Four years ago I had the privilege of meeting in person Pedro Jose Rodriguez, the mythical Cheíto who wrote his baseball history with the indelible ink of the home run.
It was in Cienfuegos, his country, on a small balcony with a sea view. He arrived on time and we talked about baseball and other spices for a few hours. From that day on, I admired him doubly, because Cheo radiated a humility worthy of envy.
In the text I later published (Cubadebate, 4/12/2017) I said, “I strip balls for entertainment and hit home out of sheer love for the art of hitting,” I called his 15 homers in 45 at-bats during Medellín ’78 Central Americans, and I was sorry – how should I not do it? – the unforgivable sanction that took him off the ground for accepting a paltry $ 92.
What follows is an excerpt from that interview that I was connected to, one happy afternoon the largest natural slugger I’ve ever seen in CubaOur Honey Ruth special, unrepeatable in its strength and simplicity.
Who Were the Best Home Runners in the National Series?
– There are many. Capiró, Romelio, Muñoz, Kindelán, Linares, Casanova, Marquetti …
To what extent have you been dealing with the ‘biotype theory’?
– I come from a player family. My dad was shorter than me and he hit it off completely. From there I inherited the power. I think I got fat for genetic reasons as I never ate a lot of rice and beans, but I usually played with 90 pounds and that confused me with some of the engineers who put a lot of emphasis on body weight. I remember a pre-selection practice where they let Romelio lose weight, after which the man couldn’t hold the bat and they let him out of the team.
Name some of your greatest hits …
-In Santa Clara, I took a left-center ball that went to an organoponic called La Lechuguita or something like that. In Las Tunas I gave one that ended in the cemetery. And in the Latino, in an All-Star Game, I got a connection that was about to leave the park and eventually hit the back of the third of the stands.
Who were your teachers?
-I learned to hit with my grandfather and then with my dad, who was at the triumph of the revolution in Triple A with the Cleveland Indians. Then some good hitting coaches came in and cleaned me up.
Why are Cuban batters so flawed these days?
-The problem with developing talents is partly because the boys are received by many graduates, well-prepared people, but with little practical knowledge. And hitting is very difficult. Anyone who reads a book and is intelligent can already pass that knowledge on to a player. But how to do it doesn’t thoroughly dominate it as only the one who played knows that, especially if he did it at a good level.
What was your favorite home run field?
-I liked the short ball, the one the pitcher throws to come out. He hit her without a hitch, it was an innate skill he had.
Is the homerun hit and miss?
– I don’t much believe that the homerun will come out alone. I often went out to look for it and on many occasions it was given to me. He liked home runs. I’d rather hit 5-1 with a homerun than 5-5 without. And in two strokes I kept chasing him; nothing to trim the swing to make contact. In fact, I liked predicting them if I had analyzed the pitcher enough.
Do you think you were an inquisitive batter?
-Very. If the pitchers taught me nothing more than a “chant” from the hand, I could normally hit them with a warning. It’s a convenience that develops over the years unless you’re too rude. Natural talent is not enough, you also have to use your head. There you have the case of Giancarlo Stanton, a player with enormous power, but who has been hitting with the same short ball and out for years.
Muñoz says you predicted two home runs in one day …
-That was in a championship we had already won. It was the last day, against Constructores, and I was a homerun behind Muñoz. So I said to him, ‘Guajiro, hurry up, I’m going to hit two home runs today, try to hit one so you can beat me fewer times. I hit one the first time, he hit another in the seventh, and when he got home, I asked him, “Stay close, I’m going to lose it again.” So it was “.
How was it like you sent for the bats?
-Misifú, a historical warrior from Villa Clara, was in charge of spreading many of those anecdotes. He liked it when I said to him ‘pick up the bats, this ends here’. He was going to put them away, and when the batter behind him asked why he did that, he told him I sent him.
What were the best one-twos in the National Series?
-The one between Linares and Casanova didn’t last long, because one arrived when the other was about to leave. Pacheco and Kindelán totally agreed; they were players of the same generation. Another very powerful one was that of Marquetti and Capiró. But the truth is, the statistics say very well who Muñoz and I are.
Tell me about that sad moment, the punishment …
I still haven’t been able to figure out the reason for so much crueltyNobody has been able to explain it to me. He had been on the national team for twelve years and got big offers everywhere. The scouts followed me since the juniors. However, this was not taken into account when analyzing my case. I think it should have been punished, because at the end of the day, possession of dollars was illegal in the country, but three years seems like an outrageous penalty.
What happened next?
-When I got back from Venezuela it looked like I had killed someone or had an infectious disease because the same people who encouraged me earlier turned their backs on me. And the worst part is that he was physically whole.
In time you came back. What was that moment of return?
-In the Latino they gave me a spectacular reception, and here in Cienfuegos I won’t even tell you. For minutes, people applauded me, as if the applause was eternalBut I was no longer full and even suffered from one eye and the Achilles heel. I only had ten home runs in three years, it wasn’t the same and I decided to retire.
Do you think you could have hit 500 home runs?
– At the pace I went, it might have been, especially considering that after that the bats were better and the balls more lively. But it couldn’t have been for me. Someday someone else can.
How many years can you still play for team Cuba?
-I think it would have taken two or three more years in the team because the plan was for Linares to start in the short stop, where we had a bump at the time.
Give me a National Series Dream Team …
– When catching, I really liked Lázaro Pérez, Juan Castro, Albertico, Medina, but I’ll stick with Pestano. And in the painting Muñoz, Anglada, Jova and Linares. In the center Víctor, and at the corners Fernando Sánchez and Casanova. As designated person, Capiró. Left-handed pitcher, Tati Valdés. Right, Pedro Luis Lazo. And the manager has to be between Servio Borges and Jorge Fuentes.
And Cheíto is not playing?
-To play second.