Swing Completo – Translating Cuba

Cuban Roel Santos Dreams of Seeing the Island Play With Its MLB Stars

“It’s a topic that has caused a lot of controversy,” the Granma native acknowledges.

Santos has been selected for both World Baseball Classics, in 2017 and 2023. / ‘Cubadebate’

14ymedio/SwingCompleto, Havana, Ocotber 27, 2025 / Cuban baseball player Roel Santos, who has represented Team Cuba in various international tournaments, called for Major League Baseball players to be part of the team’s roster for the VI World Baseball Classic – if Cuba finally receives permission to participate – which will take place in 2026 in the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico.

The outfielder, who plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League with the Bravos de Margarita club, said in an interview with Swing Completo that he hoped Cuba “has the good fortune that its MLB players can say yes and that their teams can give them the nod. It would be a very good thing. I would love it if this could be achieved someday. That the best players in the world can participate. It will be good for both baseball and the fans, who also want that.”

The Granma native acknowledged that “it’s a topic that has caused a lot of controversy,” but that a good result for the island only depends on adding MLB players. “It’s the best event, and honestly, who doesn’t want to be in a World Baseball Classic? Being able to have major league players in a Classic is a great prospect, because the best players in the world will be facing each other,” he remarked.

“For the 2026 World Classic, if Cuba receives permission, we haven’t made the call yet.”

However, Roel Santos’s ambition seems unlikely due to the political differences between the Cuban government and the main Cuban stars playing in the MLB—like Aroldis Chapman—although he hasn’t lost hope that, at some point, this barrier will be broken: “I would like everyone to participate. There are many legends I played with on the national team, and they could participate now. It would be a very good thing for the country.” continue reading

The baseball player, who is on Team Cuba’s pre-roster for the Copa América, which will be played from November 12 to 22 in Panama, has been selected for both editions of the World Baseball Classic, in 2017 and 2023, the latter when the island reached the semifinals, where it lost to the United States.

A player who played for the Houston Astros, pitcher Julio Robaina, was recently contacted by the Cuban Baseball Federation to represent Team Cuba in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The pitcher appears to have said yes.

However, Cuba is currently waiting for confirmation to compete in the tournament, which, as of October 22, had not arrived. Germán Mesa, who will lead Team Cuba in the Copa América, reported that “for the 2026 World Classic, if Cuba receives permission, we have not yet made the call.”

Even so, for the tournament scheduled for next March, although there’s no official confirmation, tickets are already on sale for the games in which the Cuban team will participate. The online platform Gotickets offers tickets for up to $1,345 to watch Team Asere ‘s match against Colombia in Box B of Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Puerto Rico.

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Cuban Player Liván Moinelo Brings His Team to the Japan Series

He is the first pitcher to win the MVP in a Japanese championship series, since Masahiro Tanaka in 2013

Liván Moinelo earned his place as starting pitcher after seven years of being middle relief / Instagram

14ymedio/SwingCompleto, Havana, October 20, 2025 — Cuban pitcher Liván Moinelo led the SoftBank Hawks of Fukuoka on Monday to compete for the Japanese Professional Baseball League title. His performance in the decisive duel against Hokkaido’s Nippon Ham Wrestlers to qualify for the final led him to win the most valuable player award (MVP) of that series.

In his second appearance in seven games, with only four days of rest, he completed seven innings — as in his first appearance — and allowed three hits and a single run, in addition to giving a base on balls and six strikeouts, to take the 2-1 victory against the team from Hokkaido.

His two appearances against the Wrestlers, with 14 innings pitched and a 0.64 ERA, allowed Moinelo to be the first pitcher to win MVP in a championship series since Masahiro Tanaka in the 2013 campaign.

Now the challenge will be to maintain dominance in the Japan Series from next Saturday, when the Hawks seek the throne of Japanese baseball against the Hanshin Tigers.

Now the challenge will be to maintain dominance in the Japan Series from next Saturday

In what was just his second season as the starter of the Fukuoka franchise, the 29-year-old from Pinar del Río led the ERA with an average of 1.46 runs per game, which was a remarkable improvement continue reading

from what he achieved a year ago, with another great figure, 1.86. He struck out 155 opponents last year and exceeded that figure this season with 172 strike-outs, while reducing his number of bases per ball, from 47 to 42 between both campaigns.

Moinelo earned his place as starter after seven years of being a middle reliever. Now as opener in the last two campaigns, he has registered a record of 11-5 and 12-3.

Last year’s numbers allowed him to win the Golden Glove, which made him the first Latino pitcher to earn the ERA title during the regular tournament in the second best league in the world.

