Braudilio Vinent Serrano

Former Cuban baseball player, known as Bayiyo, the Meteor of La Maya and the Star of Boxing; one of the greats of Cuban and world Baseball, Olympic Champion, World Champion, Central American and Pan American Champion.

Glory of Cuban Sports and stellar former pitcher wrote a singular history during 20 participations in the National Baseball Series, which combined with meritorious competition in a significant number of international events wearing the Cuba team uniform, gives him the credentials to be considered, categorically, as the best exponent of Cuban pitching during the revolutionary period and many even classify him as the best of all time.

He was born in the Municipality of Songo - La Maya, Santiago de Cuba, son of Marcos Vinent Jaime and Ana Serrano Serrano. Bayiyo, as he was affectionately called since childhood, performed multiple tasks typical of children of the era from humble homes and with limited financial resources.

To help support the household, he had to sell coconut and peanut nougat, puddings, cut cane, harvested coffee and corn. Tired of having to wait for someone to lend him the implements to play, barely having turned 15 years old, he decides to practice Boxing, the sudden inclination toward pugilism introduced him to the sport.

For his results, he is selected to compete in a championship in Santiago de Cuba and his opponent with the pseudonym "Hormiguita", with greater physical build and advanced in the Sport of fists, dealt him two strong blows that sent him to the canvas, immediately decreeing the RSC. This was his last fight.

At age 16, he works as a cleaning assistant in a bakery administered by his brother Menaldo and practiced Baseball in his free time, standing out for very hard throws. Very soon he caught attention and was called to train with the youth team of the locality.

He makes his debut in a provincial championship, striking out the Cauto team 19 times, with those credentials he is called by Manuel Caballero Portuondo who served as Provincial Sports Commissioner to join the youth pre-selection of the province. He participates for the first time in a national event in Santa Clara.

Here begins the rich and long career of successes as a pitcher. The trajectory turned out to be fleeting, he still did not have mastery of technique, but he had plenty of arm and courage. In his first opportunity as a reliever he easily dominated Rodolfo Puente, another great in baseball.

In 1967 he makes his debut in the VII National Baseball Series with the Mineros team under the direction of the now deceased Roberto Ledo. The first debut in the major league championship he is selected as the leader in pitching with an extraordinary earned run average of 1.03, 122.1 innings pitched, and 14 earned runs allowed, competing for the Rookie of the Year award with Rodolfo Puente to whom it was awarded.

Eight years later, in the XV National Baseball Series, he records his 100th victory at Estadio Latinoamericano against Industriales by a score of 3 runs to 1 on May 10, 1976.

In 1970, at the XI Central American and Caribbean Games in Panama, he wears for the first time the Cuba team uniform in an international event. The debut defending the colors of his country is against the Dominican Republic team, a game with a negative score in favor of the Cubans and which left a deep mark on the Santiago debutant.

The first triumph in world series in 1972 in Managua, capital of Nicaragua, begins the performance by shutting out Honduras 13-0; then defeats Taiwan 10-1 and Canada 5-1. Two runs allowed in three games.

The decisive game against the United States arrives, the starting pitcher, stellar and now deceased José Antonio Huelga, the day before, Vinent had pitched 9 innings against Canada, the Americans reach the top of the ninth inning with a score of 3-2, with one out, two men on base, manager Servio Borges calls on the meteor and he retires the two players. The game was won by Cuba with a home run by Agustín Marquetti, driving in 3 runs that put the board at 5-3.

He retires as an athlete on February 8, 1987, with a distinguished career, having participated in 20 National Series, 400 games started, 221 won, 2,134 strikeouts and worked for 2.42 earned runs per 9 innings of play.

He is a pitching coach at the Santiago de Cuba Baseball Academy.

Performance in National Series from the VII in 1967 to the XXVII in 1986

Innings pitched. 2,051.1
Hits allowed. 1,555
Earned runs allowed. 470
Strikeouts. 1,387
Walks. 683
Games won. 142
Games lost. 108
Earned run average. 2.13
He set the record of 19 games won in a series in 1972 in the XII SN.

Performance in Select Series
Innings pitched. 1,151.2
Hits allowed. 1,014
Earned runs allowed. 381
Strikeouts. 680
Walks. 313
Games won. 71
Games lost. 58
Earned run average. 2.97

Performance in World Series
Nicaragua 1972, Cuba 1973, Colombia 1976, Italy 1978, Japan 1980, Cuba 1984
Innings pitched. 118
Hits allowed. 73
Earned runs allowed. 23
Strikeouts. 82
Walks. 25
Games won. 14
Games lost. 1
Earned run average. 1.83
In the 1972 and 1980 Series he was selected as leader in games won and Cuba was crowned World Champion on all six occasions.

Performance in Pan American Games
Cali 1971, Mexico 1975, San Juan 1979, Caracas 1983
Innings pitched. 70
Hits allowed. 59
Earned runs allowed. 16
Strikeouts. 47
Walks. 27
Games won. 9
Games lost. 0
Earned run average. 2.06
Cuba was crowned Champion in all four games in which it participated.

Performance in Central American Games
Panama 1970, Dominican Republic 1974, Medellín 1978, Cuba 1982
Innings pitched. 56
Hits allowed. 55
Earned runs allowed. 18
Strikeouts. 27
Walks. 20
Games won. 5
Games lost. 1
Earned run average. 2.89
In the years 1970, 1974, 1978, Cuba was crowned Champion in the Central American region and in 1982 obtains second place.

Performance in Intercontinental Cups
Cuba 1979, Canada 1981, Belgium 1983.
Innings pitched. 73.2
Hits allowed. 61
Earned runs allowed. 25
Strikeouts. 67
Walks. 22
Games won. 7
Games lost. 4
Earned run average. 3.26
In 1979 and 1983, Cuba was crowned Cup Champion, in 1982, it occupied second place after losing to the United States.

Performance against the United States
1972. World Series. Cuba wins 5-3 against the United States, held in Nicaragua.
1975. Pan American Games. Cuba wins 4-3 against the United States, held in Mexico.
1978. World Series. Cuba wins 5-3 against the United States, held in Italy.
1979. Pan American Games. Cuba wins 6-1 against the United States, held in Puerto Rico.
1979. Intercontinental Cup. Cuba wins 7-4 against the United States, held in Havana
1981. Intercontinental Cup. Cuba wins 5-6 against the United States, held in Havana.

Records he holds in National Series
National Series. 20
Games started. 400
Complete games. 265
Shutouts. 63
Strikeouts. 2,134
Walks given. 989
Hits allowed. 2,645
Times at bat. 11,943
Batters faced. 13,283
Innings pitched in National Series. 3,259.2
Most victories in a series. 19
Complete games in a series. 17
On 24 occasions he was leader in different pitching departments.