By Lucas Leon
Ricardo Fraccari, President of the WBSC World Baseball and Softball Confederation, was optimistic about his visit to Cuba and declared that there is interest on the part of the organization he represents to invest in Cuban baseball. Fraccari’s visit was given mainly by the 60th anniversary of the National Baseball Series.
The director, however, expressed concern and stated that a “legal plan” is needed to stop the flight of players to professional baseball.
Remember that this year was critical in terms of departures for the national squad since in the Florida Pre-Olympic Games 3 baseball players plus the psychologist left the Cuban ranks and in the U-23 World Cup in Mexico twelve athletes decided to stay in the Central American country and not return to Cuba, in what has been the most scandalous mass escape in the history of Cuban baseball, with the abandonment of literally half the team.
Fraccari explained that there is will, talent and budget to return the Greater Antilles to stellar planes. The main problem is the refusal of many players, the best, to develop their careers in Cuba and for the Italian this will be solved if these athletes could play in the United States, Japan, South Korea, among other countries.
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The WBSC President highlighted that in this sense their federation (WBSC) could “protect” and “represent” Cuban baseball players to eliminate the exodus.
According to the official Cuban press, for this legal plan there is an intention of several leagues to collaborate, but none in particular was specified.
In short, Ricardo Fraccari’s visit generated more doubts than certainties and this could be another failed attempt by the WBSC to support Cuba.
We all want to see our best baseball players playing at the highest level and for now only the exit of these for third places and totally separated from the Cuban Baseball Federation seems to be a solution for them to fulfill their dreams of playing in Major League Baseball or at least try it.
