Baseball. Foto: S_Photo / shutterstock.com
What many free Cubans wanted for a long time is almost coming true, it is only a matter of time. The members of the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (FEPCUBE) team are listed for the next tournament to be held in Barranquilla, Colombia.
At a press conference, details of the squad and other points that fans should know were given. Mandy Llanes, president of the federation, Bryan Peña, manager and Annia Izquierdo, executive director, participated, as well as General Manager Orlando “El Duque” Hernández, who was invited through social networks, among others.
The team that will also have the symbolic phrase “Patria y Vida” is made up of 35 professionals and former major league players who decided to return to the field to represent hundreds of Cubans. The roster includes stellar active players such as the Gurriel brothers, world series champion Aroldis Chapman among others, all under the direction of Bryan Peña.
The squad is composed of the squad players, Aledmys Diaz, Alay Lake, Albert Lara, Alex de Goti, Alejandro Rivero, Joshua Hernandez, Lazaro Rivera, Luis Aviles Junior, Rangerl Ravelo, Yandy Diaz and Yuli Gurriel. Edgar Quero, JC Escarra and Harold Vazquez will participate in the reception. In the gardens Henry Urrutia, Lourdes Gurriel Junior, Peter O ́Brien, Leonys Martin, Andy Martin, Jorge Soler and Sergio Barthelemy. In the case of the pitchers the list is opened by the Cuban Missile, Aroldis Chapman, Yennier Cano, Cionel Perez, Daysbel Hernandez, Odrisamer Despaigne, Jorge Martinez, Yoanner Negrin, Jesus Balaguer, Pedro Echemendi, William Gaston, Raidel Orta, Yuniesky Maya, Jordan Nodal, Yusniel Padron and Edilberto Oropesa.
The president of FEPCUBE explained that this team will be financed with the contribution of independent people, as well as other organizations. The players who participate have the necessary quality, they are winners from other leagues. “We are collaborating with the MLB, but we must respect their interests with the players… There are players who joined from other leagues authorized by their franchises.” “Baseball is going to unify the entire Cuban community, even if they are not lovers of this sport, we need to unite the community.”
Bryan explained to the fans that this team is not the final one, it may vary in correspondence with those who are added, taking into account that they are waiting for approvals from the major leagues on Cuban players, in this sense he said: “This is a preliminary roster, the Major League teams, their professional teams, we are still waiting for letters from them to approve some of our boys.”
The Duke said: We should not call, out of respect, players who belong to another federation, because they have their federation and we respect that. He added that they cannot, but if they wish they can join the team and represent the Cubans. “We are going to respect the Cuban federation and we hope that they respect us,” he clarified. Orlando expressed that many said that they are not going to participate, although they are not going to name names out of respect for them.
Director Ian Padrón gave a Cuba team shirt signed by many exile players to Edilberto Oropesa who, at 55 years of age, will participate along with his colleagues to represent the team. Oropesa thanked through tears the opportunity they gave him to pitch for “the first time on a Cuban team.”
The ruling Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) issued a statement two weeks ago in which it accused FEPCUBE of lacking legitimacy to represent Cuba, of usurping its functions, of promoting violent acts against institutions and the legality of the island for the purposes of destabilization, in addition to being next to those who contributed to the invalidation of the Havana agreement with the Major Leagues.
In this regard, the exiled federations assured that they do not seek to usurp anyone’s functions and their interest is to promote baseball in freedom, while they expressed their willingness to share any competition with an FCB team, which, by the way, declined an invitation from the organizers of the Intercontinental Series.
The Cuban YouTuber Ernesto Morales expressed that he does not have a Cuba team and that hurts him, but now he thanks all the organizers of this team since he feels identified with them and they will be able to count on his channel to support the team.
2023-12-31 06:35:16
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