Jorge Fuentes Fleitas (born 16 January 1950) is a Cuban baseball manager. He is the winningest manager in Cuban baseball having won five Cuban National Series in 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1997 and five Selective Series with Pinar del Río.[1] As manager of the Cuban national team he won two Olympic gold medals in Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 and three Baseball World Cups in 1988, 1990 and 1994 as well as other continental and regional titles.[2]
Career
Fuentes was born on 16 January 1950 in San Cristóbal, Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. He studied at the Universidad de Ciencias de la Cultura Física y el Deporte Manuel Fajardo (Manuel Fajardo University of Physical Culture and Sports Sciences) where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Culture, specialized in baseball.[3][4]
Having no career as a player, Fuentes made his debut as coach in 1974 as first base coach for Pinar del Río, after spending a couple of years in Mexico working with the Tigres de México. In 1981 he was appointed manager of Pinar del Río and won the 1981–82 Cuban National Series and 1982 Selective Series in the first season of his managerial career. Fuentes led Pinar del Río to three more national titles in 1984–85, 1986–87 and 1987–88.[2][4][5]
After losing the gold medal to Japan at the 1997 Intercontinental Cup, Fuentes was dismissed as manager of the Cuban national team.[4]
In November 2013, Fuentes was appointed manager of the Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League. He was fired on 22 April 2014 after leading the Piratas to a 56-53 and he was replaced by Roque Sánchez.[6][7]
