Norge Luis Vera Peralta (born October 3, 1971 in Siboney,

Santiago de Cuba Province Santiago de Cuba Province is the second most populated province in the island of Cuba. The largest city Santiago de Cuba is the main administrative center. Other large cities include Palma Soriano, Contramaestre, Cuba, Contramaestre, San Luis, Sa ...

) is a right-handed

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

, who has been a frequent member of the

Cuba national baseball team The Cuba national baseball team () represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is generally made up of players from the domestic Cuban national baseball system, though it has at times included professional players who defect ...

. In Cuba, Vera pitches for

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

of the

Cuban National Series The Cuban National Series (, or SNB) is a domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the National Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. For most ...

. He has been a dominating force for years, including the 1999–2000 series, when he led the league with a 0.97

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

, 17 victories and eight shutouts—all in a 90-game season. He then pitched in the second game of the

1999 Baltimore Orioles–Cuba national baseball team exhibition series 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

. Vera was seriously injured in November 2009, while trying to stop a fight as an uninvolved bystander in

Santiago, Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

.Garcia, Anne-Marie.
Cuban pitcher who beat Orioles in 1999 in stable condition after blow to face
, The Canadian Press, November 10, 2009. He was struck in the face by a blunt instrument, sustaining several fractures to the upper jaw. Zadys Navarro, one of Vera's doctors, indicated that reconstructive surgery would be required. His son, Norge Vera, plays in the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

organization.

References

1971 births Living people 1998 Baseball World Cup players 2003 Baseball World Cup players 2009 World Baseball Classic players 2009 Baseball World Cup players Olympic baseball players for Cuba Olympic gold medalists for Cuba Olympic silver medalists for Cuba Olympic medalists in baseball Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Baseball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Baseball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Baseball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Baseball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba Baseball players at the 1999 Pan American Games Baseball players at the 2003 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists in baseball Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games Baseball players from Santiago de Cuba Province 21st-century Cuban sportsmen {{Cuba-baseball-pitcher-stub