Orestes Kindelán

Orestes Kindelán is the most prolific home run hitter in the history of post-revolutionary Cuban baseball. He played 21 seasons with Santiago de Cuba Avispas (Wasps) in Series Nacionale, and holds career records for home runs (487), RBIs (1,511), and total bases (3,893). He set the single season home run record of 30 in 1986, a mark that lasted until 2008. He played first base and was also a designated hitter.

Kindelán played at three Olympic Games, winning gold medals in 1992 and 1996, and a silver in 2000. At the 1996 Olympics, he hit the longest home run ever hit at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, the long-time home of the Atlanta Braves. With Cuba being dominant in amateur baseball in that era, Kindelán also won gold medals at the Pan American Games (1991, 1995, 1999), Goodwill Games (1990), and the World Cup (1994, 2001). Between 2002-04 Kindelán played in Japan. He was never allowed to play Major League Baseball in the USA, although every team would have liked that opportunity. Kindelán’s cousin is Mario Kindelán, twice an Olympic gold medalist in boxing.