A Veteran Lion and Three Rookie Managers in the National Series

The debut of three new managers, the return of two to their posts, and the presence of only one skipper with more than a decade of experience define the technical staff for the upcoming Cuban National Baseball Series.

The tournament, scheduled to begin on September 2, will feature Havana native Guillermo Carmona as the senior manager, with 11 seasons leading capital city teams.

According to records from statistician Benigno Daquinta, Carmona managed Metropolitanos for four years, guiding them to a fifth-place finish in the 36th National Series played in 1996–1997.

With the Lions, the veteran strategist has compiled seven campaigns across two stretches, from 1998 to 2001 and from 2020 to the present.

His career record stands at 485 wins and 369 losses in regular season play with both teams, while in the playoffs he has a negative balance of 37–43.

Among his best results with Industriales are the runner-up finishes in the 38th National Series (1998–1999), when they lost the final to Santiago de Cuba, and in the 2022–2023 season, when Las Tunas claimed the championship.

This upcoming season will see former players Vicyohandry Odelín debut as manager of the Camagüey Bulls, Osmel Cordero take charge of the Mayabeque Hurricanes, and Yoandry Moya lead the Cienfuegos Elephants.

Meanwhile, Eriel Sánchez of Sancti Spíritus and Marcos Fonseca of Granma return to managerial roles, each with two seasons of experience. Sánchez led the Roosters in Series 60 and 61, securing third place in his last campaign, while Fonseca previously guided the Stallions in Series 45 and 46 (2005–2007), finishing fourth in his debut year as his best performance.

Of the 16 managers who will participate in the upcoming National Series, only three have ever captured Cuban baseball’s most coveted title: Ramón Moré of Villa Clara in Series 52 (2012–2013), Armando Ferrer of Matanzas in Series 59 (2019–2020), and Abeicy Pantoja of Las Tunas, who won championships in both of his seasons with the Lumberjacks (2022–2023 and 2023–2024).

It will also be the second season as managers for Maikel MacCoy of Isla de la Juventud, Lugdis Pineda of Holguín, and Danny Miranda of Ciego de Ávila.

The remaining managers in the upcoming baseball classic include Alexander Urquiola of Pinar del Río with four seasons, Rubén Prevot of Guantánamo with five, and Yuliesky González of Artemisa and Eddy Cajigal of Santiago de Cuba, both entering their third year of experience.