Julio Moreno González (Jiquí)

Julio Moreno González (Jiquí) (1921-1987)

Born in Güines on January 28, 1921.

He was one of the best-remembered baseball players by the Cuban fans, who immortalized him with the nickname of Jiquí (Cuban name for the Pera bumelifolia tree of extremely hard wood) considering that his pitches were as hard as the wood after which his nickname was chosen.

He started to play baseball in Güines with Estrellas de Pancho (Pancho’s Stars) team. From 1939 until 1944 he pitched for Círculo de Artesanos (Artisans Circle) of San Antonio de los Baños in the Cuban National League of Amateur Baseball championships.

He accomplished all kinds of baseball exploits in the Cuban amateur seasons. He won a championship in 1944 representing Ariguanabo ending with 26 wins and 3 losses. In 1943, the year considered by the critics as the best year of amateur baseball in Cuba, he again won 20 games. He pitched a no-hit no-run game against the Atlético de Santiago de las Vegas (Athletic of Santiago de las Vegas) on March 19, 1944 and almost 3 weeks later, he set a record (later on surpassed by Evelio Hernández) when he struck out 21 hitters of Vedado Tennis Club on April 9.

Notwithstanding the tempting offers made through Adolfo Luque to jump to the Big Leagues with the New York Giants, Jiquí preferred to debut as a professional in México in 1945, wearing the uniform of Veracruz, convinced by the salaries being paid by Jorge Pasquel and his brothers. His passing through the Mexican League of Professional Baseball ended with 124 games won against 99 games lost with a 3.85 earned run average and 883 strikeouts.

He made his debut in the Cuban League of Professional Baseball in the 1944-1945 season with Marianao team where he played until 1948. In 1948-1949 he played for Cienfuegos team and in 1950-1951 he joined the Havana team. In this year 1950 he jumped to the Big Leagues playing with the Washington Senators where he remained for 4 seasons with a final record of 18 wins against 22 losses in 73 games.

It is pertinent to note that during the last years of his career, he did not have the speed of the past and became a tricky pitcher who resorted to his experience and slow pitches to dominate the hitters.

When the Communist system arrived in Cuba, Jiquí Moreno did not accept the dictatorship of Castro and his gang and went into exile, passing away in Miami on January 2, 1987.

Continue to: Dr. Adolfo E. Nieto Piñeiro-Osorio