The hero of the 1997 World Series, former Cuban pitcher Liván Hernández, arrived in Miami this Saturday to take part in Cuban Heritage Day, celebrated at Marlins Park.
"I love this because it brings together all nationalities. Today we celebrate Cuban heritage, but I also love it when we celebrate Venezuelan, Dominican, and Puerto Rican heritage," stated the resident of Villa Clara.
"I am Cuban by birth, 100 percent Cuban. I represented Cuban blood and all Cubans in the Major Leagues, and that was my dream: to defend my country and my flag. It seems to me that when you go out there and do things like that, everything goes well," he said in statements to the press.
Hernández, back in the city where he found success in Major League Baseball, stated, "What we need here is more support for Cubans."
"We have to support ourselves. Dominicans back their players to the fullest, just like Venezuelans do, and we need to do the same. We must give a lot of support to Cuban players so that we continue to grow in the Major Leagues," he emphasized.
He then explained that he currently tends to wake up at dawn to train the Perfect Game teams (13U and 14U) in Fort Pierce, the world's largest platform for youth baseball and softball and scouting services.
Orlando "El Duque" Hernández's brother played 17 seasons in MLB.
He was a pitcher who was never on the injured list during his 17-season career, accumulating 177 wins in Major League Baseball.
Additionally, he led in innings pitched three times, twice in starts and twice in complete games.
With the Florida Marlins in 1997, he won the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player award and later the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. It was during this ceremony that he famously declared, "I LOVE YOU MIAMI!", a phrase that has become one of the most enduring in the Marlins' baseball history and won the hearts of the city.
Last April, he was nominated for induction into the Latin Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.
The Cuban Heritage Day will be celebrated this Saturday at the Marlins stadium with a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets, followed by great music featuring artists from the island such as El Chacal.
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