Cuban baseball offensive records seem to go on forever.

Despite the shortcomings of the current National Series, the main offensive records for a campaign seem to remain intact. The difference in games played determines this.

Among the main reasons that conspire against the establishment of records in Cuban baseball are the structures of our tournaments, excessively unstable, both in the number of games and teams and competitive systems since 1962 to date.

Let’s add the balls, some less lively than others; wooden and aluminum bats; deficient playing fields and exhausting daytime schedules, in full sun in the summer; the application of the baseball nockout in seven or eight chapters and the super, in five or six innings; the number of pitches required for the shooters that make their presence on the mound shorter compared to years ago and new regulations to reduce the time, among other elements of the game.

Nor can we ignore the hiring of players for different foreign leagues, which weaken the payrolls of many teams because they are unable to perform in the country.

It is indisputable that baseball, as a sport, has improved notably in the world, including, in a certain way, Cuba.

We appreciate more skill and new tactical concepts in recent years in our country, but not in the consistency of many of the current players, mainly in pitching.

The fact that the Cuban competitions, since four years ago, have stabilized a figure of 75 games for each team, diminishes the possibility of equaling the main marks for a Cuban championship, after 1962, since most of them were implanted in tournaments of 99, 96 or 90 challenges, among 15 or more than 20 of the current ones.

The records for a National Series made in less than the mentioned numbers are only two: the 55 stolen bases of Enrique Díaz, of Metropolitanos, in the XXXII tournament of 1992-93, which was of 65 games and the average of clean runs achieved by Ihosvany Gallegos, of Industriales, in the XI Series with 0.37, a tournament of 66 games for each team.

The 63rd Cuban championship of this year 2024 passed in its first qualifying third (25 games), with more sorrows than glories and everything indicates that it will remain so until the end, due to the imbalance between the three departments of the game, with high numbers of tickets and uncatchables allowed by the pitchers along with one of the most erratic defenses seen in these championships, as the most significant.

So far, the championship pitching has not been able to dominate the huge offense, well above expectations. It seems that a large number of experienced players take batting practice.

For years this difference between pitchers and hitters in the national championships has been a far cry from the reality we find in international events, where they face a group of pitchers far superior to those at home, who dominate them.

In spite of the deficiencies of the current National Series, the main offensive records for a campaign seem to remain intact. The difference in games played determines this.

TOP OFFENSIVE MARKS IN A NATIONAL SERIES

-Runs scored: Enrique Díaz (IND), XLII Series (90 games)……….100
-Hits connected: Michel Enríquez (IJV) XXXVIII Series (90 games)…..152
-Doubles: Michel Enriquez (IJV) XLVIII Series (90 games)………………….37
-Triples: Wilfredo Sánchez (HEN) VIII Series (99 games)…………………..13
-Homers: Alfredo Despaigne (GRA) LI Series (96 games)………………. 36
-RBIs: Alexei Bell (SCU) XLVII Series (90 games)………111
-Extrabases: Alfredo Despaigne (GRA) XLIX Series (90 games) (37
doubles-triple zero and 31 home runs)………..68
-Bases on balls: Frederich Cepeda (SSP) LVII Series (90 games)…….109
-Intentional bases: Yosvany Peraza (PRI) XLVII (90 games)………… 37
-Punches: Reinier Yero (SSP) XLIII Series (90 games)………………………97
-Total bases: Alfredo Despaigne (GRA) XLIX Series (90 games)………258
-Hit sacrifice bunt: Orlando Lavandera (HAB) L Series (90 games)…………25
-Fly sacrifice: Miguel Cuevas (GRANJEROS) VII Series (99 games)….11
-Balls received: Jose D. Abreu (CFG) XLVIII Series (90 games)…….30
-Sluggins: Jose D. Abreu (CFG) L Series (90 games)………………………..986
-Highest average: Yulieski Gurriel (IND) LV Series (90 games) 174-87=500

Written by Francisco Soriano.