Osvaldo Fernández Guerra

Osvaldo Fernández Guerra

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.

• School Mission College

• Born ??? in Havana Cuba (BR Minors gives a clearly falsified 4/15/70 birthdate)

Biographical Information

Osvaldo Fernández Guerra was a contemporary of Osvaldo Fernández Rodríguez; both pitched for the Cuban national team (this Osvaldo only briefly) then defected. While Osvaldo Fernández Rodríguez made the majors, Osvaldo Fernández Guerra stopped at AAA.

Fernández pitched three shutouts for the 1987-1988 Metropolitanos to tie Domingo Ordaz for the Cuban Serie Nacional lead. On December 10, 1988, he threw a no-hitter against the Citricultores. Through 2012, it remained the only no-hitter in Metropolitanos annals. He led the league in numerous departments in 1989-1990, finishing first with 12 wins, 118 strikeouts, 119 2/3 IP, 14 starts and 12 complete games. He was named the Serie Nacional Most Valuable Pitcher. He helped Cuba win Gold at the 1990 Goodwill Games.

In 1991, he had a 2.09 ERA for Habana to lead the Series Selectivas. In his lone stint with the national team, he was 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA as they won the 1991 Pan American Games. His 58 strikeouts for Habana led the 1993 Series Selectivas.

In 11 seasons in Cuba, Osvaldo had gone 70-42 with a 3.12 ERA and .240 opponent average. He struck out 778 and walked 358 in 943 2/3 IP.

After defecting, he was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 22nd round of the 1994 amateur draft. He had a fine US debut with the Riverside Pilots, going 8-2 with a 2.87 ERA and 80 K in 84 2/3 IP. Had he qualified, he would have been 6th in the California League in ERA. In 1995, he had a 12-7, 3.57 campaign for the Port City Roosters, with 160 strikeouts and only 6 homers allowed in 156 1/3 innings. He led the Southern League in strikeouts by 9 ahead of Amaury Telemaco, tied Tom Kramer and Rob Mattson for fifth in wins and missed the top 10 in ERA by .06. Among Mariners farmhands, he was second in strikeouts (7 behind Marino Santana) and tied for third in wins, trailing Trey Moore and Bob Wolcott.

Injuries derailed the lefty's career after that, though. He only pitched one game apiece for the 1996 Tacoma Rainiers (2 R in 3 1/3 IP) and 1997 Memphis Chicks (1 R in 4 1/3 IP). In 1998, he moved to the New York Mets chain, appearing for the Binghamton Mets (0-1, 4.05 in 7 G) and Norfolk Tides (0-1, 5.40 in 2 G). He also was with the independent Reno Chukars, going 4-2 with a 5.66 ERA. He finished up in 1999 with two Mexican League clubs, the Monterrey Sultans and Saraperos de Saltillo (a combined 3-5, 4.77 with 47 walks in 53 IP). Overall, he was 27-18 with a 4.00 ERA in 71 minor league games, with 338 strikeouts in 359 2/3 IP to go 97-60 between Cuba and the minors.

Sources

• 2005 Guia Official de Beisbol
• A History of Cuban Baseball by Peter Bjarkman
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros
• 1995-1996 Baseball Almanacs