Remembering Nestor Chavez

By Tony “the Tiger” Hayes

latimes file photo: San Francisco Giant pitcher Nestor Chavez who died at the age of 22 in the worst aviation accident in Venezuelan history in 1969 is remembered for being an active player like Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez who died while at their peak

SAN FRANCISCO–Tragically –  baseball lost one of its great young stars this week with the death of budding Miami ace Jose Fernandez at the age of 24.
For us it brought to mind a similar tragic death of a young Giants pitcher 47 years ago.

After just two big  league appearances –  Chavez  became the only San Francisco Giant to die while under contract with the club when he perished at age 22 in 1969.

The promising Venezuelan was on his way to spring training when he was killed in one of the deadliest crashes in commercial aviation history on March 16, 1969. The jet went down in a residential area near the Maracaibo International Airport killing 155 people.

Viasa Flight 742 struck power lines shortly after takeoff and  violently slammed to the ground. Not only were all 84 people on the airliner killed, but, astonishing,  another 71 citizens on the ground perished.

An investigation showed that faulty weight censors failed to warn that the DC-9-32  was too heavy for flight.

At age 19, Chavez became one of the youngest Giants ever, debuting against the Cubs at Candlestick Park (9/9/67) with a shutout relief inning .  The first three batters he faced were future Hall of Famers, and The teen did the  job, retiring Billy Williams and Ernie Banks on routine plays while walking Ron Santo in the 8-2 Giants loss.

Coming off an 18-8, 2.92 season in the minors in 1967, Giants brass, in particular, Giants legend Carl Hubbell – then the minor league farm director – was salivating at the opportunity to see the peach-fuzz faced kid face prime time hitters.

The “Meal Ticket” wasn’t disappointed as Chavez did not allow an earned run in five innings over his two games.

Chavez showed premature polish upon arriving at Candlestick Park in ’67. Though fresh faced and youthful looking, Chavez was not intimated – having faced professional hitters since his early teens, in both his native Venezuela and in the Giants farm system – where he debuted at 16.

He advanced steadily through the farm system, hitting a rough patch only in 1968 when arm tenderness limited him to 17 contests at Triple-A Phoenix.

Like his mentor Juan Marichal who shutout the visiting Phillies for his first MLB victory in 1960, Chavez also blanked Philadelphia (four relief innings) to earn his lone big league win, also at Candlestick (9/30/67).

After Bill Henry pitched goose eggs over the first three innings, Chavez shut down the Phils in the middle frames, before Lindy McDaniel came on for a two inning save in the 1-0 conquest, the nite-cap of a double-header.

In his four frames that day Chavez surrendered two hits, walked two and struck two, while facing 15 hitters.