Giraldo González

Giraldo González Arango (Maravilla)

• Born May 29, 1958 in Los Palacios, Pinar del Río Cuba
• Died August 28, 2021

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Giraldo González played for the Cuban national team. His son Luis González also played in Cuba's league.

A shortstop, Giraldo debuted in the 1978-1979 Serie Nacional, playing for the Vegueros. He would win three titles with the Vegueros. He led the 1981-1982 Serie Nacional with 12 sacrifice hits. He played for Cuba in the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games, when they "only" won a Silver Medal.

González saw limited action for Cuba in the 1987 Pan American Games (0 for 2) and was on the roster but did not play in the 1987 Intercontinental Cup. Cuba won both events. In 15 seasons in Cuba, he played 1,409 games and hit .256/.303/.342 with 533 runs and 482 RBI. He stole 66 bases in 141 tries. He fielded .963. Through 2004-2005, he was 6th in league history in assists (4,721, between Evenecer Godínez and Enrique Esteban Díaz.

After he finished his playing career in Cuba, he spent 1996-1998 playing in Colombia and El Salvador. He was a youth baseball coach, winning several national titles, and guided the Cuban team to a Pan American youth title in 2007. He coached in Italy in 2009-2010. He managed Pinar del Río to a 36-51 record in the 2012-2013 Serie Nacional.

Sources

• 2005 Guia Official de Beisbol
• Ecured
• A History of Cuban Baseball by Peter Bjarkman

Further Reading

• Article on death