Granma (baseball)

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Cuban Baseball
Team Granma Alazanes
League Cuban National Series
Season 2016-2017
Final Result Champion

GRM logo.png|

Template:Infobox baseball team

Granma Alazanes is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series, based in the eastern province of Granma. Until the 2016-2017 season The Alazanes were a frequent contender, but had never advanced to a National Series final, however in 2017 Granma not only made it to the Cuban National Series final,[1] but swept Ciego de Ávila to win the series,[2][3] breaking a 40 year record of being seen as underdogs who could not compete with dominant powerhouse teams.[4]

The team's nickname is the "Alazanes," which refers to horses which have sorrel hair.[5]

History[edit | edit source]

Early Days[edit | edit source]

Granma first appeared in the XVII Cuban National Series of Baseball during the 1977-1978 season, ending in 11th place in the inaugural season.

Agustín Arias played with the team for a short-term prior to his retirement, which a time of relative success for the team, but after his retirement the team become known as a mediocre team, often having a losing (below .500) season record.

The Landing of the Sorrel[edit | edit source]

Granma's history of losing was about to change, starting in the 1986-1987 season, and by 1988-1989, Granma made it to its first postseason, ending in third place.

But consistenecy continued to be a problem with Granma reaching the playoffs in 1989-1990, 1991-1992 and 1999-2000, but also having many losing regular season records.

Significant Granma pitchers in this era included Ernesto Guevara Ramos, Ciro Silvino Licea, Alfredo Fonseca, Manuel Vega Tamayo and Misael López Moreno. Offensively, star Granma players included Pedro Mora, Hermes Ortega, Marcos Naranjo and the brothers Valerio, Santiago and Victor Vicente Bejerano Morales.

21st Century Performance[edit | edit source]

Granam continued to build in the first decade of the new century, making playoff appearances in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, but then went through a downcycle of not appearing in the Series playoffs again until 2011, with appearances in 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Finally in 2017, despite negative predictions by many commentators, Granma won the Cuban National Series, sweeping Ciego de Avila in four. Team manager Carlos Marti Santos dedicated the win to the memory of Fidel Castro and to the Granma fans. Alfredo Despaigne Rodriguez (Olympic medalist and player in Japanese and Mexican league baseball) said that the Series win was the greatest moment of his life in baseball.[6]

See 2016-2017 Season - Granma (baseball)

Management[edit | edit source]

Granma has been managed by Carlos Marti Santos for 29 of the 40 seasons of the team's existence (1977-1997, 1998-2005, 2007–2008 and 2014-2017). Others managers have included Arnaldo Iznaga, Ramón Rodríguez, Marcos Fonseca, Osvaldo Avilés, Ángel Ortega, and Indalecio Alejandrez.[7]

2016-2017 roster[8][edit | edit source]

Pitchers[edit | edit source]

Number Name Bats Throws Age Height (m) Weight (kg) Place of Birth
51 Yoalkis Cruz Rondon R R 37 1.90 91 Las Tunas
42 Migue Lahera Betancou R R 32 1.92 120 Artemisa
84 Leorisbel Sanchez Hndez L R 32 1.72 68 Cienfuegos
79 Lázaro Blanco Matos R R 30 1.93 91 Granma
49 Jose Armando PeÑa Rodriguez R R 30 1.92 80 Granma
37 Juan Ramon Olivera Verdeci R R 28 1.80 96 Granma
56 Erluis Blanco Reyes R R 27 1.72 86 Granma
35 Maidel NéÑez Morales R R 23 1.84 83 Granma
9 César García Rondón R R 25 1.76 70 Granma
99 Edgar Escobar Noris R R 20 1.90 91 Granma
19 Adriel Moreno Rondón L L 26 1.77 86 Granma
48 Jorge Torres Aguilar L L 22 1.82 74 Granma
94 Andri Aguila Castro R R 23 1.69 60 Granma
71 Leandro Martinez Figuer R R 36 1.76 90 Granma
19 Yanier Gonzalez Rdguez R R 36 1.80 100 Granma
Yosvany Garcia Correa R R 27 1.80 85 Granma
Carlos Santana Satiest R R 27 1.80 85 Granma

Catchers[edit | edit source]

Number Name Bats Throws Age Height (m) Weight (kg) Place of Birth
45 Frank C. Morejon Reyes R R 30 1.76 90 La Habana
20 Edilberto Mendoza Pino R R 30 1.77 91 Granma

Infielders[edit | edit source]

Number Name Bats Throws Age Height (m) Weight (kg) Place of Birth
21 Guillermo Avilés Difurnot L R 24 1.83 87 Granma
5 Carlos Benítez Pérez R R 30 1.74 91 Granma
24 Lázaro Cedeño González R R 30 1.82 96 Granma
52 Osvaldo Abreu Sánchez R R 27 1.72 70 Granma
46 Marcos Luis Fonseca Alcea R R 30 1.81 76 Granma
66 Yulián Rafael Milán Santos R R 32 1.71 73 Granma
6 Héctor Árias Batista R R 23 1.69 83 Granma
2 Wilfredo Sanchez Rosales R R 31 1.74 80 Granma

Outfielders[edit | edit source]

Number Name Bats Throws Age Height (m) Weight (kg) Place of Birth
27 Dennis Laza Spencer R R 32 1.77 84 Mayabeque
1 Roel Santos Martínez L R 29 1.72 78 Granma
22 Alesquemer Sanchez Sanchez R R 22 1.78 70 Granma
18 Raico Santos Almeida L L 23 1.74 87 Granma
54 Alfredo Despaigne Rodriguez R R 30 1.75 104 Santiago de Cuba
51 Yoelkis Cespedes Maceo R R 19 1.85 90 Granma
Leosdani Batista Granda R R 27 1.80 85 Granma
Juan M. Benitez Tamayo R R 27 1.80 85 Granma
Darien Garcia Figuered R R 27 1.80 85 Granma

Notable players[edit | edit source]


Template:Cuban National Series

References[edit | edit source]

Template:Reflist


Template:Cuba-baseball-team-stub

  1. ↑ CubaSI.com "Granma had its day in Cuban Baseball"
  2. ↑ BaseBalldeCuba.com"Granma sweeps Ciego de Avila for Cuban Championship"
  3. ↑ CubaDebate.cu "Granma Festeja su primer titulo de campeon del beisbol cubano (Granma celebrates its first Cuban baseball championship title"
  4. ↑ [1]
  5. ↑ [2]
  6. ↑ Radio Havana Cuba English language broadcast for January 25, 2017 "Recording of Radio Havana Cuba English - January 25, 2017 show - Sports and Cuban Music Segments"
  7. ↑ [3]
  8. ↑ [4]
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