2024-04-09 03:19:49
Photo: Facebook outlet
Text: Manolo Vázquez
It is difficult to ignore the figure of Antonio Pacheco. Not even the heavy rains of Tropical Storm Eta could erase his name.
Impossible to forget three Olympic medals, 2,356 hits, 284 home runs, 1,304 runs batted in and his 344 offensive average.
He was without a doubt one of the best Cuban athletes of the last century. One of those that stay among us forever and without impositions.
The sport of balls and strikes is linked to the idiosyncrasy of those born on this Island, beyond what the protagonists decide to do with their lives.
The legacy of the indomitable and irreplaceable second baseman within the Cuban teams, champion as a player and also as a manager with Santiago, was put into doubt, and social networks immediately lit up, amid the delay of the All-Star Game, scheduled for last weekend and postponed due to tropical storm Eta.
It happens that Guillermón Moncada showed a mistake during the preparations, because on the home club bench, among several names of glories that wore the local colors, that legendary Captain of Captains was missing.
In response, the fans have proposed a campaign that urges all Santiago residents not to forget the iconic number 6 from Palma Soriano.
The popular call is to wear outfits and posters from the first moment the stadiums reopen during the sixtieth National Series.
The tournament completed half of its qualifying schedule, scheduled for 75 challenges, and the Wasps will surely be in the quarterfinals if they maintain the good pace they have shown until game 40.
Coincidentally, the last time the eastern province hosted an All-Star Game was in 2008, the same year Santiago later won its most recent domestic championship under Pacheco himself as manager.
There is no living Santiago native or Cuban who does not remember the Captain of Captains. Those who confuse sports with politics are close to striking out without taking a single swing in favor of preserving the rich history of what they themselves have classified as “our national pastime.”