Background
He was born Silvio Antonio Aguilera Chévez in Telica, León, Nicaragua.
He was born Silvio Antonio Aguilera Chévez in Telica, León, Nicaragua.
Listed at 5" 11" (180 m), 177 pounds (80 k), Chévez batted and threw right-handed. Chévez became the second Nicaraguan player in the big leagues, as he was signed together with El Presidente Dennis Martínez by Baltimore in 1973.
Yet after a promising career in his country and the Orioles Minor League system, Chévez hurt his shoulder in his fourth Major League appearance and was never the same.
Chévez first represented Nicaragua in an international competition at the Torneo de la Amistad (Friendship Tournament), held in Managua in 1971, and was also on the national team at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia. Besides, Chévez posted a 54-44 record with a 3.15 European Research Area in 181 minor league games from 1974 through 1979, striking out 432 batters while walking 245 in 838 innings of work.
In between, Chévez played winter ball with the Indios de Mayagüez of Puerto Rico and for the Tiburones de Louisiana Guaira in Venezuela. Chévez is a long time time resident of Rochester, New York, but he and his family have never forgotten their homeland.
Since then, they have returned periodically with growing support, including donations of medicine and clothing, along with Bible school and supporting baseball instruction for youths aged 13-15.