Cepeda: Cuban baseball’s all-time leader in extra-base hits

In his fifth and last at-bat against Industriales, Cepeda hit his 353rd home run in his lifetime, bringing his total to 854 at-bats with more than one base and breaking the embrace with Orestes Kindelán, also a star and now retired.

Cepeda, a member of the national team to four world classics and other top-level international events during his 25-season career, has also hit 447 doubles and 54 triples, according to statistician Benigno Daquinta Rico.

Behind Cepeda and Kindelán are Omar Linares (785), Antonio Pacheco (774), Antonio Muñoz (713) and Lázaro Junco (709), the only ones with more than 700 extra-base hits in their respective careers.

The next one to surpass that amount is Yordanis Samón, who has accumulated 699 at-bats with which he has reached at least second base without defensive errors.

Among the active players, the also mythical tunero Dánel Castro, absolute leader in hits in Cuban tournaments, needs 18 extra-base hits to enter the exclusive group of the 700.

On the day, corresponding to the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball, Industriales defeated Sancti Spíritus 6×2, Santiago de Cuba beat Artemisa 1×0 and Matanzas knocked out Las Tunas 10×0.

With these results, the Leones took the lead in the standings (6-3), half a point ahead of their victims (5-3). The Avispas santiagueras (5-4) are in third place, followed by Matanzas (3-4), Las Tunas (3-5) and Artemisa (3-6).

Cuban Baseball Elite League game declared invalid

The National Baseball Commission today declared invalid the second game played between the Sancti Spíritus and Industriales teams during the Elite League of Cuban Baseball, due to the use of an ineligible bat.

The note issued a few hours after the conclusion of the game yesterday with a 3-2 victory for the Leones explains that with the controversial bat there was a connection that had a decisive impact on the final score.

“The management of the espirituano team made a timely claim of the fact and proceeded to remove the bat and submit it for evaluation, without stopping the game, as established by the official rules of baseball,” adds the text.

As a conclusion of the investigations, the specialists ruled that the bat does not appear in the list of allowed bats for the national series and the Elite League, and that its original seal had been removed in the contact zone, but not in the handle.

The statement further argues that the implement is reinforced with a rubber grip that exceeds the established 18 inches, which alters the distance factor in connecting the ball.

“In accordance with the rules of the event, the player involved in the incident, Yoasnier Emilio Perez, is expelled from the game and will not be able to play in the game corresponding to Sunday’s match,” the information from the National Commission underlines.

The note confirms that the Sancti Spíritus team’s claim was accepted and the decision was made to resume the game today from the moment when the ineligible implement was used, in the fifth inning with two runners in circulation and the score tied at two runs.

The organizers reiterate that the time for the resumption of the game is 1:30 p.m. local time, and half an hour after the end of the game, the game corresponding to the date will start, but in seven innings.