Yulieski Gourriel
Encyclopedia
Yulieski Gourriel is a Cuba
n baseball
player. A member of Cuba's national team
and Sancti Spíritus
in the Cuban National Series
, Gourriel is primarily a third baseman
, though he has also played other positions, such as shortstop and 2nd base. The son of former Cuban player Lourdes Gourriel
, Yulieski is currently regarded as the best player in Cuba and, at the World Baseball Classic
in 2006, Major League Baseball
scouts projected that Gourriel would be a first-round draft pick if he were eligible for the draft.
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.
He played second base for Cuba in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic
, 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. Coincidentally, later in the finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Tournament, he again made the final out by grounding out into double play against South Korea.
He played for Cuba again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
this time in third base
and batted for .333 in the tournament with 2 home runs and 6 RBI.
, leading the league in hits and runs. However, he truly dominated in 2005-06
, leading the series in RBIs, runs and triples. His 27 home runs, which also led the league, were one short of the record of 28. Gourriel's batting average was .327 and his slugging percentage was .676.
, had defected from Cuba and into Colombia.
. Gourriel 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.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. A member of Cuba's national team
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
and Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus Gallos
Sancti Spíritus is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Sancti Spíritus, nicknamed the Gallos won the series championship in 1978–79...
in the Cuban National Series
Cuban National Series
The Cuban National Series is the primary domestic amateur baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the Series is a part of the Cuban national baseball system.-League structure:...
, Gourriel is primarily a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, though he has also played other positions, such as shortstop and 2nd base. The son of former Cuban player Lourdes Gourriel
Lourdes Gourriel
Lourdes Gourriel Delgado is a Cuban baseball player and Olympic gold medalist.Gourriel is a one time Gold medalist for baseball, winning at the 1992 Summer Olympics...
, Yulieski is currently regarded as the best player in Cuba and, at the World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
in 2006, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
scouts projected that Gourriel would be a first-round draft pick if he were eligible for the draft.
International play
Gourriel's contributions helped the national team win a gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and World Cup of Baseball
World Cup of Baseball
The Baseball World Cup is an international tournament in which national baseball teams from around the world compete. It is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation . Along with the World Baseball Classic, it is one of two active tournaments considered by the IBAF to be a major world...
championships in 2003 and 2005. During the 2005 World Cup, he led all batters with eight home runs.
He played second base for Cuba in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
, making the final out for Cuba in their championship game loss to Japan. He batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.273 in the tournament, with a .342 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
and a .515 slugging percentage. Coincidentally, later in the finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Tournament, he again made the final out by grounding out into double play against South Korea.
He played for Cuba again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
this time in third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
and batted for .333 in the tournament with 2 home runs and 6 RBI.
Domestic play
Gourriel had a solid season during the 2004-05 Cuban National Series2004-05 Cuban National Series
The 44th Cuban National Series was won by Santiago de Cuba over Havana. Industriales, who had the best regular season record, were eliminated in the first round by Sancti Spíritus.-Western zone:-Eastern zone:-Playoffs:...
, leading the league in hits and runs. However, he truly dominated in 2005-06
2005-06 Cuban National Series
The 45th season of the Cuban National Series ended with another title for Industriales. Though the Lions failed to win their division, they won close-fought series throughout the playoffs and won their 11th championship.-West:-East:-Playoffs:...
, leading the series in RBIs, runs and triples. His 27 home runs, which also led the league, were one short of the record of 28. Gourriel's batting average was .327 and his slugging percentage was .676.
Reported defection
On July 28, 2006, ESPN.com reported that Gourriel and another Cuban national player, Eduardo ParetEduardo Paret
Eduardo Paret Pérez is a Cuban baseball player. He is a shortstop for Villa Clara of the Cuban National Series, and for the Cuban national baseball team....
, had defected from Cuba and into Colombia.
. Gourriel 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.