That campaign had 25 starters, and he pitched 163 innings. From the mound, he struck out 155 opponents, allowed only 34 runs and allowed 47 bases per ball, for 68.8% of wins.

That campaign had 25 starters, and he pitched 163 innings. From the mound, he struck out 155 opponents

Moinelo, one of the strong cards of the Cuba team, has found in Japan an option to have important income — he is the highest paid of the whole league, together with the Mexican Roberto Osuna, with $26.4 million for four seasons — and to compete at a high level. Other competitions in Asia have also received Cuban players, who have been highlighted recently, such as Guillermo Heredia, who plays in the South Korean league with SSG Landers.

In three seasons, the pitcher from Matanzas has established himself as the player with the best average, .342, among the batters, with at least a thousand at-bats in the last three seasons in that league. With a past in the major leagues with the Atlanta Braves, the outfielder has managed to sign a $1.6 million contract, with a $200,000 bonus.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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A Cuban Player Returns to the Island After His Attempt To Play in the Major Leagues Was Thwarted

Enyer Fernández spent several months stranded in the Dominican Republic for lack of money.

Enyer Fernández returned last Friday to Cuba. / Swing Completo

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, September 28, 2025 — Baseball player Enyer Fernández returned to Cuba last Friday after his attempt to be picked up by a professional team in the Dominican Republic failed. After leaving the national sport last November, the 24-year-old from Guantánamo hopes that the Island’s National Baseball Commission will welcome him with open arms.

Fernández returned after spending ten months in the Dominican Republic and not getting a contract. “At the time it was a possible starting point for new personal goals. However, it became a personal ordeal,” highlighted the specialized medium Swing Completo. Without money or prospects of a contract, he was stranded with no chance to return. His case even prompted a collection, intended for paying his return ticket to Cuba, but the initiative failed.

The left-hander arrived preceded by a National Series in which, with 70 strikeouts, he placed third with an average of 3.96 ERA (allowed clean runs), and a pitching speed between 90-92 miles per hour. In addition, he was in the pre-selection of the national team of the Premier 12 tournament and participated in the Caribbean Cup. Before, in 2022, he joined the U23 representation.

Fernández tried out for Major League organizations with pitches between 89-91 miles per hour (mph), below his personal mark

Fernández’ characteristics placed him as an ideal prospect for the talent scouts. The power of his arm, according to journalist Francys Romero, opened up the possibility of “commanding the strike zone and aspiring to a contract with a professional team.” continue reading

During his stay in the Dominican Republic, the lefty perfected his skills at the TBT Baseball Academy under the tutelage of Julio Estrada, a center where other Cubans have also trained, like Andey Garrido, Pedro Pablo Revilla and Daniel Reyes, whom he met.

Last July 7, Fernández appeared before Major League organizations, but it was not the best day for him: he recorded pitches of 89-91 mph, below his personal mark, and a 76-79 mph slider.

His chances were slim after “the franchises of Major League teams concentrated during the last months of the international period on pitchers. Of the 75 players signed in May, 53 were pitchers,” said journalist Francys Romero.

Translated by Regina Anavy
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Some National Series Games Are Postponed Due to Lack of Accommodation and Transportation Problems

A few days before this tournament started, some players did not have important parts of their uniforms

The series between Las Tunas and Ciego de Ávila runs the risk of failure /Jitddd

14ymedio/SwingCompleto, Havana, September 23, 2025 — The baseball game between Las Tunas and Ciego de Ávila, which was scheduled for this Tuesday at noon as part of the National Series, has been postponed and may not be played until next Friday. The cause: unforeseen problems with the hotel capacity in the Las Tunas area, according to journalist Pavel Otero postig on Monday.

The three-day delay in the schedule for the game could be the least of the evils, since, according to the same reporter, “it is yet to be confirmed” whether the game — and the series — will actually take place. The decision could put the baseball calendar in a predicament, as there are no dates for recovering suspended games.

Fans on social media responded to the journalist’s post and questioned the work of the organizers. “How it is possible that there is no accommodation for the most important event in our country months in advance? The lack of ethics, professionalism and organization now exceed the limits, but no: ‘it is the fault of the blockade.’ “ continue reading

“How it is possible that there is no accommodation for the most important event in our country”

This series is not the only one affected by off-field issues. Pavel Otero also reported that the Industriales team in Havana “had a delayed maritime transport from Nueva Gerona to Batabanó and, because of this, had to walk to Bayamo.” Hours later, he reported that the team arrived in town at 5:00 am, so, at least for this Tuesday, that series was also postponed.

It had already been reported on other occasions that baseball players must deal with housing conditions and even meals that are far from optimal, which eventually affects their performance. A few days before this tournament started, the players did not have important parts of their uniforms and sports equipment.

