Agustín Marquetti
| Agustín Marquetti | |
|---|---|
| First baseman / outfielder | |
| Born: August 28, 1946 Alquízar, Artemisa, Cuba | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| SNB statistics | |
| Batting average | .288 |
| Hits | 1,935 |
| Home runs | 207 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Medals | |
Agustín Marquetti Moinelo (born August 28, 1946) is a Cuban former baseball player. He spent his 22-year career as a first baseman in the Cuban National Series (SNB) playing in Havana, mainly with Industriales.[1]
Marquetti twice led the National Series in both home runs and runs batted in (1969 and 1972).[1] Historian Peter C. Bjarkman described Marquetti as "the first great Cuban slugger of the modern-day era," adding that Marquetti made up half, along with his contemporary Antonio Muñoz, of Cuba's version of the M&M Boys (Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle).[2]
Early life
As a boy, Marquetti was a fan of Almendares in the Cuban Winter League.[3][4] At just 15 years old, Marquetti was drafted into a militia raised against the anti-Castro invasion force at the Bay of Pigs; his military service gave him the nickname "El Miliciano."[5] in 1964, he debuted with Havana at the 1964 national youth championship, earning a spot on the Cuban national youth team that played a series in Canada in August of that year.[6][7] He was reportedly offered $50,000 to defect and sign with the Cincinnati Reds, but declined.[4]
Playing career
Debuting with Industriales in the 1965–66 Cuban National Series, Marquetti won a championship with the team in his first year.[4] Over the course of his 22 seasons in the National Series, he posted a .288 career batting average, with 207 home runs and 1,935 hits.[1]
Marquetti debuted with the senior Cuban national squad at the 1969 Amateur World Series in the Dominican Republic.[3] Over the course of his international career, he hit .346 with 189 runs batted in and 31 home runs.[1] He hit a walkoff home run against the United States in the 1972 Amateur World Series in Managua, to deliver Cuba the championship.[3][8][4] He remained a consistent member of the national team until 1980, when he was supplanted at first base by Antonio Muñoz.[4]
On January 19, 1986, the forty-year-old Marquetti hit a memorable walk-off home run off of Rogelio Garcia to deliver Industriales the championship over Pinar del Río in the final series of the 1985–86 Cuban National Series.[9] As Marquetti later recounted, he had been chatting with Garcia just days earlier when the pitcher asserted his forkball was unhittable. Marquetti only managed to round second before fans mobbed the infield in celebration, an iconic image in Cuban baseball history.[10]
Personal life
Marquetti's son, also named Agustín, defected from Cuba and later played in the Detroit Tigers organization.[8][11] Marquetti himself later relocated to Miami, where he opened a baseball academy with his son.[8] However, he has since returned to visit Cuba periodically.[12][13]
Marquetti said he at one time wanted to play in the Major Leagues, but that it would have been "unthinkable" to defect while playing with the national team. Discussing the recent trend of Cuban players defecting to the United States, he said that Cuban players of his generation "played with love, like you don't play there, in the Major Leagues." "I'm from that generation; this is another one, which can't think like mine ... We had the revolution in our blood. Now, people don't think that way anymore."[3] Marquetti has expressed that defecting Cuban players should be allowed to rejoin the Cuban national team for events such as the World Baseball Classic.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d Bjarkman, p. 383
- ^ Bjarkman, Peter (2007). A History of Cuban Baseball, 1864-2006. McFarland. pp. 372–73. ISBN 978-0786428298.
- ^ a b c d "Agustín Marquetti: "fuimos de conciencia revolucionaria: no interesaba el dinero, pero la vida te cambia"". Play Off Magazine. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Agustín Marquetti: "El béisbol no tiene fronteras"". On Cuba News. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "Agustín Marquetti se suma a la polémica sobre cómo mejorar el béisbol cubano" (in Spanish). Cubadebate. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "Agustín Marquetti: El toletero de Alquízar". Radio Rebelde. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "Playing Ball with Castro". Canada's History. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Agustín Marquetti abre academia de béisbol en Miami". Cafe Fuerte. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "Jonrones memorables del beisbol cubano: Agustín Marquetti a Rogelio García". Swing Completo. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "Momentos memorables en el béisbol cubano: ¡36 años después del mítico jonrón de Marquetti!". Baseball de Cuba. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "Gus Marquetti". Baseball Reference (minors).
- ^ "Former Cuban baseball player Agustín Marquetti is visiting Cuba". No. 29 April 2025. Cuba en Miami. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "ormer Cuban baseball player Agustín Marquetti from Miami says he doesn't know who the enemies are". Cuba en Miami. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)