Cuban pitcher who helped defeat Orioles in 1999 in stable condition after blow to face

By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA , Associated Press

Last update: November 9, 2009 - 12:21 PM

HAVANA - The pitcher who helped Cuba defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the United States a decade ago is in stable condition after his face was crushed with a blunt object while trying to stop a fight.

The government-controlled Radio Rebelde said Monday that Norge Luis Vera is "in delicate, stable condition and fully conscious." He is in the intensive care unit of Saturnino Lora Hospital in Santiago, Cuba's second-largest city.

Vera plays for Santiago in Cuba's top baseball league.

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