This delay in the games occurs just days before the start of National Series 64, which, for the first time, began in September, when historically it started in March. The National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) reported last October that it would change the date for both the Third Cuban Baseball Elite League and the National Series.

Next, he said that the reason was to prevent the games from being played “in the months of higher temperatures, with the consequent benefit for their rivals.” However, media such as Escambray pointed out days later, in the context of the “economic war” in which the Island lives, that carrying out the Third Elite League and the 64 National Series would be “counterproductive.”

In the context of the “economic war” in which the Island lives, to carry out the Third Elite League and the 64 National Series would be “counterproductive”

For the Sancti Spíritus newspaper, these events require “important logistics of all kinds, which the country today does not have.”

To justify the postponement of the Elite League, which was contested at the end of each year and changed to last March, Escambray said that “it is inconsistent to carry out an event that has not yet proved its full validity after taking place again, at least not in a country which is debating between distributing a drop of fuel for electricity generation and ambulances, or how to establish guarantees for a low price for the rice and sugar in the family basket and the inputs to produce food and medicine that is missing in the pharmacy.”

The official newspaper even gave as an example the cancelation of three editions of the Olympic Games due to world wars -conflicts that left, in total, about 85 million dead — and the case of Tokyo 2020, which was postponed for a year due to the pandemic: “As far as I know, the Elite League of baseball does not even come close to those events in importance.”

According to the same article, with those “few resources that the country has” this year’s National Series would be prioritized, “which demands an even stronger logistical framework and which is, in short, the main socio-cultural event that Cuba has.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

With a Lack of Players for the Classic, Cuba Is Debating Inviting Those Who ‘Defected’

Eight months before the event, only Yoan Moncada, Andy Ibáñez, Andy Pagés and Daysbel Hernández have confirmed their participation.

Members of Team Cuba at the last World Baseball Classic. / Jit

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 9 July 2025 — The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) is debating changes to Article 1.6 of the National Series regulations to include players who defected or abandoned contracts with Team Cuba in the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic. Of the 10 major league players to whom they sent letters, only Yoan Moncada, Andy Ibáñez, Andy Pagés, and Daysbel Hernández have accepted so far.

With just eight months to go until the event, regime loyalist and newly appointed Cuban manager Germán Mesa has only managed to convince 10 other young talents playing for U.S. minor league clubs. Among them are Ernesto Martínez Jr., Omar Hernández, Yiddi Cappe, Alexander Vargas, Jan Hechavarría, and Víctor Labrada.

Despite Mesa having Naykel Cruz of the Baltimore Orioles on the roster, his inclusion was scuppered. The player’s representative, Cuban-American Gladys Alonso, said that if he did so, his employment relationship would be terminated. “All Cuban-Americans in the Major Leagues are going to undermine you, at some point they will,” she warned. continue reading

With just eight months left until the event, Cuba’s manager, Germán Mesa, has only managed to convince 10 other young talents

Last June, several members of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation (Inder) expressed interest in granting Yariel Rodríguez a pardon. The player was blacklisted after breaching a contract with the Japanese team, the Chunichi Dragons, in 2023. Journalist Yasel Porto Gómez confirmed that his invitation was ready and awaiting approval.

Rodríguez currently plays for the Toronto Blue Jays and has stated that defending the Cuban flag “would be very important to him.” If there were any possibility of joining the so-called Team Asere, “I would say yes without hesitation.”

According to the specialized media outlet Swing Completo, the rule preventing Cuba from calling up players who have defected or abandoned contracts “is purely political.” However, “the current situation is critical, and they need some serious names if they want to at least advance to the second round of the tournament.”

If that key is opened, those who could be invited include Lourdes Gurriel Jr (Arizona Diamondbacks), Aledmys Díaz, Adolis García (Texas Rangers), José Iglesias (San Diego Padres); Vladimir Gutiérrez, Oscar Luis Colás (Chicago White Sox); Yoelqui Céspedes, Norge Carlos Vera (Athletics); Oscar Luis Colás (Chicago White Sox); Yoelqui Céspedes, Norge Carlos Vera (Athletics); and Andy Rodríguez, Lázaro Blanco, Luis Dani Morales, Brian Chi, Geysel Cepeda, Loidel Chapellí Jr., and Loidel Rodríguez.

Those who have announced their rejection are Aroldis Chapman, Odrisamer Despaigne, and César Prieto.

In the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Cuba is in Group A, which also includes Puerto Rico, Canada, and Panama. The host city will be San Juan.

