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Yurisbel Gracial

Summary

Yurisbel Gracial Garcia (born October 14, 1985) is a Cuban baseball third baseman for the Conspiradores de Querétaro of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Yurisbel Gracial
Gracial Garcia with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Conspiradores de Querétaro – No. 47
Third baseman
Born: (1985-10-14) 14 October 1985 (age 38)
Guantánamo, Cuba
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
NPB debut
April 19, 2018, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Batting average.293
Home runs59
Runs batted in178
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Cuba
Central American and Caribbean Games
Silver medal – second place 2023 San Salvador Team

Career edit

Québec Capitales edit

Gracial served in the Cuban military before playing for Matanzas in the Cuban National Series.[1] In 2016, Gracial played for the Québec Capitales of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, slashing .320/.376/.476 with 9 home runs and 58 RBI.[2] He signed back with the club in 2017, and batted .333/.399/.524 with 13 home runs and 65 RBI. Gracial was released by Québec prior to the 2018 season.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks edit

On February 13, 2018, Gracial signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League.[3] In 2018, he finished the regular season playing in 54 games and logging a batting average of .292, 9 home runs, and 30 RBI. He additionally participated in the 2018 Japan Series.

Gracial re-signed with the Hawks for the 2019 season.[4] He went 6-for-16 (.375) with three home runs and six RBI in the 2019 Japan Series and won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award.[5] Gracial finished the regular season playing in 103 games, with a batting average of .319, 28 home runs, and 68 RBI.

On January 22, 2020, Gracial signed a two-year contract extension with Fukuoka.[6] However, due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was unable to leave Cuba and was not able to come to Japan until July 19.[7] In 2020, Gracial finished the year playing in 69 games and recording a batting average of .277, 10 home runs and 35 RBI. In the 2020 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, Gracial contributed to the team's fourth consecutive Japan Series victory with two hits in Game 1, a home run in Game 2, and an RBI hit in Game 3.[8][9]

In 2021, Gracial had been hitting well with a .305 batting average, five home runs, and 15 RBI, but on May 8, while reaching base as a runner against the Saitama Seibu Lions, he made contact with second baseman Nien-Ting Wu, breaking the ring finger on his right hand and making a long rehabilitation period inevitable.[10] He ended up finishing the season as he did, playing only 37 games.

In 2022 season, Gracial had been in the starting lineup for all of the opening games but was benched on June 25 due to a sore left wrist.[11] On June 27, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was removed from the first team registration according to regulations.[12] On July 20, he was re-registered and played a pinch-hitter against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.[13] On July 27, Gracial played in his second career All-Star game.[14] He finished the regular season with a .271 batting average, seven home runs, and 30 RBI across 99 games, due in part to his removal from the first team registration because of COVID-19. He became a free agent after the 2022 season.

Conspiradores de Querétaro edit

On February 5, 2024, Gracial signed with the Conspiradores de Querétaro of the Mexican League.[15]

International career edit

In 2017, Gracial was elected to the Cuba national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[16]

In 2019, Gracial was elected to the Cuba national baseball team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ por Jorge Ebro jebro@elnuevoherald.com. "Cubano Yurisbel Gracial: de las fuerzas armadas a la pelota profesional". El Nuevo Herald. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  2. ^ Le trio cubain des Capitales enfin dévoilé | Carl Tardif | Capitales
  3. ^ "Halcones de Softbank pagarán 511 mil dólares por un año a Yurisbel Gracial" (in Spanish). Martinoticias.com. February 13, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  4. ^ "Yurisbel Gracial y Ariel Martínez regresan a la liga profesional japonesa tras renovar contratos" (in Spanish). cubadebate.cu. January 18, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  5. ^ Coskrey, Jason (October 23, 2019). "Hawks sweep Giants to win third straight Japan Series". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  6. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンクがデスパイネとグラシアルと契約更新". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). January 23, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "full-count.jp Baseball news (Japanese) 鷹、デスパイネとグラシアルの来日を発表 出入国時のPCR検査は共に陰性". full-count.jp (in Japanese). July 20, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  8. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) 「日本シリーズ男」ソフトバンク・グラシアルが1号". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 22, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  9. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) グラシアルが引導渡す適時打「とても大きい追加点」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 24, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  10. ^ "Nikkansports Sports baseball news ソフトバンク・グラシアル右手剥離骨折と靱帯損傷 西武呉念庭と接触". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). May 8, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news グラシアル、今季初のスタメン外へ 左手首違和感の影響". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). June 25, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  12. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 柳田が外れる コロナ陽性でグラシアルは抹消 4番はデスパイネ ロッテ戦スタメン発表". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). June 27, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  13. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news グラシアル、登録即出場 デスパイネの代打". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). July 21, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  14. ^ "Nippon Professional Baseball マイナビオールスターゲーム2022 出場者". NPB.jp (in Japanese). July 27, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "LMB: Movimientos en listas de reserva - 5 de febrero de 2024". milb.com. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  16. ^ "Puerto Rico wins clash with Dominicans at World Baseball Classic". USA Today. March 15, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  17. ^ "full-count.jp baseball news (Japanese) 【プレミア12】キューバ初戦スタメン発表 グラシアル、デスパイネ、セペダのクリーンアップ". full-count.jp (in Japanese). November 6, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2020.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yurisbel Gracial.
  • Career statistics and player information from ESPN, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
  • Career statistics - NPB.jp
  • 27 Yurisbel Gracial PLAYERS2022 - Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site

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