Viciedo dressed as a hero for the Chunichi Dragons with a two-run quadrangular. Photo: Prensa Latina
The sluggers Dayan Viciedo and Leonys Martín raised the name of Cuba with two homers on the opening day of the Japan Professional Baseball League, in its 2021-2022 season.
Viciedo dressed as a hero for the Chunichi Dragons with atwo-run homer, who completed a cluster of five in the eighth
chapter and allowed the comeback 7-6 against the Hiroshima Carps.
According to the portal www.bletínjaponés.com, this is the third time that thenatural slugger from the Cuban province of Villa Clara hits a home run in the
first game of the campaign since arriving in the Asian nation in 2016.
His compatriot Martín, also from Villa Clara, did not run with the same
luck and his full-back smash barely made up the defeat of
Lotte’s Marinos 2-8 against SoftBank’s Falcons, of the also
Antilleans Alfredo Despaigne and Yurisbel Gracial.
The burly batter from Granma province missed three times, butreceived a ticket and scored a run, while Gracial, from Matanzas,
He hit a double four times at bat.
In addition to these four players who took part in the opening dayof this Friday, another five representatives of Cuba will see action in the
Japan’s main baseball circuit.
The largest amount lies in Chunichi’s squad, since together with thefirst baseman Viciedo, pitchers Raydel Martínez and Yariel Rodríguezwill look to increase the number of innings thrown, and catcher Ariel
Martínez will try to consolidate himself in the starting squad.
Likewise, Despaigne and Gracial share a payroll in the four-time champions of theSoftbank with left-handed closer Liván Moinelo; meanwhile, the right-hand pitcherAndy Rodríguez will travel next Sunday with a view to his premiere at the
subsidiary of the Fukuoka set.
He is also enrolled in the official roster of Aguilas de Rakuten,gardener Rusney Castillo, who reaches Japanese soil after adding
experience in the United States and different tournaments in the Caribbean.
Divided into Pacific and Central League, the professional season in Japan
brings together 12 teams with more than 100 games scheduled on their calendar
regular until next October.
According to the League organizers, the 2021-2022 version will not haveextrainnings to contribute to the security measures announced by the
government to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
(With information from Prensa Latina)
