Sports and Life Offer a Rematch

After the recent National Baseball Series, a Cuba team was formed for the Copa América, which ultimately ended up being suspended.

At that time, right-handed pitcher Silvio Bruno Iturralde was among the leaders in wins in the championship with five victories. To the surprise and displeasure of Matanzas fans, the young player from the capital municipality did not appear on the preliminary roster of 60 names submitted by the Cuban Baseball Federation.

At that moment, the «Cañón de Cumbre Alta» (High Summit Cannon), as the Yumurino pitcher is nicknamed, was backed not only by his victories but also by the effectiveness and consistency shown in a tournament where pitching was heavily punished in its early stages.

The team’s preparation took place in Matanzas, and alongside the national team’s training sessions, the Cocodrilos members continued their own fine-tuning.

In an interview with the right-hander, I asked him if he felt demotivated by not being included in the preliminary roster; his response was clear and direct: «My job is to do things well; the decision is made by others. Now I’m with Matanzas and I’m going to give everything for the team.»

Time passed, and the team led by Armando Ferrer was crowned champion of the domestic league, with Iturralde as one of its leading figures.

During the celebrations for the title won by the city of bridges nine, I ran into his father and commented that Silvito could get into the fight for a spot on the Cuba U-23 team.

Although there was still a good amount of time before baseball’s governing body decided who would be part of the under-23 team, I had the conviction that this time they would not leave him out.

After the National Series, baseball took a small pause with the uncertainty of whether the Elite League would take place or not. Finally, a start date was set for the tournament, and the teams had barely any time to prepare.

The national champions saw their plans to fight for the national back-to-back championship under Armando Ferrer’s guidance disrupted, because the manager who led them to two National Series titles and one Elite League title had to step aside due to health complications.

Ferrer’s departure was also compounded by the absences of several pitchers such as Yoenis Yera, Yamichel Pérez, and Armando Dueñas due to contracts abroad.

With Silvio Iturralde’s absence, questions began: Why isn’t he on the team if he was one of the championship’s heroes? Did he leave for the Dominican Republic like so many other Cuban talents?

The pitcher’s absence from the summer tournament was due to an injury to his throwing shoulder that forced him to take a break for treatment and recovery.

With the closing of the Elite League curtain came the announcements of national selections for different tournaments. To the delight of those of us who follow his sporting career, the Matanzas pitcher’s name appeared on the U-23 roster.

Despite the disappointments that athletes often face when they perform well and are not called up for greater challenges, Silvio Bruno Iturralde is proof that both in sports and in life, there is always a rematch.