Renowned Venezuelan sports journalist José Rafael Machado Yánez, widely known by his pseudonym Juan Vené, has passed away at the age of 97. His death was confirmed on Tuesday, September 15, in Miami, Florida.
Vené leaves a massive legacy in baseball journalism spanning over seven decades. He was a prominent member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), holding voting rights for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His career included covering 45 consecutive World Series and providing radio and television commentary for Major League Baseball events across Latin America.
He was most famous for his long-running daily column, ‘En la Pelota’, which began in 1960 and became essential reading for baseball fans throughout the Caribbean and the United States. Known for his direct and often controversial style, Vené was a member of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2014.
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Baseball Hall of Fame · Baseball Writers' Association of America · Cooperstown · José Rafael Machado Yánez · Juan Vené · Venezuela