By SwingCompleto / [email protected]
The president of the Cuban Baseball Federation, Juan Reynaldo Pérez Pardo, announced the previous day several important information regarding the U23 National Championship and the first edition of the Elite League.
However, one of the most notable of 2022 on Cuban baseball was left in his speech to the island’s national television.
And this Thursday morning the meeting was held between the directors through video conference Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation. This information came from a direct source and was confirmed by two different channels, including people from both parties directly involved.
In virtual exchange, the most significant celebrated since time Interim agreement between Cuba and the Major LeaguesA number of interests were mentioned that could suggest a new starting point in relations between the two parties.
A major one had to do with the Cuban team participating in the next World Baseball Classic in March 2023. International Baseball Summit Tournament because of the event’s proximity and how well the Cuban team’s theme resonated. , which should be considered the most important point in the meeting (MLB co-organizes the event with the World Baseball Softball Federation).
According to sources, Cuba has a firm intention of launching a call for players who do not belong to FCB, including those from major league organizations.
It was also disclosed to US officials, although it was not specified what kind of restrictions there would be. Above all, based on the fact that the directors of the island publicly raised about the refusal of representatives or others who left for reasons of their political position from social networks.
MLB has committed to enabling a mechanism for sanctioning players who are part of the Major League and Minor League systems. Logically, certain special events caused by recovery from injury or other health conditions are, essentially, left to the team’s decision. As has happened historically with other countries within the WBC.
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Beyond the topic of the World Classic, other points were addressed in a more general manner, including the future possibility of a formal cooperation agreement between the two parties. Although it takes more time and goes through other more complicated elements, especially the political ones.
Although it was clear that a solution to the economically unsustainable situation was more urgent for Cuba, both sides left the meeting satisfied.
And in the sport itself, an impressive outpouring of talent regardless of age affects domestic and international competition, in ever-more-complicated conditions.
On the outside, the closest thing in terms of baseball competition at the national team level, there aren’t even high hopes for a favorable outcome with a team that isn’t well-represented. Cubans play the best baseball in the world.
Cuba is part of Group A, which will host its matches in Taiwan. In addition, there will be one of the qualifiers from the tournament in Holland, Italy and Germany. For most, this is the least powerful key, however, with the same philosophy of team integration, some believe that the fight will not be the last to avoid being in the pre-classic for the first time. 2026 event.
Most recently MLB met with the recently formed Cuban Association of Professional Baseball Players, led by its commissioner Rod Manfred. The World Classic was a major point of exchange, in which it was discussed that Cubans playing in the United States would be unable to represent their country due to political issues.
That may have had an impact on what happened this Thursday in that official meeting by video call, although it should be taken into account that the association asks to organize an independent selection from FCB, but not to recommend MLB. Players participating under the direction of Cuba. In the end the idea did not work out because it was the national federations that represented the countries in the events organized by the international federations.
The other thing is, according to one of my sources directly connected to this issue, the conversation that took place this Thursday morning was planned for months.
Finally, it remains to be seen how the call-up process for the WBC will shape up and, if there are terms, which players will agree to play for FCB. Time.
Time will tell what the true outcome of what happened this Thursday will be, if everything is the same or there will be a real team without any discrimination in practice, in which quality of play and talent are the only things that matter. Say so.
