Juan Gómez Mazorra

El Coco Gómez is a Cuban baseball player and coach. He is considered a legend of Cuban baseball due to his extensive career, fundamentally as a coach.

A native of Matanzas, Gómez began at age 13 playing official tournaments in his native province. While studying at the progressive school in Cárdenas, he also participated in the so-called Good Neighbor League. Later he would play in youth categories and, further on, in the Quivicán league (1953) and in the Amateur Athletic Union (1954).

However, Juan Gómez's greatest achievements were as a coach. He made his debut managing Granjeros and later worked with six other teams in the National Series: Habana, Industriales, Constructores, Henequeneros, Guantánamo, and Sancti Spíritus. In that sense, his service record is extensive, with 350 victories and 308 defeats.

He also managed Ciudad de La Habana in the select series of 1991 and finished in second place behind Pinar del Río. If the numbers from that championship are added, his historical record would total 389 wins and 332 losses.

He began at age 13 playing official tournaments in Matanzas. He was studying at the progressive school in Cárdenas and we participated in the Good Neighbor League.

Later he played in the youth leagues and further on was in the Quivicán league (1953) and in the Amateur Athletic Union (1954).

While playing a tournament with his team in Pinar del Río, the first National Series caught them by surprise. That's why they joined the second series with the Occidentales team. But he was only active for a couple of years: soon after he began working as a coach and trainer, under the direction of Gilberto Torres.

After the National Series, he continued working with Roberto Ledo on teams from the public administration. They divided the sports fields: Ledo went to the Cardona and Coco remained at the Conte. They played there and were also the coaches. They didn't have many players on the teams, a maximum of 14 or 15.

At that time Juan Ealo was the baseball commissioner, and one day he spoke to me about giving my player spot to Arturo Linares. He told me I had more potential as a coach. In the end, I think Linares was placed on a team in Diez de Octubre, and I started in the coaching line with Gilberto Torres, because Juan Bregio had an accident and they put me in his place. From then on I didn't leave baseball until the year 2000.

He worked with youth teams in Camagüey. He was there for two national series and then they sent him back.

In the 1965-1966 season, with Granjeros, Gómez Mazorra became manager in the National Series.

With Gilberto Torres I debuted on the Cuba team for the 1966 Central American Games in San Juan de Puerto Rico, during the Cerro Pelado feat. The following year I was with Roberto Ledo at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, where we suffered a bitter defeat against the United States team. We won more games than them, but that year a playoff was held to decide the title and they defeated us there, with Alarcón pitching. We all wanted the earth to swallow us up.

In 1967-1968 he managed the Habana team, with which he became champion, with a record that couldn't be surpassed until today.

Later he didn't manage again until the eleventh series (1971-1972), when he took over the Industriales. A situation out of the ordinary presented itself there―they brought a real lion into the stadium as part of the atmosphere―and several players were suspended. With them they finished in third place, one game behind Mineros and Azucareros, who competed in the playoff. They were one step away from winning the tournament, but at the last minute they lost four straight games in Camagüey.

In his last years as manager he was sent to several different teams: Constructores (between 1972-1973), Henequeneros (1974-1975), Guantánamo (1982-1983), and Sancti Spíritus (1983 and 1985).

I didn't decide so many changes. They sent me to provide services to other provinces. Many times I couldn't even complete the work, because results don't come right away. I accepted that I was going to plant seeds and others would reap the fruits.

As an assistant to Alfonso Urquiola they went to the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, in 1999:

That was the most difficult tournament I've ever participated in. All the teams brought very well-prepared professional players and we performed poorly offensively, perhaps due to the change from wooden bats. Linares's home run against Canada was very exciting. Life is tremendous and 32 years later I managed to get over the thorn from 1967. There we qualified for the Sydney Olympics.

He decided to retire after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, in which the Cuban team lost.

He continues giving lectures at the provincial academy in the capital and sometimes collaborates with the National Baseball Commission.