Cepeda connected the two thousand hit in National Baseball Series in Cuba

September 28, 2019

The 24 in his uniform indicated to the Spiritus-based player, Frederich Cepeda, that that would also be the number with which he would occupy the list of players who reach two thousand hits in National Baseball Series (SNB) in Cuba.

Cepeda, alternate in the first World Baseball Classic of the discipline in 2006, achieved the mythical figure in the fifth inning of his Gallos' game against the local Cienfuegos at the 5 de Septiembre stadium.

The sequence in pursuit of the feat was as follows: the outfielder received a walk in the first inning, struck out to left field in the third inning and hit a cannon shot between first and second base, at 3:54 in the afternoon, against pitcher Carlos Damián Martínez, when his team was losing 1-4 on the scoreboard of the sports facility.

In his twenty-second championship, the switch hitter established himself as the fourth player from Spirits in this group: Lourdes Gurriel (2026), Eriel Sánchez (2082) and Yunier Mendoza, who achieved it in this very season, on Monday, August 26, with a home run against right-handed pitcher from Mayabeque, Yadián Martínez, in his six thousand 170th at-bat of his career.

However, the player from that province with the highest number of hits in history is Yulieski Gurriel, current player for the Houston Astros, who hit one thousand 705 hits in 15 National Series and adds 514 in four seasons in the Major Leagues of the United States.

Gurriel, 35 years old and member of Cuba national teams for more than a decade, has another 73 hits from his participation in 2014 with the Yokohama Dena Baystars, of the Central League of the professional baseball tournament in Japan, so he has a total of two thousand 292 to date.

Campaign 59 looks historic for Frederich, Olympic, world and Pan American champion, in addition to absolute leader in walks received in domestic classics, since on Saturday, August 24 he hit his 300th home run in SNB, at 2:33 p.m., local time, at the José Antonio Huelga, against pitcher Maikel Martínez, from Isla de la Juventud.

Cepeda, who also has experience (and hits connected) in baseball in Mexico and Japan, demonstrates he is in optimal condition to join the Cuba team for the Premier 12 tournament, to be held from November 2 to 17, with the character of a pre-Olympic qualifier heading to Tokyo 2020.

A few months ago, the Spiritus-based player, considered one of the best Cuban players of the 21st century, was left out of the Caribbean roster that attended the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, where the team led by mentor Rey Vicente Anglada signed a negative performance, finishing in sixth place.