Better known as Mr. Pelotero. He played in several positions, especially in the right field, where he stood out for the ability to field, the strength and precision of the arm when it came to throwing the bases. He joined the teams from Pinar del Rio, Vegueros and Pinar del Río, and the National Baseball Team. He was champion of the Pan American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, The Intercontinental Cup and World Championships.

Name: Luis Giraldo Casanava Castillo
Date of Birth: December 5, 1956, Central Orozco, Bahía Honda, Pinar del Río, Cuba.
Nationality: Cuban.
Occupation: Trainer.
Known by: Mr. Pelotero.
Title: Gloria del Deporte Cubano.
Luis Giraldo Casanova Castillo. Known as El Señor Pelotero. A batter of exceptional strength and consistency, he also had an extraordinary ability to play in various positions, especially in the right garden, where he stood out for the ability to edge, strength and precision of the arm when shooting the bases. Glory of the Cuban sport, which integrated the Pinar del Río, Vegueros and Pinar del Río teams, and the National Baseball Team. He was champion of the Pan American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, Intercontinental Cup and World Championships.

Biographical Synthesis

Born December 5, 1956 in Central Orozco, Bahía Honda, Pinar del Río, Cuba. Considered by many to be the most complete Cuban baseball player in modern baseball. He has been the most versatile player to the defense, because he entered in all positions, except that of pitcher. He stood out in the gardens, mainly in the right and the center. Casanova was nicknamed El Señor Pelotero by Juan Antonio Salamanca.

He is the second son of Felix Orlando Casanova and Esthervina Castillo. There are eleven brothers in total, although only three of the same mother, says Luis Giraldo to Martinez de Osaba and this one picks up in the book about the formidable player that: "in the home we all get along well. We were very close. What I admire most is the education they gave us. He goes on to say that at school, although sometimes he would hide so as not to attend classes and go to play basketball, Luis Giraldo did not have any major difficulties. He liked math and it was where he got the best grades. The favorite sports were baseball and basketball, which he practiced indistinctly.
He had a special admiration for Fidel Linares, Agustín Marquetti and Miguel Cuevas. All three, players of tremendous quality in the National Baseball Series.

At the age of 12, dedication to baseball increased greatly when he entered the national system of sports schools; thus began the sports career of one of Cuba's greatest baseball players.
In 1974, he participates with the national team in the World Youth Championship of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. There the Cuban national team won the championship; this was the first important title for Casanova.

National and Selective Series

Casanova appears in the payroll of the Forestales team, from Pinar del Río in 1974 in the XIII National Baseball Series. At that time he was only 18 years old and was called to the Obligatory Military Service. Juan Charles Díaz and José Manuel Cortina, make arrangements to release him and that he could play with the team, but they do not succeed, so he was never in Forestales team.
He is the baseball player who has fired more home runs in world championships with 32 and shares with three batters the record of three home runs in a World Cup game. He was the first and the only one to win the Triple Crown in an Intercontinental, a feat achieved in the 1981 edition in Edmonton. He was chosen among Cuba's top ten athletes in 1981 and 1986. It was then when the direction of Vegueros, which was at that time the main team of the province, managed to bring Luis Giraldo to the National Series. However, he didn't get many opportunities that year, as there were other players with better performance.

In 1975, he plays the Special Series under the direction of Jorge Fuentes. In 1978, Los Vegueros and the province of Pinar del Río won their first national championship with Casanova as fourth bat. This would be the beginning of many years of success for one of the Cuban ball's most successful teams.
He was a batter from all three angles, with equal possibilities to connect anywhere on the field. He had excellent touch and strength. Exceptional runner, not only for his speed, but for the skill in running the bases. He participated with Team Cuba in six World Cups, six Intercontinental Cups, two Pan American Cups and the same number of Central American Cups.
Results

During the years he plays with Vegueros, it was where he achieved the highest performance in Cuba's National Baseball Series.

Vegueros' Best Results in Casanova's Years
National Series Year Title
XIV National Baseball Series 1974-1975 Runners-up
XVI National Baseball Series 1976-1977 Runners-up
XVII National Series Baseball 1977-1978 Champions
XX National Series Baseball 1980-1981 Champions
XXI National Baseball Series 1981-1982 Champions
XXIV National Series Baseball 1984-1985 Champions
XXV National Baseball Series 1985-1986 Runners-up
XXVI National Series Baseball 1986-1987 Champions
XXVII National Baseball Series 1987-1988 Champions
Main statistics

None of the following records, reached by Casanova in National Series and Selective Series, constitutes a national record. Nevertheless, as a whole they are, without a doubt, numbers that arouse the respect and admiration of any player.

Offensive
Series
National CB VB C H 2B 3R HR TB SLU BR CR CI SH SF DB DB BI SO BD AVE
17 6558 5288 1144 1705 288 41 312 3011 569 120 74 1069 4 61 147 1049 173 604 106 322
Defensive
JJ INN O A E TL DP TP PB BR CR AVE
1535 11214.2 4703 269 104 5076 283 0 13 25 16 980
Leadership for a National Series
Series Year Department
XIX National Baseball Series 1980 Scored runs 64
XIX National Series of Baseball 1980 Jonrones 18
XIX National Series of Baseball 1980 Base by balls received 57
XIX National Series Baseball 1980 Flay sacrifice 5
XIX National Series Baseball 1980 Hit by pitch 10
XXII National Series of Baseball 1983 Base by balls received 34
XXII National Series of Baseball 1983 Base by intentional balls 10
XXIII National Baseball Series 1984 Doubles 19
XXIII National Baseball Series 1984 Jonrones 20
XXIII National Series of Baseball 1984 Races promoted 67
Work as a trainer

He directed the Pinar del Rio team in the XLIX National Baseball Series, although he did not qualify for the Play Off.
He directed the Pinar del Rio team in the XIV Development League, which began on July 30, 2014.

Acknowledgements

He was selected along with 9 other baseball players to be exalted to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame, in the Game of the Stars held at the Barbados Martyrs Stadium, in the province of Granma.