{"id":239905,"date":"2021-06-04T09:31:33","date_gmt":"2021-06-04T13:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=239905"},"modified":"2021-06-04T09:31:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T13:31:33","slug":"why-did-cuban-baseballs-olympic-dream-become-a-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/sports\/baseball\/why-did-cuban-baseballs-olympic-dream-become-a-nightmare\/","title":{"rendered":"Why did Cuban baseball\u2019s Olympic dream become a nightmare?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s be frank, a majority sector of Cuban baseball fans knew that Wednesday, June 2 would dawn without an Olympic dream. Don\u2019t get me wrong, many of those fans didn\u2019t want Cuba to lose, but they were aware that the specialists\u2019 forecasts were leaning toward a quick elimination at the Americas Pre-Olympic in Florida.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, these predictions have not failed in recent times and, again, they came true this Tuesday night, when Canada extended its impressive winning streak against Cuban teams, which up to now haven\u2019t been able to decipher the northern enigma for a decade. That defeat, added to the disaster on the first day against Venezuela, eliminated any possibility of qualifying for the Cuban squad, one of the few that had participated in all the official editions of baseball at the Olympic Games.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there is still a game against Colombia to close the stage, you can turn the page and draw conclusions. In first place, we cannot ignore that Cuba faced a complex scenario at all times: it went through hell to obtain the visas; as soon as C\u00e9sar Prieto arrived, he decided to leave the squad and, later, during the games, a group of fans sought visibility for their political messages against the Cuban government in a sports context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This has happened a thousand times, demonstrations on other occasions have even been more aggressive. Now, in Florida, although posters were displayed in the stands or phrases against the Cuban government were chanted, the escalation was not so radical, to the point that many of those who raised their \u201cHomeland and Life\u201d banner later supported the team.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"8X2QRuF2MD\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/deportes\/beisbol\/beisbol-cubano-la-crisis-del-visado-al-preolimpico-de-florida\/\">B\u00e9isbol cubano: la crisis del visado al Preol\u00edmpico de Florida<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"\u00abB\u00e9isbol cubano: la crisis del visado al Preol\u00edmpico de Florida\u00bb \u2014 OnCubaNews\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/deportes\/beisbol\/beisbol-cubano-la-crisis-del-visado-al-preolimpico-de-florida\/embed\/#?secret=xDbDdXzE7c#?secret=8X2QRuF2MD\" data-secret=\"8X2QRuF2MD\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one in the Olympic Qualification, not even the United States, has had as much support from the stands as Cuba, whose elimination will undoubtedly bring silence to the West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie stadiums.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many have said that the Caribbean team played under pressure, but it is a criterion that I do not share. I repeat, Florida was an uncomfortable setting, but any moderately professional player, with experiences in stadiums full of hostile fans, can handle three choirs and a few posters without much mishap.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the way, the Cuban players themselves demonstrated it in Florida and gave a lesson in respect and civility, when a woman walked around the field with a banner that read \u201cFree Cuba,\u201d the members of the squad did not attack anyone or lose their calm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In sports, you cannot talk lightly about pressure. Under pressure Jackie Robinson and black Major League Baseball players played 80 years ago, with death threats and amid a panorama of racism and discrimination; under pressure, a black athlete like Jesse Owens ran and jumped in Hitler\u2019s Nazi Berlin; under pressure the Cubans from the \u201cCerro Pelado\u201d competed; under pressure, the same Cuban players also competed in the Dominican Republic in 1969.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What has happened in Florida may seem unpleasant to some, but that\u2019s it, it does not affect the outcome of the game in the least. Cuba does not lose under pressure. Saying that is a nice way to divert attention and to hide get real issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Pre-Olympic, the same deficiencies of the last few years came to light, from the errors of the management in the conception of the team and the decision-making to the failures of the players when executing key actions in the games.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, after the failure, the hunt has already begun, the search for the culprits. In the front line, facing the firing squad is the entire coaching staff. No one is saved: not the third-rate coach for sending a runner to suicide for the home plate, not the pitching coaches for planning the rotation, not the manager for a certain passivity, or for changes that only made sense in his mind&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"8jJu0yjEFf\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/deportes\/beisbol\/el-agujero-que-abre-cesar-prieto-en-la-seleccion-cubana-de-beisbol\/\">El agujero que abre C\u00e9sar Prieto en la selecci\u00f3n cubana de b\u00e9isbol<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"\u00abEl agujero que abre C\u00e9sar Prieto en la selecci\u00f3n cubana de b\u00e9isbol\u00bb \u2014 OnCubaNews\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/deportes\/beisbol\/el-agujero-que-abre-cesar-prieto-en-la-seleccion-cubana-de-beisbol\/embed\/#?secret=QyM7Cr7WQt#?secret=8jJu0yjEFf\" data-secret=\"8jJu0yjEFf\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The criticisms are not unjustified. The Cuban high command, headed by Armando Ferrer, screwed up several times in situations that apparently did not need a high dose of analysis, and that has given many followers and specialists high blood pressure. Among the most chaotic examples of these situations are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing without Yariel Rodr\u00edguez during the two most demanding matches of the group. The pitcher, who has had good performances in the second strongest baseball circuit in the world, only came out of the box with a game left to go. He made a great start and proved that leaving him at the back of the rotation was a huge mistake.