Venezuelan baseball players unite to show support for fans back home

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About a hundred Venezuelans are well-known baseball players with major league teams in the United States, with many more featuring in the minor leagues.

Despite being a long way from home, the players have taken note of the ongoing unrest in Venezuela, and decided to take a stand against the violence that has gripped their homeland.

And while many of the players are opponents on the field, a number of them have united to send a message of support to their fans back home.

The turbulence back in his native Venezuela has hit major league baseball pitcher Felipe Rivero hard. Like millions of people in the country, his family is struggling with the lack of basic commodities.

His teammate, the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, says it is important to try and not let some of the negative emotions spill over onto the field.

A number of Venezuelan players are trying to use their status to help raise awareness about the situation back home.

Earlier in the season Cervelli, Rivero and others in the league decided to make a statement. The message was simple: "S.O.S. Venezuela.”

Cervelli also helped create an online platform for other players to get involved. He now hopes his actions can raise awareness about the turmoil back in Venezuela, and help inspire others to step up to the plate and help ease the suffering of a divided nation.