CARACAS Russell Martin Jersey , Venezuela (AP) — killed in a car crash in Venezuela caused by highway bandits who then robbed them, officials said Friday.The 33-year-old Valbuena and 37-year-old Castillo died late Thursday when their SUV crashed as it tried to veer around an object on the road, Yaracuy state Gov. Julio Leon Heredia said on his Twitter account. Officials said some bandits place or throw objects on highways to force vehicles to stop or crash so they can rob the occupants.Heredia said four people have been detained after being found with property of the athletes.Valbuena and Castillo were teammates on the Cardenales de Lara team in the Venezuelan winter league and were returning from a game in the capital when the crash occurred en route to the city of Barquisimeto.Third baseman Carlos Rivero was in the car and survived, according to the website beisbolplay.Valbuena, an 11-year major league veteran, hit .199 with nine homers and 33 RBIs in 96 games this year for the Los Angeles Angels, who released him on Aug. 7.“I will miss Luis’ banter, smile, genuine love for his teammates, and, of course, the bat flips,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said in a statement. “He was a beloved person whether he was on our team or across the field.”Valbuena hit .226 with 114 home runs over 11 big league seasons with the Angels, Seattle Josh Donaldson Jersey , Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs and Houston.“Luis was always smiling and was one of the happiest players in baseball,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement. “He provided joy to his teammates and our fans. He helped our franchise turn a corner in 2015 and provided many cherished memories.”Castillo played five seasons with Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Houston. He had a .254 average with 39 home runs.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in a tweet that “I join in the mourning that has overwhelmed the Venezuelan baseball family and all of its fans.”Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement calling it “a very sad day for our sport.”“It is clear by all the stories today that they loved baseball and made an impact on their teammates and the Clubs they represented,” he said, expressing “my deepest condolences to their families, friends and fans, particularly those in their native Venezuela.”By late Friday afternoon, the coffins with the players’ bodies had arrived in Antonio Herrera Gutierrez stadium in Barquisimeto where they were received amid tears by their teammates. A Mass was held to bid them good bye.The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League announced that all three scheduled games Friday were cancelled and it said flags will fly at half-staff in all stadiums for three days.League president Juan Jose Avila told Union Radio that he was evaluating the possibility of forbidding players from traveling in private cars to move between games, saying if the players had been on the team bus, “nothing would have happened to them.”Venezuelan teams tend to travel in buses protected by security forces. The Cubs went way behind, then almost caught up."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Chicago Cubs recapsChicago Cubs minor leaguesChicago Cubs essaysChicago Cubs game threadsWrigley Field renovationsFull archiveLibrary Bleed Cubbie Blue Community GuidelinesCurrent time in ChicagoBCB Specials & Site InfoWinter 2019 music threadsCubs StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Cubs newsYahoo Cubs team pageYahoo Cubs reportYahoo Cubs depth chartYahoo Cubs transactionsYahoo Cubs photosOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁旵hicago Cubs recapsChicago Cubs spring trainingRoyals 8, Cubs 6: A tale of two gamesNew,3commentsThe Cubs went way behind http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , then almost caught up.CDTShareTweetShareShareRoyals 8, Cubs 6: A tale of two gamesAmanda JuechIn 2016, the Cubs did not have a first- or second-round draft pick because of the signings of John Lackey and Jason Heyward.So their first pick that year was third-round righthander Thomas Hatch out of Oklahoma State. Hatch pitched last year at Double-A and had a decent year (3.82 ERA, 1.309 WHIP in 26 starts).Tuesday night was the first time he pitched in a big-league spring game, and it was not successful. Hatch was pounded for six hits, two walks, eight runs (seven earned) and a home run and though the Cubs mounted a late comeback, they lost 8-6 to the Royals, fielding a team of subs and non-roster guys against a Kansas City team that featured most of their regulars. I didn’t go to this game so watched it along with you via the Fox Sports Kansas City feed.There are a couple of highlights from this game worth a look. First is this long home run [VIDEO] by Mark Zagunis that was the Cubs’ first run.Your browser does not support HTML5 video.And, here’s a slick diving catch [VIDEO] by Johnny Field.Your browser does not support HTML5 video.As I’ve noted before, Field is an intriguing player. If he could learn to strike out less, he could be a good fifth outfielder, even on a contending team. He’s got surprising power and plays defense well at all three outfield positions. For now, he’s likely headed to Iowa to be a replacement on the Cubs’ big-league roster if there are injuries.After Hatch left the game J.A. Happ Jersey , six Cubs relievers combined to throw six shutout innings and allow just two hits with seven strikeouts. They also walked five, though, and that’s been an issue particularly for Dillon Maples (two of the five walks). Allen Webster, who has an outside shot at the Opening Day roster, didn’t walk anyone.Among Cubs who will be on that OD roster eight days from now, Victor Caratini was 2-for-3, including a triple. That’s about it for this split-squad game. The Cubs will play again at night on Wednesday, when they host the Dodgers at Sloan Park. Cole Hamels will pitch at Sloan for the first time, and Julio Urias will go for the Dodgers. Game time is 9:05 p.m. CT. TV coverage will be via the Dodgers network SportsNet LA, and that broadcast will be live on MLB Network. There will also be an audio webcast via cubs.com. The game preview for tonight’s game will post here at 7 p.m. CT.