Alfredo Despaigne Retires from Japanese Baseball

October 19, 2022

Age and injuries appear to be the main factors for the Softbank Hawks to grant Alfredo Despaigne his definitive release following the 2022 season in which, for the second consecutive time, they failed to reach the Japan Series, according to the specialized media outlet Béisbol Japonés.

Despaigne's presumed departure will coincide with that of several players who have been key to this organization's dynasty over the last six years, such as fellow Cuban Yurisbel Gracial, American Colin Rae, and their star pitcher Kodai Senga, who will seek to make the transition to the Major Leagues.

The main factor that should drive the exit of the so-called "Horse of Horses" is undoubtedly injuries, as over the last three years he has only been able to play in 194 games: 25 in 2020, 80 in 2021, and 89 in this season, totaling 30 home runs and 93 RBIs during this span, numbers that fall far short of what this great slugger achieved between 2017 and 2019.

Add to that the fact that he will be 37 years old in 2023 and that the team will undergo significant renovations within its ranks, making it unlikely that the club will decide to extend his contract for another year.

Likewise, Despaigne's numbers in Japan are the best overall for any Cuban in that circuit; with 184 home runs and 545 RBIs, he is the all-time leader among those born on the island. Additionally, he has accumulated 410 runs scored, 786 hits, 308 of them extra-base hits, and an offensive line of .263/.351/.491/.842 (AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS).

Also memorable will be his two seasons with 35 or more home runs (35 in 2017 and 36 in 2019), as well as his 103 RBIs in 2017, when he led those categories in the Pacific League in tremendous battles with Matanzas native Alexander Guerrero. The player from Guantánamo also had two other seasons with more than 20 home runs (24 in 2016 with Chiba Lotte and 29 in 2018 with Softbank) and two with more than 80 RBIs (92 in 2016 and 88 in 2019).

Between 2017 and 2020 he consecutively won the Japan Series title, on several occasions by sweep and with complete dominance over his rivals, being part of the third greatest dynasty in Japanese baseball history, after the Yomiuri Giants between 1965 and 1973 with nine championships and the Seibu Lions, with eight titles between 1982 and 1992.