Lumberjacks go for their second title

The Leñadores (Lumberjaks) from Las Tunas will go for their second Cuban title, backed by the three consecutive podiums they accumulate in the National Baseball Series, and by the hand of star figures such as Dánel Castro, the Yosvani and Yordanis Alarcón brothers, besides the pitchers Carlos Juan Viera, Yudiel Rodríguez and Yoalkis Cruz.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- The 2019 national champions will take to the field on September 12 as one of the greater candidates to fight for the crown, led by Pablo Alberto Civil again. In his fourth year, following a title and two finals, the Lumberjacks mentor will have a mature and extremely competitive team.

The solidity of their offensive line will be the main weapon of a team that the previous season also stood out for its excellent defense. In this sense, Las Tunas will have established figures as catchers, the third base and the outfields, although the use of Denis Peña as shortstop is still a bet. Ownership in the second base will be another issue to be clarified in the remainder of the training period.

Finally, the absence of the outfielder Rubén Paz was confirmed, who remains stranded in Mexico waiting to travel to Cuba. In this regard, the national baseball director, Ernesto Reynoso, said that steps are being taken, but the epidemiological situation caused by the COVID-19 makes the process very difficult.

Reynoso recalled that until game 60 on the calendar, each team will be able to register and cancel, and reported that other players are also outside the country: Yadir Dreke and Erisbel Arruebarruena from Matanzas, as well as Leslie Ánderson from Camagüey.

The Lumberjacks will debut on September 12 against the Huracanes (Hurricanes) from Mayabeque, at the Julio Antonio Mella Stadium.

Here is the roster of the Lumberjacks:

Catchers: Yosvani Alarcón Tardío, Rafael Viñales Álvarez and Oberto Coca Peña.

Infielders: Denis Peña Rivero, Dánel Castro Muñagorri, Eduardo García Torres, Yordanis Alarcón Tardío, Yudier Rondón Pavón, Ernesto Felipe Lalana González, Andrés de la Cruz Matos, Luis Antonio Pérez Henmings and Manuel Alejandro Ávila Martínez.

Outfielders: Jorge Antonio Yhonson Dixon, Yuniesky Larduet Domínguez, Andrés Quiala Herrera, Dailier Peña Torres, Leonis Figueredo García, Héctor Castillo Blair, David Fernández Olivera, Osmany Urrutia Hernández, Odellán Tineis Forcades.

Pitchers: Yoalkis Cruz Rondón, Yudiel Rodríguez León, Carlos Juan Viera Álvarez, José Armando Peña Rodríguez, Alejandro Meneses Abelleira, Yosbel Alarcón Tardío, Alberto Pablo Civil Hidalgo, Eleisys Valera Banegas, Ángel Sánchez Pérez, Yasel Labrada Goulborne, Noriel Viera Polanco, Yordey Fuentes Palomino and Keniel Ferraz Pérez.

Direction: Pablo Alberto Civil Espinosa (manager), Abeysi Pantoja Díaz and Jorge Hierrezuelo Tamayo (assistants), Rodolfo Correa Lobaina and Félix Núñez González (pitching coaches), Reynaldo Infante Millán (physical trainer), Rolando Ponce de León Rodríguez (bench coach), Heriberto Damián Cruz Rivero (delegate), Blas Hernández Almaguer (doctor), Ruperto Morales Blanco (physiotherapist), Amaury Sánchez Santiesteban (psychologist), Húbert Brito Machado (bat boy), Rolando Lluch Fernández (statistician) and José Luis Pérez Rodríguez (commissioner).