The national team manager’s wisdom of any sport is the key for the team to achieve better results. The genesis of victory in each competition is originated in the offices of this character, but if his name is Victor Mesa nobody can decipher the main idea of the project, though he clearly pursuits the same goal of all managers, to win titles and seek fame.
Half Cuba gaped yesterday with the publication of the team that will represent us in the Third World Baseball Classic scheduled for next March in several countries in Asia and America, when names like Yadier Pedroso, Alexander Malleta or Ariel Pestano were not mentioned in the list and some almost unknown internationally, like Luis Felipe Rivera, Raicel Iglesias or Yadiel Hernandez, to name just a few, were included indeed.
Victor Mesa was always considered a show since he first stepped onto a baseball field. This call is a bet to decide by toss, win or wreck, without mincing words, that is, at his pure and simple style. Attending this grand tournament with the same players used in the recent international competitions was never in his plans, mainly by the repeated failures of the last five years.
He switched Pestano, veteran of the first two editions of the Classic, by Eriel Sanchez who is 38 and is having a splendid season, but he also called to Yulexis La Rosa and Frank Camilo Morejon (by far the two best defensive catchers in the country) to cover any eventuality.
In the infield he left Malleta home, a lefty slugger of big hierarchy and instead he placed another left-handed hitter, Luis Felipe Rivera, who has much more contact and speed on bases, due to his outstanding performance in the National Series with his team (Isla de la Juventud).
The rest of the members of the infield are the usual ones: third baseman Yulieski Gourriel (All-Star in the First Classic), first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu, shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena, and second basemen Jose Miguel Fernandez and Andy Ibanez, the latter is only 19, but with lofty offensive and defensive figures (Golden Glove last season).
In the outfield, Victor Mesa opted for the same men, Frederich Cepeda (All-Star in Classic II), Rusney Castillo, Alexei Bell, Guillermo Heredia and Alfredo Despaigne, homers ‘recordman’ in a season with 36, and included to Yadiel Hernandez, a prominent left-handed hitter of Matanzas with innate abilities of directing connections to his opposite field.
So far changes were significant but no transcendental, especially because the starting line-up, except for Pestano, will be the same again, ie Abreu (1b), Fernández (2b), Arruebarrena (ss), Gourriel (3b), Despaigne (lf), Castillo (cf), Bell (rf) and Cepeda (dh).
Then we got to the area of pitchers, which, in my humble opinion and experts I consulted, the most controversial changes.
Freddy Asiel Alvarez, Odrisamer Despaigne, Ismel Jiménez, Norberto Gonzalez and Vladimir Garcia were sown in the team for the talent / current performance factor, but Victor ¨the show¨ Mesa didn´t call to Yadier Pedroso, the pitcher with the vastest repertoire of pitches and highest work capacity of Cuban baseball today.
Pedroso went from being Cuban number one pitcher to be the great exclusion this time, something that could provoke his definitive removal of the national team or at least his rupture with the current leadership.
Pedroso, 26, is an spectacular right-handed who can throw fastballs above 93 mph, he also possesses a hellish fork, a terrifying slider and a huge curveball, he didn´t make the team due to his poor performance during this season, as pointed Mesa, but I can add Pedroso is still recovering from an injury in his throwing arm and I think if he proves to be physically fit before February 20th, the last day allowed by the organizers for making last minute changes, he will be included in the final list for the Classic.
Another remarkable absent is Pablo Millán Fernandez who was Cuba team’s closer in 2012, he yielded his position to the supersonic Raicel Iglesias, a right-handed pitcher who is only 22 with great future but uncertain present, unknown to most of Cuban fans, although his current figures endorse his inclusion in the team.
The rest of the pitchers are the experienced Wilber Perez (36), Danny Betancourt (31, Olympic champion in Athens, 2004), Vicyohandri Odelín (32, runner-up in Classic I), Yulieski Gonzalez (32), Alexander Rodriguez (30), besides the prospects Yander Guevara and Darien Nunez.
The puzzle of Victor Mesa is indecipherable. Few specialists predicted many changes regarding the latest calls for the Cuban national team, but everyone knew with the current manager anything is possible because in the search for eternal glory he is willing to make a team at his own measure, wearing a nice suit but comfortable, without unnecessary ties, for him to maneuver minds and arms at his will at any stage.
"It’s a complete team that combines experience with youth and it has all the ingredients to get a good result, tight defense, good offense and great pitching, "said Victor Mesa, minutes after publicizing the team.
‘The film’ of the 3rd World Baseball Classic will be shot from March 2nd to19th. Cuba will be part of group A, along with Brazil, China and Japan.
Cuba baseball team to the 3rd WBC:
-Catchers: Yulexis La Rosa, Frank Camilo Morejon and Eriel Sanchez.
-Infield: José Dariel Abreu, Luis Felipe Rivera, José Miguel Fernandez, Andy Ibanez, Yulieski Gourriel and Erisbel Arruebarrena.
-Outfield: Frederich Cepeda, Alfredo Despaigne, Rusney Castillo, Alexei Bell, Guillermo Heredia and Yadiel Hernandez.
-Pitchers: Freddy Asiel Alvarez, Ismel Jimenez, Raicel Iglesias, Odrisamer Despaigne, Norberto Gonzalez, Darien Nunez, Wilber Perez, Yulieski González, Vladimir García, Alexander Rodriguez, Danny Betancourt, Vicyohandri Odelín and Yander Guevara.
-Manager: Victor Mesa.
– Technical Head: Jorge Fuentes.
-Coaches: Primitivo Diaz, Angel Castillo, Juan de Dios Peña, José Ramón Riscart, Pedro Jose Rodriguez and Victor Figueroa.
