Lourdes Gourriel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lourdes Gurriel
Gurriel in 1986
First baseman
Born: (1957-03-09) March 9, 1957 (age 68) Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Medals Men's baseball Representing  Cuba Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Team Baseball World Cup Gold 1980 Tokyo Team Gold 1984 Havana Team Gold 1986 Amsterdam Team Gold 1988 Rome Team Gold 1990 Edmonton Team Gold 1994 Managua Team Intercontinental Cup Gold 1979 Havana Team Silver 1981 Edmonton Team Gold 1983 Brussels Team Gold 1985 Edmonton Team Gold 1987 Havana Team Gold 1989 San Juan Team Gold 1993 Italy Team Gold 1995 Havana Team Pan American Games Gold 1983 Caracas Team Gold 1987 Indianapolis Team Gold 1991 Havana Team Gold 1995 Mar del Plata Team Central American and Caribbean Games Silver 1982 Havana Team Gold 1986 Santiago de los Caballeros Team Gold 1990 Mexico City Team Gold 1993 Ponce Team Goodwill Games Gold 1990 Seattle Team

Lourdes Gourriel Delgado (born March 25, 1957) is a famous Cuban baseball player. He is known for winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games. He played for the Cuban national team for many years.

Lourdes Gourriel's Amazing Baseball Career

Lourdes Gourriel played baseball in the Cuban National Series. This was Cuba's top baseball league. He was a very talented player from the start.

Early Career and First Awards

Gourriel won the Cuban National Series Rookie of the Year Award in his first season (1976–77). He played for a team called Azucareros. In 1978–79, he hit 12 doubles, which was tied for the most in the league.

He joined the Cuba national baseball team that same year. He hit well, with a .294 batting average in the 1979 Intercontinental Cup.

Leading the League and International Success

In the 1979–1980 season, Gourriel led the Cuban National Series with 77 hits. He helped Cuba win a gold medal at the 1980 Amateur World Series. He hit an impressive .452 in that tournament. He even got the hit that won a key game against Team USA.

He continued to play well in international games. In the 1981 Intercontinental Cup, he hit .297. He also played in the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games.

All-Star Recognition and Pan American Games

In the 1983 Intercontinental Cup, Gourriel hit .429 and had the most doubles (4). He was chosen as an All-Star outfielder for the tournament. He also played great in the 1983 Pan American Games, hitting .526.

During the 1984 Amateur World Series, Gourriel had a strong performance. He scored 12 runs and drove in 16 runs. He also led the tournament with 7 doubles. He even played better than Barry Bonds, who was also in the tournament.

Continued Dominance and Batting Titles

Gourriel kept shining in major tournaments. He hit .414 in the 1985 Intercontinental Cup. Then, he batted .524 in the 1986 Central American and Caribbean Games.

In the 1986 Amateur World Series, he hit .357 and scored 12 runs. He also played well in the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1987 Intercontinental Cup. In 1988, he won a batting title in the Selective Series, hitting .430.

Heroics in the 1988 Baseball World Cup

Gourriel was amazing in the 1988 Baseball World Cup. He hit .500 and had a very high slugging percentage. He hit two huge home runs that year.

In one game, he hit a 3-run homer in the 9th inning to tie the score against Team USA. Cuba then went on to win. In the gold medal game, he hit another game-tying homer in the 9th inning against Jim Abbott. This helped Cuba win the gold medal. He was named to the All-Star team for the tournament.

MVP Awards and More Gold Medals

In the 1989 Intercontinental Cup, Gourriel was again an All-Star outfielder. He hit .435 and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. He helped Cuba win the final game against Japan.

He continued his success in the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games, hitting .429. In the 1990 Baseball World Cup, he hit .463 and had 19 runs batted in (RBI). He led the tournament with 25 hits and was chosen as the best first baseman on the All-Star team. He also won a gold medal with Cuba at the 1990 Goodwill Games.

Olympic Gold and Final Playing Years

At 34 years old, Gourriel still played at a high level. In the 1991 Pan American Games, he hit .419 and hit four home runs. He was again named the top first baseman on the All-Star team.

The highlight of his career came at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He hit .400 and helped the Cuban team win the gold medal. He played first base and was a key hitter for the team.

In the 1993 Intercontinental Cup, Gourriel hit .390 as the designated hitter. He was named the All-Star DH for the tournament. He also hit .444 in the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games, leading with 12 hits.

In 1993–1994, he won another batting title in the Cuban National Series, hitting .395. He also won the Cuban National Series Most Valuable Player Award.

At 37, he was still at the top of his game. In the 1994 Baseball World Cup, he won the MVP award. He hit .429 with 4 homers and 18 RBI. He led the Cup in RBI and was chosen as the All-Star DH.

He played his final season with the national team in 1995. He led the 1995 Pan American Games with a .464 batting average.

Lourdes Gourriel's Coaching and Managerial Career

After he stopped playing, Gourriel became a baseball manager. He led the Centrales team to a Super League title in 2003. He also managed the Sancti Spiritus team, where his sons played.

He coached for the Cuban national team in the 2005 Baseball World Cup and the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He managed Sancti Spíritus for seven seasons. He then managed in Nicaragua for two years. He returned to Sancti Spíritus in 2009–2010 and led them to the best record in the league.

Personal Life and Family

Lourdes Gourriel is the father of two sons, Yuli Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.. Both of his sons became professional baseball players. They later played in Major League Baseball after leaving Cuba in 2016.