Jordan Mandulay Author: Nelson Rodriguez Roque
OLGIN. – There are those who say that Yordan Manduley is having his best season (he has 50 hits, and in RBIs and extra bases he is in the lead of his team), that the man from Holguin unravels him, as if the last of his eliminations from Cuban team I would step it up.
But the truth is, the veteran shortstop almost never drops below the .300 hitting average in Cuban baseball, and on four occasions he has broken the 100 hitting mark in the championship.
On defense, he retains the lightness of his set-up and the speed of thought and action in every set, now as an intermediate starter. His speed on the pillows also does not decrease. Whoever thought he would see him offside in the 62nd National Series has been disappointed with his performance since March 29 last year, when the Holguin Cubs made their debut against Mayabeque.
How did he come to terms with not being able to integrate the Island pre-selection into the fifth World Classic, he asked. Jr to a veteran baseball player: “A person, like any player, has the illusion that he is in the team, and even more so when it comes to attending the Classic. But it was decided in Havana and I was not taken into account. Thank God, nothing prevented me from continuing my career. This is something that has happened to me on other occasions, despite performances. I am characterized by perseverance, throughout a long career I try to support myself, which is the most difficult thing.
Manduley believes that “these were years of effort and dedication. Personally, my family is an important link, even when I am often away from home, as in recent seasons. I rely on my wife, parents and good friends who always have advice. For a result to occur, there must be well-connected links.
With a feeling far from defeatist and filled with optimism, he expresses: “While I play, I will try to give everything, which is the only way to show people whether they were wrong or not. I started this series quite cheerfully, helping my cast and my example, which I have to convey, even trying to give an additional result.
What he has learned in other leagues and in Cuba, he shares with his teammates, to whom he talks about the specifics of each experience in North America, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and national team incursions into international competitions. The main thing, he says, is not to hold back, to train and observe daily.
Play now, he says, not really dreaming, although he dreams of representing the country again. “Yes,” he clarifies, “a person goes through a lot, and I don’t want to be disappointed either. The performance will speak for me because I dedicate myself to my sport. If they call me, welcome. The statistics also serve to get noticed in other leagues. I became the champion of the country three times, but never with Holguin, which I would like to achieve one day. Nobody knows, we are doing very well and if the alliance and the desire for common goals prevails, we may return to the playoffs.
In defensive divisions, the Northeast Cubs are the leaders, mostly in double play and general crash. Manduley arrived from the Nicaraguan Pro League with shoulder discomfort caused by a head slip; However, he wanted to move to second base rather than be named hitter: “I feel better with the throwing arm, but the guys who replaced me at shortstop did their job. Now at any moment I can return to short stop“.
Health permitting, he states: “I would like to play with my son in the national series because, according to his teachers, he plays with quality and had his first campaign as a youth player (he has two more left this season). category). Already in Series 62, two of his teammates are part of our team because of their performance. Perhaps its evolution in this area will allow it to be loaded in the coming years. It would be great to be with Olgin.”
Source: Juventud Rebelde