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Aroldis Chapman Has Two Options To Play in the World Classic: Great Britain and the US

The British team agreed to be part of the preselection, although the Americans also want him.

Chapman is looking forward to being a free agent in the US Major Leagues/ Instagram/_thecubanmissile54

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, June 17, 2025 — Baseball player Aroldis Chapman, the “Cuban Missile,” has chances to play in the 2026 World Classic, but not with Cuba. Great Britain extended an invitation to him, and although the athlete said yes to being part of the roster (preselection), it all depends on whether he will get free agency this season after playing six years in the US Major Leagues. In addition, the US team asked him if he was available for consideration.

Chapman’s grandparents are from Jamaica, a former British colony, so he can apply for citizenship.

Chapman told Swing Completo that “before telling them that yes, I can be on the roster, I told them I was going to talk to my dad and that it depends on what he says.” The player said this father told him: “Come on, let’s go there.”

Chapman has expressed his annoyance at Cuba’s call for exiled players / Instagram/_thecubanmissile54

British managers have made adjustments for the World Classic. They appointed Bradley Marcelino as manager of the national team. The coach, who is a Minor League batting coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks, knows Chapman’s potential well, and to make his incorporation official, he will be a starter for two international events: the European Cup, where Great Britain is part of Group B and has France, Israel and the Netherlands as rivals, and the World Classic, where Great Britain is in Group B with the United States, Mexico, Italy and Brazil.

As for the possibilities in the US, says Chapman, there was an approach. American citizenship opens the door for him, but there is nothing concrete yet.

The issue of Cuba is closed, yes? The ball player deserted in 2009 during a tournament in Rotterdam, and the regime placed him on the list of traitors. In 2008, the government had accused him of an escape attempt and wouldn’t let him go to the Beijing Olympics. “I was a sellout,” he said a few weeks ago.

Chapman expressed his annoyance at Cuba’s call for exiled players. He recalled that all those who leave a delegation or tournament are called “traitors, worms,” but now because of the needs of the Cuban team, “they want them to go and play.”

“All those people who are calling the players who are here and those who are going to the Classic, I think they are the first ones that should be respected and not be calling everyone,” he said.

The Cuban Missile is part of the group that US-based journalist Yasel Porto Gomez named as players who have refused to be part of the Cuban national team. Among them are Yordan Álvarez, José Adolis García, Jorge Soler, Raisel Iglesias, Lourdes Gurriel, Edgar Quero, Luis Robert, José Iglesias, Adrián Morejón, Yandy Díaz, Yulieski Gurriel, Cionel Pérez and Nestor Cortés.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuba Is Willing To Call for Exiled Players if They Do Not Speak Ill of the Government

“They don’t care about principles, what matters is winning,” a source close to the FCB tells ‘Swing Completo’

Baseball players who joined the national team of Cuba in the Premier Tournament 12 / JIT

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, June 9, 2025 — Players who “do not have a political stance against the government” could be “eligible” for the Cuban national team to participate in the 2026 World Classic. According to a source close to the Cuban Baseball Federation, quoted by Swing Completo, “this is something to resolve” in order to have a competitive team.

The source revealed, at least to Swing Completo, that they lack the Government’s approval to make the official announcement. Article 1.6 of the regulations of the National Series states that “players who have not left delegations or contracts managed by the FCB, who are not sanctioned and who possess a Cuban passport or identity card, may be authorized to play, with the prior application of the athlete to the province with which he wants to play and with the approval of the CNB”.

FCB members are willing to renounce the principles that, in the past, were an impediment to calling for other players. “They don’t care about the principles; what matters is to win, or at least not make fools of themselves,” said the same source.

“However”, he stressed, “the players who have spoken ill of the government or take a political position against it would never be considered.” continue reading

One of the figures excluded and reviled by the Cuban authorities for defecting in 2009 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is Aroldis Chapman, the “Cuban Missile.” The athlete does not forget that they called him “traitor, worm and sellout.” For this reason, he has rejected any possibility of defending Cuba in international events.

“I think all those people who are convening the players who are here and those going to the Classic are the first who should be respected and not everyone else,” he said last March.

The same position is taken by the exiled players who in 2023 formed the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (Febcube). The group includes Yulieski Gurriel, Guillermo Heredia, Raisel Iglesias and José Abreu, among others.

Official journalist Pavel Otero said that the FCB has already contacted 10 players who play in the United States Major Leagues and several Minor Leagues. Yoan Moncada, Andy Ibáñez, Andy Pagés and Daysbel Hernández would be on that list, in addition to Yariel Rodríguez.

