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Heberto Portobanco

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Portobanco and the second or maternal family name is Guillén.
Heberto Portobanco
Manager
Born: 1925
Granada, Nicaragua
Died: April 13, 2000(2000-04-13) (aged 74–75)[1]
Medals
Manager for  Nicaragua
Men's Baseball
Central American and Caribbean Games
Silver medal – second place 1978 Medellin Team

Francisco Heberto Portobanco Guillén (1925 – April 13, 2000) was a Nicaraguan baseball player and manager. He managed the Nicaragua national baseball team as well as Granada in the Nicaraguan First Division (the modern Germán Pomares Championship).

Portobanco's coaching career began with Granada in the Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League. He started as a coach and later took up managerial duties after the resignation of Antonio Torres.[2] He was responsible for the early development of a young Dennis Martínez, who played under him with Granada and with the national team.[2][3] He won four championships with Granada, in 1972, 1977, 1978 and 1992–93, and was runner-up in 1971, 1973, and 1984–85.[2]

He was named manager of the Nicaraguan national team in 1971, playing an exhibition series against a visiting team of Kansas City Royals prospects.[2][4] He also managed Nicaragua at the 1971 Amateur World Series in Cuba and the 1971 Pan American Games held in Cali, Colombia, where Nicaragua narrowly lost the bronze medal game to Mexico.[2] He was replaced by Argelio Cordoba for the 1972 Amateur World Series due to an internal dispute in FENIBA.[5][6] He led the squad that won silver at the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games in Medellín.[7]

Prtobanco was inducted into the Nicaraguan Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[2] His number 18 was retired by the Tiburones de Granada of the Pomares league in 2019.[8] A statue honoring him was erected outside the stadium in Granada in 2012.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Fechas impactantes". La Prensa. 29 December 2000. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Heberto Portobanco Guillén". Salon de La Fama del Deporte Nicaraguense. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Beisbol is 'avenue of opportunity' for Nicaragua's youth". Newspapers.com. The Gazette. 24 August 1991.
  4. ^ "Royals' Pupils Will Go on Tour Of Latin Nations". The Sporting News. 24 April 1971. p. 34. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Justo homenaje al "Papa" Francisco Heberto Portobanco Guillén, le rinden autoridades municipales, empresarios, deportistas y comerciantes". La Verdad Nica. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  6. ^ ""El triunfo ante cuba es lo mejor que me ha pasado"". La Prensa. 4 December 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Primera Plata con madera y profesionales". Tn8. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Granada retirará números legendarios". Nueva Ya. 14 February 2019.
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