Agustín Marquetti Moinelo

Since childhood he always dreamed of playing in the park of the Cerro neighborhood and he will never forget the cold night in December 1955, when not yet ten years old he visited for the first time the Coloso del Cerro, now Estadio Latinoamericano and was impacted by everything he saw there. The next day, his classmates learned in great detail about the little boy's experiences and such an idea became a constant throughout his childhood.

He aspired to wear the uniform of the Habana club, his favorite team, take the mound and strike out at least 15 opposing batters, as the left-handed American Wilmer Vinagre Mizell did in that season against the Almendares Scorpions.

A couple of years after the revolutionary triumph of January 1, 1959, the winter league ended, but the noble aspirations of Marquetti and many other young people gained strength and reality.

His first major experience was not at the now renamed Latino, but in the sands of Playa Girón, where dressed as a militiaman and armed to the teeth he faced the mercenary invasion as a combatant in an infantry company.

Sports Career
Starting January 14, 1962, the exact date of the inauguration of the I National Series, he began to play real baseball; joining the Havana selection in the 1964 national youth championship and there he demonstrated, bat in hand, sufficient merit to join the Cuban squad of that category that attended the world tournament held in various cities of Canada.

His debut in the major leagues occurred in 1963, and fortune favored him as he entered through the front door, defending the colors of Industriales (1965-1966), then under the direction of Ramón Carneado, who was seeking the fourth consecutive pennant.

Interview with Marquetti
In an interview answering the question about what it meant to join the Industriales team, he stated:

"Imagine what it meant for me to appear alongside Pedro Chávez, my idol always, Urbano, Tony González, Jorge Trigoura and many other established players. I came from the so-called second category and they brought me to the blues two or three weeks after the championship began. My first appearance at the Latinoamericano was in right field, because I had a good arm and moved quite well. Of course, Chávez was the owner of first base, so there's nothing to say about that."

When Marquetti was asked about that unfortunate moment when he hit the decisive hit to decide in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and two outs on the board, he responded:

"Buddy, why talk about that. It was my first year and I received the greatest opportunity in the world. There I paid the rookie penalty, because I didn't touch first base and in center field of Occidentales was Ángel El Jabao Suárez."

While we all celebrated the victory, except Ramón Carneado, with a look of few friends, El Jabao got to the base and claimed that I hadn't touched it. The umpire Roger García called the out and that was a real bucket of cold water, even though in the eleventh inning we won the game."

However, you went from villain to hero on several occasions, especially on two historical opportunities, though in different settings.

"Well, that's life. The first of those memorable hits I also connected at the end of the ninth, with the game tied, and we defeated the United States to win the title in Managua (1972). After almost 15 years, almost at the point of retirement, we were disputing the championship between Industriales and Vegueros."

That was in the XXV National Series (1985-1986) and the direction of the Pinar del Río team sent Rogelio García to the mound. The man arrived at the ninth throwing peas, not to say aspirin. He threw me a good fork ball, the kind that breaks downward and I hit the ball to send it out of the park.

In both occasions did you touch home plate…?

"Ah, we're back to the same thing. In Managua it was very easy. Here the public barely let me run the bases and I don't think I could assure you what I did. By the way, I want to mention the chivalry of shortstop Giraldo González, who as he passed by me extended his hand as a sign of congratulation."

He taught for 22 years and his numbers inside and outside the home confirmed him among the best hitters in amateur baseball. What do you think about that?

"I gave a lot of myself and I was able to recover the sacrifice of so much time with satisfactions. The support of the public, capable of backing me in any circumstance is something that is appreciated. Also the family plays an important role. The most difficult thing is when you have to say goodbye and I did it at the top."

An unfulfilled objective?

"If you look closely at the numbers, I was short 65 to reach two thousand hits. The rest doesn't matter, because baseball was and continues to be my great passion, even from the condition of being retired. Sometimes nostalgia takes me to the Latinoamericano or I take walks around the Provincial Academy in the Sports City."

Marquetti's Nicknames
The slugger, the militiaman Marquetti or simply number 40 were some of the qualifications he received in all the stadiums in the country, they also call him Don Agustín, admired by the respectable public from every corner.

Currently he resides in the city of Miami and there he has founded together with his son an academy to train ballplayers. Marquetti, 65 years old, and his son, Agustín Jr, 33, are the main coaches of the Miami Sharks Baseball Academy (MSBA), a project that seeks to attract children and young people from southern Florida to the practice of the popular sport.

Marquetti remembered that his career began as a Physical Education teacher and later he obtained the degree of Licentiate in Physical Culture and Sports from the "Manuel Fajardo" Superior Institute in Havana.

After retiring from active sports in 1986 he worked as a batting coach and even provided technical baseball advice in Japan, Holland, Italy, Brazil and Venezuela.

The MSBA was officially founded on November 13, 2012. After establishing itself on the grounds of Tamiami Park, in southwest Miami, the institution hopes to consolidate itself as a children's baseball academy.

Besides Agustín Jr, his daughter Ayrobis and five grandchildren live in Miami. His wife Consuelo resides in Havana.