2024-02-13 20:30:55
Text: Editorial Cuba Noticias 360
Foto: Keeton Gale | Shutterstock
From today Miami emerges as the epicenter of Latin baseball with the play ball of the 66th edition of the Caribbean Series. And although Cuba this time did not receive an invitation to participate in the old competition, eight baseball players born on the Island will make an appearance divided into four of the seven competing teams.
The defending champions Tigres de Licey will seek to become the second Dominican team in history to win the event in consecutive years at Loan Depot Park, home of the Marlins, and to do so they have veteran pitchers Jorge Martínez and Raul Valdés, in addition to timely bat of Yadier Hernández.
In the case of the Matanzas gardener, it will be his second opportunity in this type of event, after being crowned in 2015 as a reinforcement of that Pinar del Río commanded by Alfonso Urquiola, Cuba’s only monarch in the new era.
The other club that also includes three Antilleans on its roster is the Tiburones de la Guaria, brand new starters from Venezuela for the first time in 33 years. In that historic triumph, Cienfuegos player Yasiel Puig played a fundamental role, putting legendary numbers for the franchise that also includes pitchers Ariel Miranda and Miguel Romero.
Precisely, the stellar clash of the opening day this Thursday, between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, will be opened by Valdés from Havana and Romero from Guantanamo, on both sides, to position the name of Cuban baseball well, even if it is not present as a team.
And if we talk about quality pitchers, Havana right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne also stands out, one of the best arms of Naranjeros de Hermosillo, the representative of Mexico. Likewise, another experienced player in Caribbean baseball such as Yoanner Negrín will wear the colors of Nicaragua, a country that debuts in these competitions with the Gigantes de Rivas, its last champion.
For their part, the other three attending teams, Criollos de Caguas for Puerto Rico, Federales de Chiriquí for Panama and Curacao Suns, do not have any Cuban players in their ranks, although in the case of the Puerto Ricans they do have a couple of Cuban-Americans in your payroll.
Since Miami was confirmed as the venue for the 2024 Caribbean Series, it was very likely that the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) would be left out of the event, given the experiences experienced by the island’s teams in the 2021 Pre-Olympic and more recently. in the V Classic in 2023.
In fact, a note published in the state media Jit indicates that the Cuban sports authorities stated on both occasions that the most populous city in Florida “does not meet the conditions to host international events in accordance with fair play and respect for the values of the game.” international sport.
The text also indicates that the FCB has expressed the intention to return to the Caribbean series and a window opens in 2025, when the event will take place in Mexico.
After an absence of more than half a century, Cuba returned to the quintessential Caribbean baseball tournament in 2014 when Isla Margarita, in Venezuela, was the venue, although Azucareros de Villa Clara could show little there.
In the following five years, the Cuban champion teams of the National Series continued to attend, always as guests, with a highlight for the aforementioned Pinar del Río in 2015.
However, when it was up to Puerto Rico to organize the championship in 2020, differences between the FCBS authorities and the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation (CBPC) once again cut off Cuban participation until last year.
Again in Venezuela, Cuba received an invitation to return and on that occasion it was the Agropecuarios, monarch of the first Elite League, who was in charge of representing baseball on the Island, something that he did very poorly by finishing in last place out of eight contestants.