Yuli Gurriel
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Baseball | ||
 |
2004 Athens | Team Competition |
Yulieski Gourriel (born June 9, 1984) is a Cuban baseball player. A member of Cuba's national team and Sancti Spíritus in the Cuban National League, [1] Gourriel is primarily a third baseman, though he has also played other positions.
The son of former Cuban player Lourdes Gourriel, Yulieski is currently regarded as the best player in Cuba.[2] His contributions helped the national team win a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics and World Cup of Baseball championships in 2003 and 2005. During the 2005 World Cup, he led all batters with eight home runs. As of February 16, 2006, Gourriel had hit 23 home runs during the current Cuban League season, and was on pace to break the Cuban League record of 28. [3]
He played second base for Cuba in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic [1], making the final out for Cuba in their championship game loss to Japan. He batted .273 in the tournament, with a .342 on base percentage and a .515 slugging percentage. [4]
Major League Baseball scouts project that Gourriel would be a first-round draft pick if he were eligible for the draft.[2]
On July 28, 2006, ESPN.com reported that Gourriel and another Cuban national player, Eduardo Paret, had defected from Cuba and into Colombia. [5]
Gourriel refuted this report himself on August 1, 2006, stating that he returned to his home in Cuba immediately after the conclusion of the tournament the Cuban national team had been playing in.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Unsung heroes bound to emerge: Lesser-knowns players will share Classic spotlight with stars". Major League Baseball. Retrieved July 4.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "World Baseball Classic: Cuba's Yuliesky Gourriel". Baseball America. Retrieved July 4.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Cuba scrambles to shine in baseball's Classic". Cubanet. Retrieved July 4.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "World Baseball Classic: Statistics (Batting Leaders)". Retrieved July 4.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "ESPN News Article". Retrieved July 28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "ESPN News Article". Retrieved August 1.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
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