The once-stellar Cuban pitcher Liván Hernández will pitch the first pitch of the semifinals of the V World Baseball Classic between Cuba and the United States, as reported by ESPN journalist Marly Rivera.
Figure in the Cuban youth teams at the beginning of the 90s of the last century and legend of the Florida Marlins, Liván is one of the baseball banners in Miami, where this Sunday the ninth teams of the island and the United States will star in a historic confrontation.
Cuba ?? works out in Miami for the first time ever in the #WorldBaseballClassic
Sources tell ESPN that Cuban great and 1997 World Series champion and MVP Liván Hernández will throw the ceremonial first pitch for Cuba’s semifinal game tomorrow vs VEN/USA. pic.twitter.com/G1cHdeekDO
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) March 18, 2023
Orlando “El Duque” Hernández’s brother, Liván shone in the 1992 and 1993 Youth World Championships with the four-letter jersey, and had time to show his attributes as a pitcher in the National Series, in which he worked for three seasons with Isla of Youth.
In 1995 he emigrated and at the beginning of 1996 he signed a contract with the Marlins, who beat Boston and Atlanta in the race to hire him. In Florida he was quick to explode. By 1997, the right-hander finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year race after winning nine games and posting a 3.18 ERA in 17 starts.
But the best of that year came in the postseason, when he led the Marlins to the franchise’s first World Series title. Liván won four games in the play off, two to Atlanta and two to Cleveland. In both games he was selected as Most Valuable Player, something that no pitcher had achieved.
In the celebrations for that spectacular victory of the Marlins, Liván shouted the iconic phrase “I love you Miami!”, for which he is well remembered in South Florida.
In total, Liván Hernández played four seasons with the Marlins and then began a very long journey with eight other MLB franchises, until his retirement in 2012 after 17 seasons in the Majors.
Taking into account his Cuban status and how much he represents to the Miami community, it is not surprising that Liván Hernández was selected to throw the first ball of the clash between the United States and Cuba, although several specialists have said that they would have preferred to dedicate that moment to glory like Tony Oliva, the last baseball player from the island inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.
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