Michel Enríquez
| Michel Enríquez | |
|---|---|
| Caliente de Durango | |
| Infielder / Coach | |
| Born: 11 February 1979 Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud, Cuba | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| Teams | |
| |
Medals |
Michel Enríquez Tamayo (born 11 February 1979) is a Cuban former professional baseball infielder who currently serves as the hitting coach for Caliente de Durango of the Mexican League.
Biography and career
Enríquez was born on 11 February 1979 in Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud.[1][2] He played third base for Isla de la Juventud in the Cuban National Series. He led the league in batting average and slugging percentage in the 2005-06 season, at .447 and .690, respectively. Enríquez is a roster fixture at third base for the Cuban national baseball team.
He holds National Series records for hits (152) and doubles (35) in a season (1999, 90 games), and was part of Cuba's gold medal-winning team at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the second place team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He has one brother and one sister.
Enríquez was left off of Cuba's roster for the 2000 Olympics, with some speculating fear of defection and others opining that it was due to Enríquez's youth (still just 21 years old) and lack of experience in international tournaments relative to some of the other available options. He hit .353/.451/.595 in the 2000-2001 Serie Nacional.
On 13 June 2013, Enríquez signed with the Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League. In seven appearances for Campeche, he batted .240/.321/.240 with two RBI and three walks.[3] Enríquez was released by the Piratas on June 24.
In 2017, while playing for Vegueros de Pinar del Río, Enríquez collected his 2000th professional hit.[4][1]
Enríquez has worked as a coach for several Mexican teams: Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) and Cañeros de Los Mochis and Águilas de Mexicali in the Mexican Pacific League.[5] He left Unión Laguna after the 2024 season.[6]
In May 2025, Enríquez joined Caliente de Durango of the Mexican Baseball League as the team's hitting coach.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Michel Enríquez: "Omar Linares es el pelotero más grande que ha dado Cuba"". OnCubaNews (in Spanish). 10 July 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Explorando la carrera del inolvidable Michel Enríquez". Play-Off Magazine (in Spanish). 11 February 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Michel Enríquez Cuban & Mexican League Stats". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ "Michel Enríquez llegó a los 2000 hits". www.juventudrebelde.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Michel Enríquez es el nuevo coach de bateo". cañeros.net (in Spanish). 27 December 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Michel Enríquez no continuará como coach de Algodoneros de Unión Laguna". pelotacubanausa.com (in Spanish). 9 December 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ Duarte, Yoniel (25 May 2025). "Michel Enríquez: Nuevo coach de bateo de Caliente de Durango". pelotacubanausa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 March 2026.
External links
- Career statistics from Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Cuban baseball profile