CARACAS, Venezuela -- Two gunmen beat former major league shortstop Chico Carrasquel during a carjacking last weekend.

The 74-year-old Carrasquel, who in 1951 became the first Latin American to play in the All-Star Game, was treated for minor injuries.

A Sucre Police Department spokesman, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the gunmen forced Carrasquel to drive to several parts of the city before beating him and leaving him in the northeastern district of Sebucan.

"I didn't resist. The car really wasn't important to me. My biggest worry was that they threatened to kill one of my sisters, a cousin who is pregnant and my 3-year-old granddaughter,'' Carrasquel said.

"Thank God they didn't do any permanent injury. But unfortunately what happened to me happens every day here. We Venezuelans live in a state of permanent anxiety.''

He played from 1950 to 1959 with the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics and Baltimore Orioles. He's considered one of Venezuela's greatest shortstops, along with Luis Aparicio, Dave Concepcion and Omar Vizquel.

Carrasquel had 1,199 hits, 55 homers, 568 RBIs and a career batting average of .258.

He said Thursday he's decided to travel to a home he owns in the United States.

"I'll return to Chicago after my birthday (Jan. 23). But I'm leaving sad and scared,'' he said.

High crime in Venezuela has affected other major leaguers recently, and some players prefer to spend the off-season in the United States rather than in Venezuela, where there is political and economic turmoil.

In November, Houston Astros outfielder Richard Hidalgo was shot and wounded during an attempted carjacking.