Junco Started a Game with Eternity

Cuban and Matanzas baseball is today immersed in mourning after learning the terrible news of the death of the stellar ballplayer from Limonar, Lázaro Junco Neninger.

«Papá Jonrón» (Dad Home Run), as the Matanzas slugger was nicknamed in the sport of bat and ball, was not only an extraordinary ballplayer but a true symbol of power and dedication on the field.

An affable man, of few words, willing to chat with anyone who approached him with a question about the national pastime.

I remember him about two years ago, in a game between the veterans of Matanzas and Havana at the mythical Palmar de Junco stadium, in tribute to the first baseball game played in Cuba. The crowd applauded when he stepped into the batter’s box.

Many jokingly asked him to hit home run number 406, to which, with a smile on his face and a calm gaze, he replied: «The wrists aren’t what they used to be.»

Junco left behind an indelible legacy on the baseball diamonds of the country, forcing his name to be cited as part of the living history of the home run in Cuba.

Among his statistics in the national pastime is an offensive average of .284 with 277 doubles, 27 triples, and the impressive figure of 405 home runs.

Lázaro shared with Armando Ferrer the responsibility of being part of the coaching staff of the Matanzas Crocodiles until illness forced him to step away from the task.

His last great challenge as a mentor was leading the province’s under-23 selection, a team from which several figures now enrich the ranks of the first-division team.

In several interviews conducted with the ballplayers he led in the championship, they thanked him for his trust and for the opportunity to demonstrate their talent.

Unfortunately, life played a dirty trick on him, and the 27th out came for him to begin a game in eternity alongside his great friend Jorge Luis Valdés.

The sky today adds a new star that, wherever it may be, will continue to excite fans with hits over 400 feet.