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The National Baseball Series has once again been marked by a new theft incident, this time involving the pitcher from Artemisa, Geonel Gutiérrez.
What was initially reported as a theft within the team of the Cazadores de Artemisa was clarified a few hours later by the management, after the initial version circulated on social media and caused unrest among fans.
The profile Cazadores de Artemisa publicly corrected the information and explained that the incident did not occur in the dressing room nor did it involve other players; rather, it happened at the hotel where the team was staying.
According to the statement, the player had a ring stolen that he had left in his room while the team was playing.
"This incident did not happen within the team; it was a mistake not to verify the information directly with the management," acknowledged Luis Javier Rodríguez (Luijo), the page administrator, who apologized to fans, athletes, and executives.
The clarification was reinforced shortly after by coach Norlis Concepción and shared on the wall of Facebook by sports narrator and commentator Ernesto Amaya Esquivel, who expressed regret over the incident but insisted that it was not an internal conflict or theft among teammates.
"The athlete only lost a ring that he left in his room. It has nothing to do with the rest of the team members. I clarify this for those who ill-naturedly express opinions without having the absolute truth," wrote the director.
A new chapter in a series of concerning events
Although the incident did not directly involve the team, it adds to a series of complaints that have revealed the vulnerabilities in the security of Cuban baseball, both in stadiums and hotels.
In recent weeks, sports pages and specialized journalists have reported:
- Theft of mobile phones from the Huracanes de Mayabeque team.
- Theft of belongings from Matanzas players at the Victoria de Girón stadium.
- And now, the case of the ring from the pitcher of Artemisa.
As noted by the page Cuba Grand Slam, these situations "hit even harder a National Series already impacted by multiple issues," and reveal lapses in protection for the athletes themselves, who travel with limited resources and often confront deteriorating facilities.
The most serious precedent: a looting that forced the suspension of a match
The theft in Artemisa is only known weeks after a much more serious incident shook the championship, with the looting of the Matanzas team during the subseries against Camagüey, which led to the suspension of the scheduled game.
People outside the stadium entered the dugout and the yumurino locker room, taking personalized gloves, bats, phones, wallets, and even complete gear.
"Some athletes were left with literally nothing, just their warm-up uniforms," reported La Banda Yumurina.
The seriousness of the situation, described as "unacceptable" by authorities and journalists, highlighted the safety conditions in the National Series and the vulnerability of the players, who are also subjected to material shortages and limited institutional resources.
For many fans, these episodes reflect a structural decline, ranging from hotels with insufficient security, vulnerable stadiums, a lack of resources, and baseball facing a deep crisis not only in sports but also in logistics and organization.
As summarized by Cuba Grand Slam in their post:
"Baseball needs many things to improve, but what it definitely needs the least is for stealing to only be limited to the bases."
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