Garlobo and the First World Baseball Classic.
His numbers in his farewell season were: 130 appearances, 108 at-bats with a .380 average (41 hits, including five doubles and four home runs), 21 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 19 walks, an OBP of .465, a slugging percentage of .537, and an OPS of 1.002.
In the historic first World Baseball Classic, held in March 2006 in Japan, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. cities of Orlando, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, many thought the Cuban team would be the underdog because they didn’t field any professional players with experience.
But as always in this sport, the field is the ultimate test. The Cuban team showed great grit in every game and was able to challenge the strong Japanese team for the title. Although they lost the decisive game 10-6, that second-place finish reaffirmed the prestige and traditional quality of our national sport.
On that team, the outstanding Matanzas native Yoandi Garlobo Romay (born in Jovellanos on January 12, 1977, and passed away in the same municipality on July 16, 2023) made the most of his first major opportunity with the national baseball team, and in nothing less than the highest-level tournament ever organized among national teams.
Garlobo averaged .480 with 12 hits in 25 at-bats, the best on the Cuban team and second in the tournament, surpassed only by American Ken Griffey Jr., who played two fewer games than the Jovellanos native.
That performance earned him a spot on the All-Star team as the designated hitter. Let’s recall that stellar selection: catcher, Tomoya Satosaki, Japan; infielders: first base, Seung Yeop Lee, Korea; second base, Yulieski Gurriel, Cuba; shortstop, none other than Derek Jeter, USA; and third base, Adrián Beltré, Dominican Republic.
The outfielders were Ken Griffey Jr., USA; Jong Beom Lee, Korea; and Ichiro Suzuki, Japan; and the pitchers were Yadel Martí, Cuba (right-handed) and Chan Ho Park, Korea (left-handed). The Most Valuable Player was Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Following his performance in that elite competition, Yoandi Garlobo Romay joined the Cuban team that same year for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
Garlobo’s Role in Cuban Tournaments
After a brilliant performance in the youth category, he debuted in the National Series at 19 years old in the 1995-1996 season with the Matanzas team, which qualified for the First Revolution Cup. His last appearance was in the 2011-2012 season, at 35 years old, and still in good physical condition.
That year, his farewell was effective with the Matanzas Crocodiles, managed by Víctor Mesa, alternating between designated hitter and pinch hitter, almost always against left-handed pitchers, against whom he hit well. His only home run of the First Classic was even against the Venezuelan left-hander Johan Santana.
His numbers in his farewell season were: 130 plate appearances, 108 at-bats with a .380 batting average (41 hits, including five doubles and four home runs), 21 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 19 walks, a .465 OBP, a .537 slugging percentage, and a 1.002 OPS.
Yoandi Garlobo, despite his average height of five feet nine inches and his weight of over 180 pounds, was fast on the basepaths and, above all, had a magnificent hitting zone. Initially, he played several positions—third base, outfield, and first base—but finished the season as the designated hitter.
On December 25th, 2009, at the Victoria de Girón stadium, he became the tenth Matanzas native to surpass the 100-home run mark by taking advantage of a fast pitch from the Las Tunas native Yoalkis Cruz and sending the ball to the second section of stands through left field.
As a curious fact, he reached 1,000 hits in the Cuban championships with a home run at Van Troi Stadium in Guantánamo on February 22, 2008, against left-hander Lánder Moreira, who was batting 3,014 times.
His batting average was .331.785, surpassing his fellow countryman Wilfredo Sánchez by a fraction of a point on the list of Matanzas players who reached that milestone with the highest average. Sánchez, known as the «Gamo de Jovellanos,» achieved it 3,016 times with a .331.565 average.
After 16 seasons, he finished with an impressive .335 batting average, placing him among the top 10 in the history of these domestic tournaments. For his sporting achievements, Yoandi Garlobo was selected in 2024 with 100% of the vote to be inducted into the Palmar de Junco Hall of Fame.
Written by Francisco Soriano.
