JJ RUIZ WARMED UP: “That home run went to the blue ones, that’s why it’s the mess”

By Miguel Guerra

Throughout the 62 editions of the Baseball National Series, Cuba’s main sporting spectacle, there have been countless highly controversial moves. But there is no doubt that that famous home run connected by the Santiago slugger José Julio Ruiz in the postseason duel between Industriales and Santiago de Cuba, qualifies for many as the most controversial hit of all time in Cuban baseball or, at least, undisputed member of the Top 3 of this “category”, to the point that in 2022 it is still being talked about.

Just reading the names of the main teams “makes him scared to death.” Then add that it was in a final series, discussing the title of Cuba, the second consecutive time that both reached that instance, with a Guillermón Moncada stadium packed to capacity, they add “seasoning to the broth”. And as if that were not enough, from the bench, two great stars guiding the threads of the game: Rey Vicente Anglada for the Blues and Antonio Pacheco for the Avispas, with a whole constellation of stars on the grass of the field, in the golden age of both teams , in the already distant April 2007.

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That night, the second game of the final playoff was played, after the indomitable won the first game. Closing of the eighth, game tied at six runs, Rolando Meriño running for the initial, two outs on the board and the protagonist of the story, “Yuyo” Ruiz, hit a huge hit near the right field foul line, against the capital Yadel Martí right, who went beyond the fences.

«I tell you the truth: that ball was lost to me. It was a long ball, it was high. I see how he does to go out to the foul zone and then enters the good zone. I was surprised, because it was very tall, I lost it, the ball looked good when it was falling, ” José Julio expressed exclusively for “The Complete Swing Show”, during the visit he made to the popular program on our YouTube channel, just in the month of April itself, but from last year 2021, 14 years later.

The referee of the right line, Jorge Luis Pérez, entered to observe the connection and decreed the home run that turned the scoreboard, before the euphoria of the stands. The hit flew over the metallic structure that delimits the areas of the field and the high command of the Industriales, with a clear conviction that it was foul, came out to protest the decision.

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“I have also experienced that here in Mexico. In the winters I’ve played, there have been controversial home runs, both right-handed and left-handed, that go high up the line, foul out and into the deep zone. The problem is that, at a time like that, you have to use mischief. I stayed put and when the umpire said good, well I said: “Wow, it was good, well let’s run,” said the indomitable ballplayer.

«If it had been the other way around… Knowing the industrialists who like to pretend they hit him with a ball to steal the show, because the industrialist plays the ball like that, they are too rogue for that too. That’s why everyone plays to beat the Industriales, because it’s not a team that’s going to beat the crap out of you, but that makes plays for you, touches you, puts you “from here to there,” added José Julio.

«I didn’t like that home run, I liked the one I gave my brother Deinys Suárez more, I did like that one. But hey, (about this to Yadel Martí), what is written is a home run. At first I saw him in doubt, but when he was falling it was that I said: «Wow, he entered». If you see the video well, on my face, you can see the reaction. The ball was lost, it went very high, “explained the player.

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The truth is that that decision gave victory 8×6 to the Santiaguera Steamroller and put the Grand Final of the 48 Series with an advantage of two wins for zero in favor of Antonio Pacheco’s troop, who finally won the title of Cuba in that campaign, before its fiercest rivals. Since then, the controversy around the hit has not stopped growing over the years, a story that is told, from generation to generation, among Cuban baseball lovers.

“It is that that home run went to the blue ones, if it had been to another team, there is no problem, but with the blue ones it is a mess,” José Julio emphasized, laughing.


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JJ RUIZ WARMED UP: “That home run went to the blue ones, that’s why it’s the mess”