Giraldo González Araujo

Outstanding Cuban baseball player from the Pinar del Río baseball team. He made his debut in the XVIII National Baseball Series, 1978-1979, as shortstop for the Vegueros team. He remained in this field for 15 years during which he had a distinguished performance. He participated in national and international events such as the José Antonio Huelga Cup, Central American and Caribbean Games, 1982, Pan American Games, 1987, Intercontinental Baseball Cup, 1987 and others. A glory of Cuban sports, he died in 2021 as a victim of COVID at the age of 63.

Giraldo was born in Paso Real de San Diego (Los Palacios), Pinar del Río, where he completed his primary education at the René Fraga School in that locality. He continued his secondary education at the Antonio Tarafa Basic Secondary School in Sandino. He studied food technology at the Rebel Army Food Technology Institute, located in the Playa municipality of Havana City.

Upon completing his studies, he joined the provincial baseball preselections, joining the selection of the Vegueros and Pinar del Río teams where he participated in 15 editions of the National Series and Selective Series. Later he joined as a baseball coach in Pinar del Río.

He traveled to Colombia and El Salvador from 1996 to 1998 as a player in an INDER project. In 1998 he joined the Provincial ESPA.

In 1999 he moved to the EIDE Ormani Arenado Llonch. From 1999 to 2003 he served as President of the Provincial Commission for Athlete Care in the Provincial Sports Department of Pinar del Río, where he performed meritorious work. In March 2004 he traveled to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to carry out a mission as a sports collaborator, where he remained until 2005.

In December 2005 he began working at the Provincial ESPA, this time as director of the Youth Baseball Team until 2008. He traveled that same year to Italy to provide collaboration in baseball until 2010. Upon returning to Cuba he joined as a coach for the under 15 category at the EIDE of his native province. He was appointed to direct the Pinar del Río team that participated in the LII National Baseball Series 2012-2013.

From 2013 onwards he worked again at the Pinar del Río EIDE as a technical advisor in the under 15 category.

He began his baseball career in a Special Area of his locality when he was 11 years old. Upon finishing his studies at the Technology Institute, he joined the Vegueros team preselection in which he made his debut in the XVIII National Baseball Series in 1978, remaining for 15 years in the Pinar del Río selections, in which he got 1219 hits, including 186 doubles; 21 triples and 61 home runs. Additionally, he drove in 482 runs and scored 513 times. On defense he fielded for .963 and was in 767 double plays, playing 11,812 innings.

He was part of the national preselection from 1982 to 1988.

He shone as shortstop for the Pinar del Río and Cuba teams, standing out especially for his defensive abilities, which placed him among the best exponents of that position.

Giraldo died on August 28, 2021, at the age of 63, due to complications from COVID-19[1].
National Series

In the 15 National Baseball Series in which he participated, 14 were with the Vegueros Team and the last one in which he played was with the Pinar del Río Team. In many of them his team reached the top spot and remained among the leaders:

XVIII National Baseball Series, 1978-1979. 3rd place.
XIX National Baseball Series, 1979-1980. 4th place.
XX National Baseball Series, 1980-1981. 1st place.
XXI National Baseball Series, 1981-1982. 1st place.
XXII National Baseball Series, 1982-1983. 5th place.
XXIII National Baseball Series, 1983-1984. 6th place
XXIV National Baseball Series, 1984-1985. 1st place
XXV National Baseball Series, 1985-1986. 2nd place
XXVI National Baseball Series, 1986-1987. 1st place
XXVII National Baseball Series, 1987-1988. 1st place
XXVIII National Baseball Series, 1988-1989. 7th place
XXIX National Baseball Series, 1989-1990. 5th place
XXX National Baseball Series, 1990-1991. 5th place
XXXI National Baseball Series, 1991-1992. 7th place
XXXII National Baseball Series, 1992-1993. 2nd place

Other national and international events

José Antonio Huelga Cup.
Central American and Caribbean Games, Havana, Cuba, 1982, silver medal.
X Pan American Games Indianapolis 1987, United States, gold medal.
Intercontinental Baseball Cup, Havana, Cuba, 1987, gold medal.

Results as a coach

Among the main results obtained as a coach are:

National Championship category 11-12 years. Sixth place
National Youth Championship, 1998. First place
National Youth Championship, 15-16 years in 1999. First place
National Youth Championship, as director in 2007. First place
Pan American Youth Championship, Mexico, 2007. First place