Former White Sox shortstop Alfonso "Chico" Carrasquel died Thursday of a heart attack caused by complications from diabetes, the team said. He was 77. A four-time All-Star during his 10 major league seasons, Carrasquel died at his home in Caracas, Venezuela. "Venezuela lost one of its heroes today," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, the first Venezuela-native to manage a major league team. "As the first great Venezuelan shortstop, Chico helped put our country on the baseball map. I am honored and proud to have known him as a friend and will miss seeing him in my office each day at the ballpark. He was such a great friend, person and role model for young players." Carrasquel spent seven seasons as a color commentator for Spanish-language broadcasts of White Sox games from 1990, and also served as a member of the team's community relations staff. When U.S. Cellular field opened last season, he joined Guillen, Hall-of-Famer Luis Aparicio and Dave Concepcion in a gathering of Venezuelan shortstops. "Chico was my hero and mentor. He took me under his wing, and I'm grateful to him for making me the ballplayer that I turned out to be," said Aparicio, who succeeded Carrasquel at shortstop for the White Sox. Carrasquel finished his career with 1,199 hits and 474 runs batted in, and is recognized as the first Latin American native to earn an All-Star selection. He led the American League in fielding for three seasons, and his 24-game hitting streak as a rookie in 1950 ranks as the fifth-longest in White Sox history. The team will honor him before next Monday's game against the Angels.