Agustín Arias

Agustín Arias Tornés (El Tingo Arias)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

• Born May 5, 1942 in Yara, Granma Cuba
• Died December 22, 2016 in Bayamo, Granma Cuba

Biographical Information

Agustín Arias was with the Cuban national team in three different decades. His brother José Arias and son Agustín Arias Jr. both played in Cuba as well.

Arias hit .198 as a rookie for the Orientales in 1965-1966. He was on Cuba's roster when they won the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games but did not get into a contest. He fell to .168 in 1966-1967 then improved to .268 with 18 steals in 1967-1968. He hit .312 for the Mineros in 1968-1969 and .273 for the same club in 1969-1970. In the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games, he was 2 for 11 as Cuba won the Gold. In 1970-1971, he hit .268 for the Mineros. During 1971-1972, he improved to .310. He led the 1972 Cuban All-Star Series in average (.378) and tied Germán Aguila and Pedro Jova for the most runs (7).

Arias batted .368 to help Cuba win the 1972 Amateur World Series, his lone appearance in a global competition. He struggled at .225 for the Serranos in 1972-1973 and rebounded to .269 in 1973-1974. He was 4 for 12 with four walks and six runs in five games when Cuba won the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games; he fielded .947 while backing up Rodolfo Puente at SS. His six triples for Oriente in 1975 led Cuba's first Series Selectivas. In the 1975 Pan American Games, he was 0 for 2 but Cuba got the Gold.

The infielder hit .377 for Granma in 1978-1979, losing the batting title to Wilfredo Sánchez by .0004. In 1982, the veteran led the Series Selectivas in average (.404) and hits (82). In his final international appearance, he went 2 for 5 in the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games, when Cuba only got the Silver. His last season was with Granma in 1982-1983. He managed Granma in 1996-1997, going 28-37.

In 17 seasons in Cuba, he hit .272/.348/.370 and stole 90 bases in 138 tries. He fielded .954. Through 2011, he was second in Cuban Serie Nacional history in errors (371, 26 behind Sergio Quesada) and fourths in assists (5,013, behind Quezada, Eduardo Paret and Enrique Esteban Díaz).

Sources

• Ecured
• 2005 Guia Official de Beisbol
• Partial seasonal stats for Arias
• A History of Cuban Baseball by Peter Bjarkman