Matanzas, Cuba, January 25 (PL) - A day after the Cuban Winter League ended, a man who did not climb to the top of the podium today carries a backpack loaded with honor and glory: Frederich Cepeda.

The best ambidextrous player in the history of Cuban baseball could not be crowned with the uniform of the Cazadores de Artemisa, but he wrote another of the many glorious pages of his career by playing, at the risk of his health, with a sprained ankle that barely allowed him to walk.

No matter his 43 years of age or the latent threat of leaving the field forever, "El Gallo Mayor", who to increase his merit was defending the colors of a foreign province, showed why he is considered a living legend of this sport on the island.

In those conditions, he stepped into the batter's box in game five of the final playoff and hit his 360th home run in domestic championships, which stirred the fibers of the fans and shook those who one day decided that he was not fit to attend what would be his fifth World Baseball Classic.

Cepeda is a symbol and an example for the new generations for the dedication he has shown over the years and although he is not valued to be part of the national team -who knows for what reasons- he continues to perform at his best in every tournament he participates in.