The recent nomination of the soon to be exalted baseball Hall of Famer, Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodríguez to the Equality for Puerto Rico Commission, which will execute the Tennessee Plan, is the latest entry of Puerto Rican athletes who have inserted themselves in the political arena to pursue successful careers in different disciplines.

Rodriguez, who on July 30 will receive his exaltation in Cooperstown, New York, becoming the fourth Puerto Rican to join the Hall of Fame, joins the list of other athletes who wore the colors of Puerto Rico internationally and decided to enter politics.

One of those who ran for a political post was the former center of the National Basketball Team, Jose ‘Piculín’ Ortiz. The basketball player was in contention for Senator of the district of San Juan by the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) during the campaign of 2008. In fact, the figure of Piculín was centerpiece for the closing campaign strategy of the then governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá in his attempts to be reelected.

Although a wrestling figure, an entertainment sport, Jose ‘ChickyStarr’ Laureano, also wanted to aspire to hold a political position when he ran as a representative for accumulation by the New Progressive Party (NPP) for the 2012 elections. ChickyStarr, after announcing his candidacy for 2010 militating under the NPP, later changed his candidacy to the PDP for October of that same election year.

Also in the ranks of the PPD is former fencer and excandidate for the governorship of Puerto Rico, David Bernier, who fell before the current governor, Ricardo Rosselló, during the last elections.

There have been others who have succeeded in politics after having sweated an athlete’s race, such as the senator by accumulation, Larry Seilhammer, militant of the NPP. Seilhammer had an extensive career as a basketball player in the National Basketball League. He currently holds the position of vice-president of the Senate.

The daughter of the senator and former member of the National Women’s volleyball team, Deborah Seilhamer also flirted with the idea of ​​inserting herself into politics. During the confection of the constitutional cabinet of governor Ricardo Rosselló it was rumored that the star player would occupy the chair of the Sports and Recreation Department.

During the campaign of 2012 where the then Jorge Santini sought reelection, the retired gymnast Luis ‘Tingui’ Vargas appeared at a press conference supporting the mayor and although initially rumors spread that he would occupy a position in the capital’s municipal cabinet, he later denied his participation.

One that had a collisionwith politics was runner Javier Culson. Precisely because of the issue of statehood, the athlete from Ponce ignited social networks by supporting the Puerto Rican National Baseball team with a comment on Facebook where he alluded to the governor had a difficult decision of supporting the United States team or the Puerto Rican team. ‘My governor supports the 51 stars, what a difficult decision,’ Culson posted on social media opening himself up to a wave of insults from the annexationist.

Others have participated directly in political campaigns. This was the case of gymnast Tommy Ramos who starred in a campaign video for David Bernier’s aspiration to governorship.

‘Pudge’ was named today by the Governor to lobby for the statehood for Puerto Rico. Next to him will be the ex-governors, Carlos Romero Barceló and Pedro Rosselló González.