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• Local
• Granma
• Society
• Sports
• 05 / 05 / 2009

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Alfredo Despaigne, playing for Granma team, hit a homer yesterday in the game his team won by mercy rule 12-2 over Villa Clara, setting a new record for home-runs batted in a single season at Cuban championships with 32.

The previous record was set during the last season by Santiago de Cuba slugger Alexei Bell who hit 31, breaking his province mate’s Orestes Kindelan record of 30 that had lasted over a decade.

Despaigne, 22, leftfielder with Granma and Cuba teams, thus closed a terrific season, when he also led two other offensive departments: RBIs with 97 and slugging with .756.

Despaigne hit a home-run every 10.25 at-bats.

Osvaldo Aviles, Granma’s manager, placed Despaigne in the first position in the line-up, in order to give him more chances of breaking the old record, a strategy that paid off in the fifth inning when he smashed a pitch by right-hander rookie Yasmani Hernandez.

Despite Despaigne’s and team-mate Yoanis Cespedes great performances their team could not get into the play-offs.

Source: Juventud Rebelde