Five Opposing Cuban Baseball Managers Swing

CubaSi, took advantage of the small meeting with a few of the 16 opposing managers (eight of them beginners)

The 57 National Baseball Series is a fact. The baseball enthusiasm is felt in the streets and expectations are high, although it’s not very high due to the low quality level of the last competitions and the poor results of Cuban team abroad. Thousands of fans are captivated before the “play ball” next Saturday 5.

CubaSi exchanged with some of the managers specifically with some of those who think will get their teams to the next round.

Give credit where credit is due. Therefore it’s just fair to begin this exchange of arguments and aspirations with Carlos Martí, manager of the defending champions of Granma:

Martí: "The core of the team is similar to that of last year. We will have an important absence in this first stage and that’s the case of pitcher Lázaro Blanco hired in the Can-Am League and always wins six or seven games in that round.

We keep the same infielders and the pitching roster the openers repeat (Leandro Martínez, Cesar García…). We had a good training and batting will be one of our main arguments, despite not having Alfredo Despaigne and Roel Santos. Guillermo Avilés will be third batter and he will probably be at his best this season.

In the outfield Cespedes is an excellent outfielder, Alexquemer Sánchez had a good campaign with the sub-23 and will occupy the right field and Agustín Arias and Raico Santos will complete the outfield.

We want to finish among the first six, but the second round is closely related with the right selection of reinforcement and how they fit into the team. If all that is combined we might be knocking on the doors of semifinals."

Ciego de Avila team has demonstrated to be the most constant team in the last five years. Roger is the manager once more and he trusts his team to advance in the competition.

Roger: "Ciego de Avila is ready, but we go step by step. The team is very similar, except for the absence of Yorelvis Charles, but Humberto Morales, Yander Guevara and Osmar Carrero joined the team. Therefore pitching grows strong. The second round changes when reinforcements joined. So far we have fulfilled our objectives of allowing all team members to play. We have won and lost, but we have a balanced team. Perhaps pitching is a bit stronger, but we have been well-balanced in the different indicators in the last years.

Counting with good replacements is a great virtue. For the first time in a decade as manager we will have five left-hand batsmen, two of them ambidextrous. We’ll also have three left-hand pitchers and I think Raúl González will make up for the absence of Yorbis Borroto until he returns from the Can-Am League. We can enter the next round with what we have."

Victor Mesa is one of those managers who will always raise opposed criteria. He did it with Villa Clara, and then repeated with Matanzas, and now he has gathered a strong team Industriales. He has big plans like winning the national championship which they haven’t won in a while:

Victor: "In Antillana de Acero Championship we tried all our players. The idea was to train our athletes in all aspects. With the possibility of having 27 players we widened the spectrum of options. Baseball fans know I’m a manager who likes to moves his players as the situation of the game requires it.

Pitching in the last years has been Industriales’s weakest link. With the pitchers I had in Matanzas I think I will reinforce the staff. I don't think is a big deal. We must withstand until Entenza, Montieh and Rendón return. The pitching is stable with them. The fact is that the men, who have to work, do it. We can walk the first phase, get reinforcement and after the second stage, be able to fight for the championship.

Regarding a possible lineup, Barcelan would play 3B alternating with Rudy Reyes when he gets the ready-to-go call. Mayeta will play 1B, Samon will DH, and Camero will alternate the outfield, DH, or 1B. If Yolber Sanchez cools off with the bat, and Victor wants more offense, he could use Torriente at shortstop and Wilfredo Aroche in 2B. “I am happy with the group. A hurricane of setbacks is the only thing that can prevent us from qualifying to next round.”

Let´s give the floor to two former stars of Cuban baseball that played for two f the most popular teams in Cuban National Series of Baseball: Orestes Kindelan, Santiago de Cuba, and Pedro Luis Lazo, in Pinar del Rio.

Kindelan: “I believe it is very important that these players can play with Santiago de Cuba, as reward to two consecutive titles won in the U23 tournament. We go out there with nine regulars, four of them coming from the U23 team. Maikel Castellanos is the one to provide experience to the team.”

The main goal is to create a highly competitive team that can follow a natural development cycle. These kids are very good with the bat. They lack experience and playing time. But they have performed well in the U23 tournament. They play hard and they only need to show it in the field.

I trust we can advance to the postseason.”

Lazo: “Pitching is our main asset. We have worked a lot to fine-tuning the offense. Winning at the early stages of the competition is much better as it happened in the Antillana de Acero tournament. The main thing is the team playing baseball. IF everything plays out, we should be among the top 6 teams in the final standing. The rookies are in the reserve, but they will have playing time as well, according to our standing in the championship.”

There were also sharp statements from some of the managers to the upcoming 57^th National Series of Baseball. All stares target now the baseball event. Let´s just wait for the play-ball call.

CubaSi Translation Staff