Havana/Esteban Terry has become the latest case of an athlete leaving a representation of the Island abroad. As reported this Tuesday by the media Cuba Grand Slam“the outfielder from Matanzas did not return to Cuba with the Crocodiles team that recently participated in the Baseball Champions League Americas” in Mexico.
The athlete participated with the Matanzas team in the most recent edition of the Champions League that ended this Sunday in the Mexican capital, in which the Island’s team recorded the second worst performance of a representative of the Island in the tournament.
Although the champions of the National Series were beaten During his presentation on Mexican soil, receiving 69 runs in four games, for an average of 17.25 per duel, the 28-year-old player born in the Matanzas municipality of Limonar had an acceptable performance, as he had six hits in 17 at-bats, for an average of .353.
The 28-year-old player born in the Matanzas municipality of Limonar had an acceptable performance
Even the provincial environment Radio26 He highlighted his work in the first game of the Champions League. He noted that the outfielder was the architect of the only victory for the Crocodiles, in a game in which they lost 5-0 against the CTBC Brothers of Taiwan: “Sport, like life, gives revenge and Terry had the opportunity to make up for it. When the Asian pitching had dominated the Yumurina battery without setbacks, the peppery player fired a double off the left field line that lit the spark to wake the team from its lethargy. His contribution in the comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning It was crucial, since he opened the inning with a shot and scored the first of the six that turned the score around.”
In the last National Series, the player had experienced a sporting renaissance, after spending four years looking for opportunities in Pinar del Río, due to the Matanzas sports authorities marginalizing him in 2021, despite having stood out in the national under-23 tournament.
After breaking ground, in 2025, Terry participated in the I Jorge Luis Valdés In Memoriam Provincial Cup, which was attended by four teams with exponents from Matanzas. This tournament became the perfect platform for his resurgence, as he had an offensive average of .404, with 10 hits, including four home runs, in addition to stealing six bases, driving in 19 runs and scoring another 16. These numbers led him to be named the Most Valuable Player of the contest. Finally, in the last National Series he received the opportunity to join the ranks of the Crocodiles, with whom he won the title in Cuba.
In the last National Series he received the opportunity to join the ranks of the Crocodiles, with whom he won the title in Cuba.
The American Baseball Champions League played in Mexico has become one of the scenarios for the escape of baseball players in recent years. In the last editionLas Las Tunas Rafael Viñales and Denis Peña left the competition headquarters and started a new life in Mexican territory, after winning the runner-up position.
At that time, the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder), in a brief statement and as usual, confirmed the escape and accused Viñales and Peña of “turning their backs on the commitment made.”
In the case of Esteban Terry, the authorities have not issued an official position on the matter. However, its abandonment could have a different treatment than those that occurred previously, due to the new Law 179, which anticipates a “historic” change, and which formally eliminates the requirement of permanent residence in the country so that Cubans living abroad can join sports teams, both nationally and internationally. Likewise, it expands the possibility of calling for descendants of Cubans, residing in other countries, to join the sports movement on the Island, so that the Matanzas native would no longer have closed doors in the future.
Formally eliminates the requirement of permanent residence in the country so that Cubans living abroad can join national teams
Before the last World Classic, several Cuban-American players, such as Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto, expressed their intentions to play for Team Asere, but were rejected by sports authorities.
The measure is not retroactive, since those who have been sanctioned with separation or expulsion from the system are excluded.
Likewise, in parallel with the Government’s announcement of a economic openingthe legislation also authorizes, for the first time, advertising and sponsorship in Cuban sports, to allow accredited foreigners and Cubans abroad to finance projects, from domestic tournaments to teams in international competitions. Cubans and foreigners who do not reside in the country “may participate in the orientation, promotion, promotion and development of the Cuban Sports System,” the law says.
