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Raisel Iglesias is the latest chapter in the long history of the relationship between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cuban baseball players, started more than a century ago with the hiring of Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida in 1911.
Iglesias follows in the footsteps of the great Adolfo Luque, the first Latin in a World Series, that of 1919 famous for the sale of eight players of the Black Sox.
Or Tany Perez, soul and heart of the Great Red Machinery of the 70s.
He is the current closure of the Reds the Cuban number 25 in wearing the shirt of the oldest professional club of all the Major Leagues, for which they passed at some point other stars, like Camilo Pascual, Cookie Rojas, Mike Cuellar and Aroldis Chapman, hardest man has thrown a baseball.
That, without counting other players who are currently in the organization’s Minor League system, such as shortstop Alfredo RodrÃguez and pitcher Vladimir Gutiérrez.
After alternating between starter and reliever in his first two seasons, Iglesias has established himself, without noise, almost in anonymity, as one of the most effective closers today, adding zero after zero and with 17 saves in just 18 opportunities of rescue that has left him a mediocre pitching corps, the worst of all major leagues.
“We are going through a difficult situation concerning the starters, but I do not worry about the number of saves. I prepare always to be ready to help the team when it’s needed, taking care of my career-average numbers, because that’s how I help the most, “explained Iglesias, who was the starter of the 2016 Opening Game for the Reds.