On March 7 at 11 pm (Cuban time) our national team will debut in the V World Baseball Classic against the Netherlands. But about the group’s rivals: Italy, Panama and Chinese Taipei; the new sudden death system that will be applied in this edition for the quarterfinals and semifinals; and some historical passages of these contests there will be time to write.
This first day of 2023 and also at the gates of the Elite League semifinals, a theme is recurring on social networks and in every corner, where the most heated debates or controversies are lit: What impact does the call-up have on Cuban players from other leagues? professionals in the reality of our National Series, specifically in its main actors, some of whom have left the competitive system, even recently emigrated?
We must start from the fact that the sovereign decision of the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) to call these players today has gone through several stages, not always understood by many and in which it is impossible not to mention that Cuba is the only country in the world that today it does not have an agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) for an orderly insertion and without the need to leave their country. When it came to fruition in December 2018, US President Donald Trump suddenly annulled it.
A first stage was to ignore them and bet only on the home players. That worked as long as we had talents by the bucket and the exodus was still in reduced quotas. This is how we went to the Clásico from 2006 to 2017, with a historical second place in the first edition and 6th, 5th and 7th in the three subsequent ones. To give you an idea of the dimension of the matter, of the 2013 starting team, only the receivers, Cepeda and Despaigne did not end up in the different leagues or MLB structures after leaving the country.
Another later and very important stage fell on the FCB recognizing that we needed more professional skills to face a higher level such as the Clásico or the Premier, which were increasingly fewer among the players who remained in our National Series, because no matter how much batting here they could not later resolve tactical situations and technical adjustments when they collided with higher-ranking teams.
And finally the third phase or stage arrived (to summarize it synthetically, although there could be others along the way) which consists of adding, calling or summoning our talent in foreign leagues (including MLB) that has acquired that quality experience, as long as are in sporting shape and wish to wear the four-letter uniform with the FCB’s own rules, as happens with any Puerto Rican, Dominican, Venezuelan or other baseball player.
Some say yes and others say no because they disagree with the federations and even with the directors who are nominated. The creation of the Association of Cuban Professional Baseball Players in Miami mixed more politics and discrimination, with an absurd and aberrant idea of representing a country without the consent of the Federation.
We are at that point when six names with honors in MLB and Caribbean leagues have already said yes for the V World Classic: Elián Leyva, Yoennis Céspedes, Andy Ibáñez, Onelki García, Yoan López and Yoan Moncada. Others will surely be confirmed very soon, such as Luis Robert Moirán, Josuan Hernández, Lorenzo Quintana and perhaps even Yasmani Tomás. Hopefully and also José Dariel Abreu, who left such a good impression when he recognized that the Cuba team should be made up of those from there without ignoring those from here, join the list after securing his signature for three years with the Houston Astros ago. some weeks.
To them you would have to add those who play in the Japanese Professional League, hired by the FCB: Alfredo Despaigne, Livan Moinello, Raydel Martinez, Yariel Rodriguez, Frank Abel Alvarez, Yurisbel Gracial and even those who play in that same circuit but in leagues minors: Pedro Revilla, Marlon Vega and Guillermo Garcia.
Nor should the cases of Erisbel Arruebaruena, Yadir Drake, Roel Santos and Yoannis Yera, who are in Mexico, be missing from a large bag of up to 50 names. If you have calculated this far, the pre-payroll will leave space for those who have carried the sun of the National Series and the Elite League, with the greatest chances for Yunior Ibarra, Yosvany Alarcón, Yordanis Samón, Guillermo Avilés, Luis Vicente Mateo, Yadil Mujica, Pavel Quesada, Yordan Manduley, Yoelkis Guibert, José Ramón Rodríguez, Yeudis Reyes, Freddy Asiel Álvarez, among others.
In other words, the team will obviously have a higher percentage of those who play in foreign leagues, but there will always be room for those from here. And for a contest of this magnitude to assume it like this is brave, daring and does not mean at all that we will win the Clásico. They seek to go with the best that allows us to reach the quarterfinals and fight there, in sudden death matches, to advance or not to the semifinals. In reality, the aim is to make us passionate again with an applausible and quality performance, even if we are left off the podium.
However. As we ponder this decision, it is imperative to remain brave, bold, and creative in taking another step within. Raising the quality of our classics is possible. From the base, going through the provincial series and the National Series. Of course, this demands resources and money, which cannot all come from the income from contracts that the FCB has with other leagues, but assuming innovative ideas with internal and external economic actors.
In order to avoid a certain discouragement or lack of motivation that can be seen in some players when faced with the news of this call, Cuban baseball must continue to be thought of with a person in charge, the FCB, but in which hundreds of organizations, companies and even MiPYMES interact. Not taking into account these ideas and others that are surely among thousands of fans could even lead to winning the World Classic, but not having a baseball at home that will shake or guarantee the future.
I applaud the call. I applaud the return of the agreement with the MLB (by the way, the Major Leagues themselves have been decisive for the permits of the Cubans before the teams and the OFAC, otherwise exceptional, for this V Clásico). But with the same force I applaud not forgetting that child, that young man, those dozens of elite players who dedicate their lives to fielding, pitching and batting from Cuba, from our stadiums, without having to leave. That is the challenge. And not just baseball, but a country.
