Related videos:
The pitcher from Artemisa, Yunieski García Viera, was finally suspended for four games after attacking a fan with a bat.
“The National Baseball Commission informs that it has decided to impose a disciplinary measure on player Yunieski García Viera, a member of the Artemisa team, prohibiting him from participating in four (4) games of the current postseason of the 64th National Baseball Series,” reads a statement released this Sunday.
The sanction took effect on January 25 after the player fulfilled the mandatory rest period established for pitchers.
The measure, according to the National Commission, "is the result of the analysis conducted by our Disciplinary Commission, in accordance with the provisions of Article 20, section c), of Resolution 93 of the Disciplinary Regulations of the Competitive Baseball System, regarding the incident involving the aforementioned athlete and a spectator following the second playoff game between the teams of Artemisa and Holguín, held at the Calixto García Iñiguez stadium."
"To tailor the measure of the penalty to be imposed, the significance of the event, the absence of similar precedents concerning the player, and the behavior of the fan, who was carrying a bat and repeatedly insulted him, were taken into account," the statement concludes.
Last Wednesday, García was separated from his team after an incident that occurred at the end of the second game of the quarterfinal playoff of the 64th National Baseball Series, held on January 21 between the teams of Holguín and Artemisa at the Calixto García stadium.
According to the official note sent to the state-run media in Cuba and disseminated by JIT, the situation involved a group of local fans and players from the Artemisa team, although the statement did not provide specific details about the progression of events or the extent of the altercation.
Reports on social media and the independent outlet Swing Completo confirmed that García injured a fan after attacking him with a bat.
As a result of the incident, the pitcher from Artemisa, Yuniesky García, committed an act of indiscipline, which —according to the Commission— was acknowledged by the athlete himself before the authorities of Inder and the governing body of Cuban baseball.
While the appropriate disciplinary measure is being determined, García has been declared ineligible to join the team lineup, remaining out of action as a precaution until the evaluation process is completed.
The event occurs in the midst of a postseason characterized by intense competitive tension and strong pressure in the stands, a context that in recent years has led to similar episodes in various stadiums across the country, without a clear and transparent policy on the management of security and the behavior of both players and fans.
Filed under: