Ulfrido García: tireless warrior looking to throw another strike

Ulfrido will continue to be that tireless warrior on the mound, who never gave up trying to throw strikes.

Ulfrido García was sitting with a red towel on his shoulder and could not help being shocked when the plate umpire did not award the third strike to the fourth batter of the Cuban capital Lions, Lisbán Correa.

Only the second subseries of the 60th National Series was being played, but the main left-handed pitcher on the staff of the Wasps of Santiago de Cuba had to resign himself to watching the game from the boxes behind the plate.

Due to an injury due to inflammation in the long portion of the biceps in his left arm, the promising natural southpaw of Songo la Maya could not fight for victory from the mound of the Guillermón Moncada stadium. "Don't rush, star," Ulfrido told the head umpire, as Correa took some dirt from the batter's box and patted it a couple of times before facing right-hander Pedro Agüero, on account of two strikes and one ball.

Immediately afterward, Agüero dominated “Billy” in a grounder to third and closed the fifth inning with a 2-1 lead for Santiago de Cuba, and Ulfrido jumped for joy as if he were living the moment inside the diamond.

We both agree that Agüero's command was key to preventing Correa from pulling a pitch and unloading his strength. “Last year, I threw a changeup at him and he homered,” Ulfrido recalled, “but the next at-bat I focused on controlling each pitch because Correa is one of those hitters who can change the score with a swing.”

Although we were separated at a distance of four seats, due to the epidemiological measures due to the scourge of Covid-19, we were able to talk for a few minutes. As we talked about his injury, the plan he was following to recover 100 percent, the passion for his team, and the desire to return were evident in every expression Ulfrido had.

Instantly, he remembered the most recent victory he had had against Industriales, and defined the key to success with two words: “Control and patience”. About his previous experiences, Ulfrido commented that the lack of control, unlike knowing how to take care of the batters, took its toll on him many times against the Lions. “Sometimes we pitchers want to strike out and be awesome,” Ulfrido said. "But as great pitchers on our team have told me several times, the pitcher has to control his emotions."

Songo la Maya's southpaw acknowledged that this desire to live up to expectations can sometimes be a double-edged sword for pitchers, but over time experience manages to balance both parts.

That afternoon, finally, Ulfrido went happily to the Wasps dugout to celebrate the 6-4 victory, after a four-race rally at the end of the eighth inning.

It was the last time we spoke and when he said goodbye to him, he still had the emotion of warriors who never give up.

Unfortunately, in the 60 National Series, he could not recover and was left without seeing action, but he still had hopes to return to the Wasps at the beginning of this year. “I have to throw again in our baseball classic, against the Industriales”, was the last phrase I heard the fast and defiant left-hander from Santiago mention, before receiving the news of his unexpected death this Friday at the age of 28.

The heartbreaking news has put Cuban baseball in mourning, just when the baseball fans were preparing to enjoy another classic duel between Industriales and Santiago de Cuba, with the presence of the public at the Guillermón Moncada stadium. Ulfrido wasn't ready to pitch and wasn't even on the Wasps' roster, but he still had hope of getting back on the mound.

Paradoxically, his last two win-loss decisions had been against Industriales and at the Latinoamericano stadium: The victory, on Monday, November 4, 2019, with a score of 10-0, and the defeat on Friday, December 20, 2019, 7-2.

At a decisive moment for the future of his career, fate surprised him with a fatal blow that extinguished his life, but Ulfrido's dedication and love for his Wasps will be impossible to forget.

His warrior soul will not only be remembered in Santiago de Cuba, where Ulfrido was the ace who led the conquest of the title in the III U-23 National Series (2016), because the fans of the Alazanes de Granma also have reasons to admire it. His contribution as a reinforcement in the team's title during the 57th National Series was key.

In the last three seasons he pitched, Garcia posted an 11-15 adverse record with a 4.81 ERA, 98 strikeouts, and 93 walks. His problems with pitching commands were one of the most notable deficiencies that hindered his development. But even so, his two appearances in international events with the Cuba team could be described as positive.

The most remembered was an opening of 5.1 innings where he allowed three earned runs and struck out five rivals with a single walk against the Criollos de Caguas, responding to the confidence of manager Carlos Martí, in 2018 the Caribbean Series.

Even though his shoulder did not respond as expected to the stem cell insertion, Ulfrido did not give up. He was willing to fight for his dream of challenging batters again, and that is the great story of overcoming that we will never forget about the left-hander from Santiago.

Yes, death surprised him at just 28 years old, but in the hearts of those who admire him, Ulfrido will remain that tireless warrior on the mound, who never gave up trying to throw another strike.