Team USA is an absolute honor,” Alvarez said. “There’s a lot of sacrifices I’ve made in this life, in my athletic career.”
Prior to the official announcement, Alvarez said that even having his name considered for this role was a “victory of its own.”
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, postponed by the coronavirus pandemic, are scheduled to begin Friday.
This story has been updated to include Alvarez’s selection as a flag bearer.
