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Franklin López Agustín has been appointed as the new manager of the Ciego de Ávila Tigers for the upcoming 65th National Baseball Series, as announced by the newspaper Invasor, filling the vacancy left by the passing of Dany Miranda Agramonte.
Miranda died on April 5 at the Antonio Luaces Iraola Hospital in Ciego de Ávila, at the age of 47, due to post-surgical complications from a severe intestinal condition. The tragedy deepened days later when his father, Omar Miranda Burgos, aged 72, also passed away following the burial of his son, unable to overcome the emotional toll of the loss.
López Agustín is described as one of the iconic players of a generation that brought great glory to the fans of Avila.
After retiring as an athlete, the so-called "violeteño" did not distance himself from baseball; he also managed the Primero de Enero team in a provincial league and has held the position of head of the baseball department in the municipality for several years.
The Provincial Sports Directorate conducted a detailed analysis before making the decision, evaluating a proposal from the baseball committee that also included Mario Vega, Darío Cid, and Jesús Echarte, the current provincial commissioner.
Vega and Cid were not considered because "they stated that they are not in a position at the moment to take on the responsibility," as reported by Invasor.
Echarte, for his part, was excluded due to the valuable work he does leading the Provincial Commission and because he is part of the management team of the Cuba softball team that will participate in the upcoming Central American Games in the Dominican Republic.
Dany Miranda was one of the most beloved figures in Avilan baseball. As a player for the Tigres, he was part of the Cuba team that won the Olympic gold in Athens 2004 and also champion in the U-15 World Cup in Mazatlán 1994, the Youth World Cup in Cuba 1996, and the Universiade in Italy 2002.
He accumulated 1,009 hits with an average of .290 before retiring from active baseball.
As manager, Miranda led the Tigres to the title in the III Elite League of Cuban Baseball and was appointed director of the national Under-23 team, with which he achieved qualification for the World Championships of that category in 2026.
The Tigers of Ciego de Ávila have three titles in the National Series, all won under the leadership of Roger Machado: the LI edition (2011-12), the LIV, and the LV (2015-16).
López Agustín now takes on the challenge of leading the team in a new season, carrying the weight of a loss that shocked Cuban baseball and the entire fan base in Avila.
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