Havana/Cuban pitcher Liván Moinelo won the 2024 Gold Glove in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) – the main league in Japan and the second best in the world – in the pitcher position with his team, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. The announcement, released this Tuesday by the Japanese Baseball portal, is the culmination of a campaign with many recognitions for the player, who also became the first Latin pitcher to obtain the effectiveness title during the regular tournament.
The start of the season was a challenge for the athlete, according to the media Swing CompletoWell, for the first time, he had to serve as a starter. In his previous seven seasons, the player, born in Pinar del Río, had acted as a reliever. However, in his new role he won the award by beating the Japanese Kazuma Ojima, of Chiba Lotte Marines, and Hiromi Ito, of Nippon Ham Fighters.
Liván Moinelo made 25 starts, in which he pitched 163 innings, with a high ERA of 1.88.
In the recently concluded season, in which his team lost the title in the Japan Series against Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Liván Moinelo had 25 starts, in which he pitched 163 innings, with a high ERA of 1.88. From the mound he struck out 155 opponents, allowed only 34 runs, walked 47 and had a record of 11-5, for a winning percentage of 68.8%.
The pitcher was the only Latino to win the Gold Glove and became the first player from the region to obtain that distinction in the Japanese League since his compatriot and first baseman Dayán Viciedo did so in the Central League, in the 2021 season.
The pitcher will be the starter for the Island’s second game, when they face South Korea, this Thursday
The 28-year-old player is one of the strong cards for the Cuba team that debuts this Wednesday in the Premier 12 Tournament against the Dominican Republic at the Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium, in Taiwan. The pitcher will be the starter for the Island’s second game, when they face South Korea, this Thursday. For the first match, manager Armando Johnson chose Yoennis Yera as the first baseman. Cuba will complete the group B phase against Australia, Japan and local Taiwan next Monday.
Although Cuba has a good team in terms of pitching, expectations are not good for the international tournament. The official media Jit reported this Tuesday that pitcher Frank Luis Medina suffered an injury during the last preparation game in Taiwan against Wei-Chuan Dragons, a team in the local professional league.
Francisco Montesinos, doctor for the island team, explained to the media that the pitcher suffered a first degree sprain in his right ankle and that he is under treatment. The doctor announced that, according to the therapy applied to the player, he could be available to pitch after November 15, when the last two games of the first phase will be played.
