With a last minute change, Las Tunas left-hander pitcher Darien Nunez for Granma´s lefty Leandro Martínez, the list of Cuban national team that will participate in the 3rd World Baseball Classic next March was made official.
The castling on the Cuban pitching staff greatly surprised verybody, because during the national team presentation, less than ten days ago, coach Victor Mesa praised the fitness of Martinez and described the pitiful situation in which Núñez arrived at the Latinoamericano stadium, where 36 players gathered before reducing the list to 28 and travel to Chinese Taipei.
About Darien Nunez, Mesa said: "I think he was overused by his team in recent times (in the end of the 52nd Cuban National Series), and arrived here without his usual speed. It’s something we have a duty to solve so it will not happen again."
And on Leandro Martinez, he added: "He has been in a very good shape recently, as well as Diosdani Castillo, the right-hander from Villa Clara.”
Apparently, this situation transited from one end to the other in just a few days. The truth is that, now that more variations are not allowed, Darien Nunez is a member of the Cuban team and will travel directly to Osaka, a Japanese city where Cubans will play two preparation matches, the last ones, and prior to their debut in the Third WBC.
Nunez then will complete the trio of lefties in the Cuban national selection, also made up by Wilber Perez and Norberto Gonzalez, the latter, the only one with convenient international experience to deal with such a tournament.
Cuba, enlisted for the first round in Group A, based in Fukuoka, Japan, debuts on March 3 against Brazil, the following day will make its second appearance versus China, and closes the preliminary schedule, on March 6, facing Japan, winner of the two previous editions of WBC.
Cuban national team official roster to the 3rd WBC
Catchers: Yosvani Peraza, Eriel Sánchez y Frank Camilo Morejón
Infielders: José Dariel Abreu, Luis Felipe Rivera, José Miguel Fernández, Yulieski Gourriel, Erisbel Arruebarruena, Raúl González y Andy Ibáñez.
Outfielders: Alexei Bell, Frederich Cepeda, Alfredo Despaigne, Yasmani Tomás y Guillermo Heredia.
Pitchers: Ismel Jiménez, Yadier Pedroso, Vladimir García, Freddy Asiel Álvarez, Odrisamer Despaigne, Yander Guevara, Danni Betancourt, Alexander Rodríguez, Raicel Iglesias, Diosdani Castillo, Wilber Pérez, Norberto González y Darién Núñez.
Manager: Victor Mesa
Head Coach: Jorge Fuentes
Auxiliaries: Primitivo Diaz and Angel Castillo.
Pitching coaches: Juan de Dios Peña y José Ramón Riscart.
Batting coach: Pedro José Rodríguez.
Trainer: Víctor Figueroa.
