Ermidelio Urrutia

Ermidelio Urrutia Quiroga

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 150 lb.

• Born August 25, 1963 in Las Tunas Province Cuba

Biographical Information

Outfielder Ermidelio Urrutia was a productive Cuban outfielder during the 1990s and a member of the Cuban national team for several years. He then became a manager in Cuba. He is the cousin of Osmani Urrutia father of Henry Urrutia, both of whom he later managed. He played and managed for Las Tunas.

Urrutia debuted for the Cuban national team in the 1987 Intercontinental Cup, hitting .444 in 18 AB for the 13-0 Cubans. In the 1988 Baseball World Cup, he batted .323/.344/.516 while playing both left and right field for the victorious Cubans. In the key comeback in the 9th inning of the Gold Medal game, he laid down a successful sacrifice bunt against Andy Benes to move the winning run to third base.

In the 1989 Intercontinental Cup, Ermidelio played on the champion Cuban team, going 2 for 5. Urrutia hit 20 home runs to lead the 1989 Cuban Serie Nacional and followed with 24 doubles in the Selective Series to pace that circuit in that department.

Urrutia batted .419 in the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games. In the 1990 Baseball World Cup, he hit .419/.455/.839 with 10 runs and 9 RBI in eight games as Cuba again won Gold. He helped Cuba to a Gold in the 1990 Goodwill Games. During the 1990-1991 Serie Nacional, Urrutia's 16 homers led the Oriental Zone. In the 1991 Pan American Games, Ermidelio hit .333. He cracked three home runs in the finale to help rout the Puerto Rican national team. Urrutia led the 1991-1992 Serie Nacional's Oriental Zone with 36 walks and 11 intentional free passes.

In the 1992 Olympics, Urrutia hit .389/.436/.389 with 13 runs in 9 games to help Cuba to Gold in the first Olympics in which baseball was not a demonstration event. During the 1993 Central American Games, Ermidelio hit .333. He batted .409/.447/.750 in the 1993 Intercontinental Cup with 6 doubles, 3 home runs and 10 runs in 11 games. He tied Todd Walker and Jose Estrada for third in hits (18), trailing only Omar Linares. His five doubles in the round-robin phase tied Todd Walker and Hiroki Kokubo for the lead. He joined Aaron Harvey and Marco Ubani on the All-Star outfield for that Cup.

Urrutia continued to shine in the 1994 Baseball World Cup, producing at a .613/.600/.871 clip with 13 runs and 11 RBI in nine games. He had two outfield assists and was error-free in right field. He led the Cup in average, almost 100 points ahead of the runner-up and was second to Linares in hits, 19-17. Urrutia made the Cup All-Star team in right field. Teammate Lourdes Gourriel Sr. beat him out for MVP honors.

In the 1995 Pan American Games, Urrutia hit .342.

Overall, Urrutia batted .310/~.398/.506 in 16 years in the Cuban leagues. He had 268 doubles, 221 home runs, 863 runs and 865 RBI. He was tied for 20th all-time in homers through 2003-2004 and was in the top 40 in several other categories.

Urrutia made his managerial debut with Las Tunas in the 2006-2007 Serie Nacional and guided the team for three years then returned for a second stint beginning in 2014-2015 and lasting for another three-year stint. Both times, he replaced Pablo Alberto Civil.

Sources: 2005 Guia Official de Beisbol, A History of Cuban Baseball by Peter Bjarkman, IBAF website