Yuli Gurriel

Yuli Gurriel
Gurriel with the Houston Astros in 2016
Houston Astros – No. 10
First baseman / Third baseman
Born: (1984-06-09) June 9, 1984
Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: June 8, 2014, for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars
MLB: August 21, 2016, for the Houston Astros
NPB statistics
Batting average .305
Home runs 11
Runs batted in 30
MLB statistics
(through September 24, 2018)
Batting average .290
Home runs 34
Runs batted in 175
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Cuba
World Baseball Classic
2006 San Diego Team
Olympic Games
2004 Athens Team
2008 Beijing Team
Baseball World Cup
2003 Havana Team
2005 Rotterdam Team
2007 Taipei Team
2009 Nettuno Team
2011 Panama City Team
Intercontinental Cup
2002 Havana Team
2006 Taichung Team
2010 Taichung Team
Pan American Games
2003 Santo Domingo Team
2007 Rio de Janeiro Team
2011 Guadalajara Team
Central American and Caribbean Games
2006 Cartagena Team

Yulieski Gourriel Castillo (born June 9, 1984), commonly known as Yuli Gurriel, is a Cuban professional baseball first baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for Sancti Spiritus in the Cuban league. A former member of Cuba's national team,[1] Gurriel played shortstop, second base and third base, but has played mostly first base with the Astros.

The son of former Cuban player Lourdes Gurriel, Yulieski was regarded as the best player in Cuba in 2006.[2] At the World Baseball Classic in 2006, Major League Baseball scouts projected that Gurriel would be a first-round draft pick if he were eligible for the draft.[2] He defected from Cuba in 2016.

Baseball career

Cuban career

Gurriel had a solid season during the 2004–05 Cuban National Series, leading the league in hits and runs. However, he truly dominated in 2005–06, leading the series in RBIs, runs and triples.[3] His 27 home runs, which also led the league, were one short of the record of 28.[4] Gurriel's batting average was .327 and his slugging percentage was .676. He played his Cuban career with Sancti Spíritus and Industriales of the Cuban National Series.

National team career & Japan

Gurriel's 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.

Gurriel played second base for the Cuban national baseball team in the 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. Later in the finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics tournament, he again made the final out by grounding out into a double play against South Korea.[5]

Gurriel played for Cuba again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, as their third baseman. He batted .333 in the tournament with two home runs and 6 RBIs.

On May 11, 2014, Gurriel signed a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.[6] He joined the team at midseason, and batted .305 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs in 62 games.[7]

Defection from Cuba

In February 2016, Gurriel and his 22-year-old brother, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., defected after competing in the Caribbean World Series in the Dominican Republic.[8] In June, Major League Baseball declared Gurriel eligible to be signed by a major league team as a free agent.[9]

Nearly ten years prior, ESPN.com had erroneously reported that Gurriel and another Cuban national player, Eduardo Paret, had defected from Cuba and into Colombia.[10] Gurriel refuted this claim 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.[11]

Houston Astros

On July 16, 2016, Gurriel signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the Houston Astros.[12][13] He made his American debut in July with the Gulf Coast Astros of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, playing in two games. He was then promoted to the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A-Advanced California League. After playing in four games for Lancaster, the Astros promoted Gurriel to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League.[14] He batted 2-for-17 (.118) in five games for Corpus Christi, and was promoted to the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.[15] He was recalled from Fresno to the major league roster on August 21. In his first 19 games with the Astros, he batted .344 with three home runs and eight runs batted in, playing mostly first and third base defensively.[16] On May 1, he performed a dynamic "swim slide" into second base to help defeat the Texas Rangers.

In Game 3 of the 2017 World Series, Gurriel hit a home run off of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish, and upon returning to the dugout, made a racist gesture mocking the pitcher. Gurriel was caught on camera stretching the sides of his eyes and mouthing the Spanish word chinito, which translates to "little Chinese Boy".[17][18] Gurriel apologized, and said that anyone from Asia is called a chino in Cuba, although he acknowledged that he knew the term was offensive from having played in Japan.[17][19] Gurriel was suspended for the first five games of the 2018 season without pay, but not for the World Series.[20] He agreed to undergo sensitivity training in the offseason. The Astros said that they would donate Gurriel's salary lost during the suspension to a charity that supports diversity efforts.[21]

In Game 5, Gurriel hit a three-run home run off of Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw in the 4th inning to tie the game 4–4; the Astros would go on to win 13–12. In Game 7, Gurriel faced Darvish again, and tipped his helmet before his at bat as a respectful gesture. The Astros won the game 5–1, giving them their first world championship in franchise history.[22]

Personal life

His brother, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also played in Cuba before defecting, and later signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. His mother and his family, live in Miami, Florida. His son, Jayren, was born on June 30, 2018. Yuli and his brother Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made Major League Baseball history on September 21 when they both hit two home runs on the same day.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Unsung heroes bound to emerge: Lesser-knowns players will share Classic spotlight with stars". Major League Baseball. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
  2. 1 2 "World Baseball Classic: Cuba's Yuliesky Gurriel". Baseball America. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
  3. ↑ "XLV Serie Nacional de Béisbol: Lideres de Bateo" (in Spanish). INDER. Retrieved October 21, 2006.
  4. ↑ "Cuba scrambles to shine in baseball's Classic". Cubanet. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
  5. ↑ "World Baseball Classic: Statistics (Batting Leaders)". Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
  6. ↑ "Slugger becomes third legal Cuban baseball export". Associated Press. ESPN.com. May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  7. ↑ http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/07/30/baseball/former-baystars-infielder-gurriel-gets-opportunity-pursue-dream-astros/
  8. ↑ Strauss, Ben. "Star Brothers Are Apparently the Latest to Defect From Cuba". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  9. ↑ Adams, Steve. "Yulieski Gurriel Declared Free Agent". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Report: Cuban baseball players defect in Colombia". ESPN.com news services. Retrieved July 28, 2006.
  11. ↑ Rojas, Enrique. "Cuban star Gurriel has no interest in deserting". ESPNdeportes.com. Retrieved August 1, 2006.
  12. ↑ Sanchez, Jesse (July 16, 2016). "Astros ink deal with Cuban star Y. Gurriel". MLB.com. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Source: Astros agree to $47.5 million deal with Yulieski Gurriel". espn.go.com. July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ Rajan, Greg (August 8, 2016). "Astros' Yulieski Gurriel heading to Class AA Corpus Christi". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  15. ↑ McTaggert, Brian. "Astros promoting Cuban INF Gurriel to Triple-A". MLB.com. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "Yulieski Gurriel". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  17. 1 2 Hernandez, Dylan (October 27, 2017). "Some look askew at Yuli Gurriel's dugout squint". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017.
  18. ↑ Waldstein, David (October 28, 2017). "Astros' Yuli Gurriel Apologizes After a Racist Gesture Aimed at Yu Darvish". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017.
  19. ↑ Lauber, Scott. "MLB mulls discipline after Yuli Gurriel's insensitive gesture". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Astros' Yuli Gurriel Will Be Suspended After Racist Gesture at World Series". nbcnews.com.
  21. ↑ "Gurriel won't be suspended for any World Series games". espn.com. October 28, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  22. ↑ McTaggart, Brian; Gurnick, Ken. "Houston Astros win 2017 World Series". MLB. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
Preceded by
Osmani Urrutia		 Cuban National Series MVP
2004–05		 Succeeded by
Alexander Mayeta
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