Former baseball player Yoanis Delgado, member of the Gourriel Delgado baseball family, dies from coronavirus

The baseball playerYoanis Delgado Pedroso, ex-holder of the equipment Sancti Spíritus emember of the legendary Gourriel Delgado baseball family, He died this Thursday night, a victim of COVID-19. He had just turned 39 years old.

The death of the former player and coach occurred shortly before 8 p.m. in an intensive care roomProvincial General Hospital "Camilo Cienfuegos" of Sancti Spiritus, after remaining in critical condition due to bacterial bronchopneumonia, as confirmed toCyberCuba sources close to the family.

He remained attached to artificial respiration equipment since last September 23, in a battle for life that had the solidarity of his former teammates in the Sancti Spiritus team in national series, and with the support of friends and family from abroad.

Yoanis was the son of José Raúl Delgado Diez, star catcher for the Sancti Spíritus teams and the national team, and cousin of the idol Lourdes Gourriel and her children Yulieski, Yuniesky and Lourdes Jr, all high-profile figures in Cuban baseball. Yulieski and Lourdes Jr play today in the United States Major Leagues after an outstanding career in their country.

"Once again Cuban baseball is dressed in mourning with the death of Yoanis after several days fighting for his life," said Edmundo González, former coach, baseball statistician and friend of the Delgado family. "The terrible pandemic hits us again, depriving the life of a good human being who deserved to live with his children, wife and parents. Rest in peace Yoanis!"

The news shocked baseball fans, the media and sports authorities in Sancti Spíritus.

"He couldn't, not even with the days-long vigil of his father José Raúl Delgado and his mother Yolanda outside the Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial Hospital, where he was accompanied, also for days, by his teammates: Frederich Cepeda, Yunior Ibarra, Ifreidi Coss, Pedro Álvarez, José Luis Sáez, Ismel Jiménez, Roberto Ramos, Miguel Rojas... and many others," he wrote in aemotional article the newspaper's sports journalistEscambray, Elsa Ramos.

The seriousness of Yoanis brought together dozens of players and baseball personalities daily outside the provincial hospital, in a show of emotional support for the sick athlete and his family.

The Sancti Spiritus population also mobilized to provide help to the sick athlete and even on social networks requests were made to send him the medicine Heparin Sodium or Fraxiparin, an anticoagulant apparently not available in the hospital institution.

"He couldn't, not even with the magic of his smile that used to contrast with the regality of his character. He couldn't, not even with the strength of all Yaguajay that supported him for days in the hope of having him back on their streets where he drew affection and admirations," added the journalist, who is married to former pitcher Roberto Ramos, a mainstay of the Villarreal teams.

The Gourriel family, residing in Miami, has followed the evolution of Yoanis' illness from the beginning. His cousins Yulieski (Houston Astros) and Lourdes Jr (Toronto Blue Jays), currently in their respective teams' battle to reach the Major League postseason, have been kept informed about the situation.

Yuniesky Gourriel wrote a heartfelt remembrance of his cousin, stating that he was not prepared for the news.

"I'm sorry if I wasn't there to protect you like we always did from each other. I'm going to miss you. Rest in peace," Yuniesky said.

Born on August 30, 1982 in Yaguajay, Sancti Spíritus, Yoanis followed in his father's footsteps and was a catcher with the Gallos de Sancti Spíritus during ten national series, between 2000 and 2010.

Wearing the jersey of the Cuban team, he participated in the Youth Baseball World Cup in Canada (2000), the Haarlem International Tournament (2002), in Holland, and the Messina University Baseball World Cup (2002), in Italy.

After his retirement he dedicated himself to training and developing young talents in his native Yaguajay, and assumed responsibilities as a manager leading teams in the territory in provincial tournaments.

Sancti Spíritus is one of the epicenters of the Covid-19 pandemic in Cuba. The province has one of the highest incidence rates in the country for the last 15 days, with 2,704.83 per 100 thousand inhabitants.

This Thursday the provincial territory registered 628 infections, with critical situations in the municipalities of Trinidad, Jatibonico, Cabaiguán and Sancti Spíritus.