Cuba Baseball Great Lourdes Gourriel Suffers Heart Failure

HAVANA TIMES, Feb 2 — Former Cuban baseball star and manager Lourdes Gourriel, one of the island’s greatest hitters of all time, is progressing well after being admitted yesterday into a hospital in Sancti Spiritus Province after suffering heart difficulties.

Gourriel, who was also a famed manager of the Sancti Spiritus team, is reported to have shown marked improvements according to cardiology specialists at the provincial hospital. He has experienced no new complications and is said to be feeling comfortable, according to the Prensa Latina news agency.

His specific condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, weakens and dilates the heart, causing it to fail to pump blood efficiently. It can also affect the lungs, liver and other systems of the body.

Gourriel is known as the “Hero of Parma” for hitting a tying homerun against the US team at the 1988World Cup Games in Italy.