As the culmination of a Series 64 with imperfections, yet one which once again stirred passions among Cubans, today the grand final of Cuban baseball begins with the first encounter between Leñadores de Las Tunas and Cocodrilos de Matanzas, at the Latinoamericano Stadium.
At the Havana Colossus of Cerro, for the first time a neutral venue for a domestic baseball final, the Leñadores, managed by Abeisy Pantoja, will attempt to retain the crown achieved in the two previous versions of the competition, this time with a squad less numerous but equally as effective as its predecessors.
For their part, the Matanzas side, recognised for their stability over the last 14 years of the national pastime, will appeal to the pedigree of the finest Henequeneros from the last decade of the previous century, with a fighting spirit already demonstrated in the semi-final against Industriales and especially in the decisive sixth match, in which they erased a six-run deficit in the ninth inning.
Left-handers Eliander Bravo, for Las Tunas, and Yoanni Yera, for Cocodrilos, will be tasked with opening the first duel according to information released in recent hours, which also specifies that the final, scheduled as a best-of-seven series, will be played atypically with four consecutive matches, a rest day and, subsequently, another three straight challenges if necessary.
Historically, Leñadores and the Matanzas side have faced each other 193 times in National Series and the balance favours the saurians 104 to 89, while in postseasons those from the west also dominate 13 to eight, according to figures from statistician Benigno Daquinta.
On their path to the final, Las Tunas and Matanzas, who were placed first and second also in the qualifying phase, defeated Villa Clara and Sancti Spíritus, respectively, in the quarter-finals, and Artemisa and Industriales in the semi-finals.
If Leñadores win once more, they would join a very select group of teams with three consecutive crowns in domestic classics; conversely, if Cocodrilos prevail, they would achieve their second crown of this century, following the one obtained in 2020 in Armando Ferrer’s first foray as manager.
