2024-02-18 22:15:59
Foto: Century Club | Flickr
Text: Editorial Cuba Noticias 360
Baseball lovers in Cuba will be delighted this Wednesday when the legendary Tony Oliva climbs into the box of the Latinoamericano stadium to throw the first ball of the match between Industriales and Artemisa, corresponding to one of the semifinals of the II Elite Cuban Baseball League.
The member of the Cooperstown Hall of Fame received an invitation from the president of the Cuban Baseball Federation, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, who greeted him a few days ago upon his arrival on the island to visit his family in his hometown. Pinar del RÃo, according to information from the Prensa Latina agency.
The former right fielder and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins had expressed two years ago in an interview that it would be a dream for him to throw the first ball of an official game in Cuba, something that he will now be able to accomplish at the 85 years old.
Oliva played 15 seasons in MLB between 1962 and 1976, all wearing the Twins uniform, whose current stadium, Target Field, has a statue of him in one of its entrances. Among his many feats in the Major League, he boasts that of being the first batter to win the batting title in his first two campaigns (1964 and 1965) and won another in 1971.
Likewise, the legendary number 6 from Minnesota was the first Cuban to be elected Rookie of the Year, he set a record with eight appearances in the All-Star Games, and won the hit lead on five occasions, among many other awards, such as the two World Series that he has as a coach in 1987 and 1991.
Oliva’s presence this afternoon at the so-called Coloso del Cerro will not be the first of a former Cuban Major League player for this type of ceremony, since in March 2016 the former pitching ace Luis Tiant had the privilege of performing the first launch of the historic exhibition match between the Cuban national team and the Tampa Bays Rays.
