Escobar fulfills dream of earning American citizenship

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- As Eduardo Escobar sat down to take his United States citizenship test in Miami on Tuesday, he was so nervous he was shaking.

Escobar, a Venezuela native, spent more than a year studying for the test, and it had always been his dream to become an American citizen. His nerves overwhelmed him until the 13-year MLB veteran quipped a joke to the officer contrasting his nervousness to how he feels while playing baseball on the biggest stage.

“I told the officer, ‘I play in front of 45,000 in the stadium and I’m never nervous, but right now, I’m so nervous,’” Escobar said. “He said, ‘Hey, everything will be good.’ And he helped me a lot.”

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Escobar calmed down and was able to focus, and ultimately he passed the exam. He called it a special day and was appreciative of the Angels to allow him to miss Monday’s game to fly to Florida. Escobar originally had planned to take the test in Miami when the Mets were in town to play the Marlins, but Saturday’s trade changed that.

“To have everybody support me, it’s really special,” Escobar said. “I just want to say thank you because everybody was so great.”

Shortly after becoming a U.S. citizen, Escobar flew across the country back to Orange County and arrived right around game time on Tuesday. As a result, he wasn’t in the starting lineup, and he ended up not being needed in a 4-2 win keyed by Shohei Ohtani’s incredible performance, with 10 strikeouts on the mound and two homers at the plate.

But after the game, manager Phil Nevin helped put on a celebration for Escobar. Nevin gave a congratulatory speech while players handed out American flags and gave Escobar a bottle of his favorite whiskey. Escobar has been a beloved teammate wherever he has played -- his former Mets teammates even helped him study for the test.

“It was awesome,” Nevin said. “I got the guys together. It was a really special moment for him. It’s just really cool. We gave him a little bottle of his favorite ‘juice’ and an American flag. We’re not only welcoming him to our country but our team, too.”

Escobar, who makes his home in Miami in the offseason, said his three sons are also U.S. citizens and that he has his parents in the U.S. right now, as well. He said his father hadn't seen him play in person in the Majors until last month, and he’s now in the process of having his parents move from New York to nearby Angel Stadium for the rest of this season. As a citizen, he can now petition to have his parents live permanently in the U.S. as Green Card holders.

“I’m so happy, but especially for my mother and my father,” Escobar said. “It’s part of the dream I wanted for them. It’s the best gift I could give my family.”