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pitching management was poor, and not just because of the decision made with Yariel. We could say that they took the relief players out at the right time and they knew how to put out the fire in dangerous situations, but then they left them on the mound for too long and that cost. Venezuela hit its last two home runs \u2014 decisive, by the way \u2014 against Andy Rodr\u00edguez and Liv\u00e1n Moinelo, who had already exceeded their usual work period.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opting for lineups similar to those of previous international events, without spark and with the same players as always. The hierarchy of Alfredo Despaigne was respected, far from being in his best shape, and Frederich Cepeda, without the power of yesteryear, but perhaps they should not have been first-team players. The presence of Raico Santos and Lisb\u00e1n Correa from the start was obvious.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seating the best hitter of the tournament in a life-or-death game against Canada was the last straw. Yadil Mujica had three hits against the Northerners and was benched in the ninth inning to give in to Cepeda, who, in turn, had been substituted the day before. That already qualifies as one of the most contradictory and far-fetched decisions of recent times in international tournaments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The players were also not at their best and the same old problems came to light. The starting pitchers did not \u201cmeasure up,\u201d at the right time he did not bat, there were many runners in circulation, most of them in scoring position. It is true that they always played towing and that makes the work quite complex, but focus and determination were lacking in some transcendentally important shuffles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, in terms of the offensive, the coaches had talked about the importance of being disciplined and being patient at home plate, but many players went after the first ball over and over again, as if that topic had never been mentioned in the training sessions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone would say that we are talking about another tournament because we have been pointing out these details for a long time. However, despite the warnings, of the work of the trainers, the evolution is not seen. The vast majority of Cuban players seem stuck, unable to take steps forward in a world that changes by the day. Thus, winning is a utopia.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"TeKHJPpI84\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/deportes\/beisbol\/preolimpico-de-beisbol-la-derrota-que-se-venia-gestando\/\">Preol\u00edmpico de b\u00e9isbol: la derrota que se ven\u00eda gestando<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"\u00abPreol\u00edmpico de b\u00e9isbol: la derrota que se ven\u00eda gestando\u00bb \u2014 OnCubaNews\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/deportes\/beisbol\/preolimpico-de-beisbol-la-derrota-que-se-venia-gestando\/embed\/#?secret=8UikdAjRyj#?secret=TeKHJPpI84\" data-secret=\"TeKHJPpI84\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will also be very difficult to win as long as there is no real desire to reach out to the huge community of Cuban players who reside abroad, have no ties to Major League Baseball organizations and have shown their willingness to represent their country. Denying them that right or making this reinsertion process more complex is a strikeout with full bases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know that having players inserted into the U.S. system is very complicated due to the political scenario of tension that exists between Cuba and the United States (aggravated in this baseball environment by the cancellation by the Trump administration of the agreement between the MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation), but the other variants should be considered as soon as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prior to the Pre-Olympic, there was talk of summoning some players living in Mexico, who would give a quality bonus to the national team. However, that possibility started to fade and at this point we do not know exactly why or whose fault it is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The management of the team that went to Florida argued that they did not know the shape those players were in, but that does not hold up in any way. Henry Urrutia and F\u00e9lix P\u00e9rez, two of those who rang to wear the four-letter shirt, are on fire in the Mexican League, where Lisb\u00e1n Correa and Yadir Drake came from.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, were we really unaware of the shape those athletes were in or is there some hidden reason that prevented calling them? In this sense, there has been a lack of clarity, the Cuban authorities have not given a convincing explanation and news came from Mexico that our managers did not contact the players\u2019 clubs to negotiate their transfer for the Pre-Olympic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This last detail should not surprise us, because it is not new. In Cuba, specifically in the sports field, it takes a lot of work to be farsighted and that is fundamental in this type of work. We cannot talk to a club today and expect one the players to join tomorrow; the professional world doesn\u2019t work like that, and we should know it by now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If that mentality is not changed, if obsolete work philosophies are not dynamited, Cuba will continue to be condemned to bury its enormous baseball tradition in the depths.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If certain things do not change, Cuba will continue to be condemned to bury its enormous baseball tradition in the depths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2213,"featured_media":239917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13926],"tags":[14947,6045,34367],"ppma_author":[33652],"class_list":["post-239905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baseball","tag-cuban-baseball","tag-florida","tag-pre-olympics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why did Cuban baseball\u2019s Olympic dream become a nightmare? 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