“When he had his opportunity, he didn’t take advantage of it”: Kendry Morales on Marquetti

AREQUIPA, Peru – Kendry Morales, famous Cuban former baseball player, reacted to the controversial statements made by veteran Agustín Marquetti about Cuban athletes and their participation in the Major Leagues.

Morales intervened in a Swing Completo debate, published on YouTube, and showed his dissatisfaction with some opinions expressed by Marquetti during his interview with journalist Julita Osendi.

On that occasion, the Alquízar Slugger spoke about the recent generations of Baseball in Cuba. According to him, in his time people did not play for money, unlike many players who play in the Major Leagues today and earn millions of dollars for it.

“We play ball out of conscience, out of love. Here people play for millions. How many of us wouldn’t have played here? A bunch of those who are not baseball players in Cuba have come here and are millionaires and the stars of Cuba, the great baseball players of Cuba, never came, they never stayed. Neither the Kindelán, nor the Pacheco, nor the Capiró, nor Medina nor Wilfredo,” said Marquetti.

“Playing for conscience is not the same as playing for money. Unfortunately, money kills conscience,” he highlighted then and also made reference to the fact that his generation was the one that “had to defend the Revolution through sports.”

In this regard, Kendry Morales, who has experience in the Major Leagues and currently resides in the United States, classified the veteran former player’s position as “a lack of respect,” while recognizing the talent of all the sports figures mentioned.

“When he had his opportunity, he didn’t take advantage of it. He would have earned it. [dinero] Just the same, just like all the players he mentioned. Do you know what that is? Consciousness (…) They had their moment and the new guys now have theirs,” Morales commented.

Likewise, he pointed out the recklessness of athletes with Marquetti’s “caliber” and “talent” who make unfortunate comparisons between athletes, highlighting the importance of respecting the professional opportunities and choices of any individual.

“Agustín Marquetti once told me that if I paid him a sum, which I’m not going to say so they don’t lose a tooth or something, he would teach me how to hit,” he added.

A native of the town of Fomento, in Las Villas, Morales has been one of the best Antillean hitters to have gone through the Major Leagues in recent years. He signed a six-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2004 and debuted on May 23, 2006, hitting three hits, including a home run with three RBIs.

Eventually, he retired in the United States after 13 seasons in which he played with seven Major League teams. He finished his career with 213 home runs, 714 RBIs, a .265 average and 1,289 hits, being the fifth Cuban with the most four-corner hits in the Major Leagues.

Before playing in the Major Leagues, Morales played in Cuba with the Industriales team and in his first season he won the Best Rookie award.