“We have already personally spoken to more than 10 active players in the 40-man Major League roster,” said Otero. “Almost all the headliners for most positions are already written down.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Baseball Players Moncada, Pagés, Ibáñez, Hernández and Rodríguez Want to Play with Cuba in the World Classic

There is talk of a list of 10 U.S. Major League players to whom the Island will send an invitation.

Yoan Mocada, in the center, during the game against China’s Taipei team / Jit

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 8 June 2025 — Yoan Moncada, Andy Ibáñez, Andy Pagés and Daysbel Hernández are the players who have expressed their interest in playing with Cuba in the 2026 World Classic. Yariel Rodriguez could join them. He is backed by several Inder managers, despite having broken a contract in Japan, for which the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) demanded 10 million dollars for “damages.”

A source from the Island confirmed to the specialized media Swing Completo that there is a list of at least 10 Cuban Major League players who will be sent an invitation.

Moncada was part of the national team selection that failed in the Premier 12 tournament. The athlete from Cienfuegos, who was injured for most of the year, on that occasion “asked to be included” in the roster of 60 players, according to the specialized media Pelota Cubana.

“My dad wants to see me play for Cuba, and that’s all I care about,” says Andy Pagés / El Extrabase

Moncada, who in 2015 was signed by the US Boston Red Sox for 31.5 million dollars, took advantage of the window to get a third-base contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Los Angeles Dodgers player, Andy Pagés, has expressed his desire to join the Cuban national team. The athlete would thus fulfill his father’s wish. “From the beginning, I said yes. Already there were people who did not accept it and others who did,” he told Pelota Cubana USA. “I don’t worry about that. There will always be people who say bad things and others who support me. As I said, my dad wants to see me play for Cuba, and that’s all I care about.” continue reading

However, in the participation of Pagés in the World Classic, warned Andy Lans, “the most logical thing would be to think that the outfielder sees the above-mentioned competition as a possibility to display his skills. He is not the only one.”

In the case of Daysbel Hernández, his talent as a pitcher has been revealed with the Atlanta Braves / Francys Romero

In the case of Daysbel Hernandez his talent as a pitcher has been revealed with the Atlanta Braves in the Minor Leagues; his aspiration is still to reach the top circuit. The FCB has expressed its interest in being part of the pre-selection, and the specialized media see him as an option for a relief pitcher.

Andy Ibáñez was already part of the Asere team version and would be ready to return if there is a call. Another option is Ernesto Martinez Jr., who is with the Milwaukee Brewers and considered a promising prospect.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Car the Cuban Government Gave Him Is “Crap,” Says Olympic Boxing Champion Erislandy Álvarez

“The only thing that works is the engine” and he had to invest “almost $5,000” to get it in acceptable condition

Olympic boxing champion Erislandy Álvarez claims that only the engine of the car Inder gave him is working. / Jit

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 16 March 2025 — Cuban Olympic boxing champion Erislandy Álvarez criticized the distribution of damaged vehicles that the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) made a few days ago to encourage its outstanding athletes. “Why tag me in that distribution if what they gave me was crap,” the boxer posted on Facebook, and shortly afterward deleted the post .

Álvarez, who stood up for Cuban boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the island’s only gold medal in the sport, denounced that the only thing that works on the Hyundai Grand i10 vehicle that INDER gave him is the engine. The athlete asserted that, in just two weeks, he has invested “almost $5,000, and what’s missing” to bring it into acceptable condition. “These are things they don’t publish,” he said, referring to the reports made by the official media about the delivery of the cars.

The island’s best boxer in the 63.5 kilogram category stated in a message captured by the specialized media outlet Swing Completo that “a tire blew out. Thank God, nothing happened to me.”

The cars delivered are not new, but were taken from the tourist rental market. The regime used them to encourage retired athletes, coaches, and continue reading

active athletes for their “dedication and loyalty” at an event held this Monday at the Coliseum of Havana’s Sports City.

The cars delivered were taken from the tourism rental market and the regime took advantage of the opportunity to encourage retired athletes, coaches and sportsmen.

According to images shared on social media, they had some visible damage. The white car delivered to Briandy Molina Elías, according to an image shared on the Facebook page Por la Goma, is missing some parts and the paint is damaged.

Para-athlete Ulicer Aguilera Cruz was given another vehicle with a license plate bearing his name and the year 2024. The car is missing its wheel covers and the engine cover is misaligned, as seen in the photos published by Inder in Banes.

During the event at the Sports City, a vehicle was also presented to coach Raúl de Jesús Trujillo Díaz, the architect of the strategies and tactics that led Greco-Roman wrestling star Mijaín López to win five consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games: Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024.

Also receiving cars were Cuban athletes Enrique Figuerola Camué (athletics), Omara Durand Elías (parallel track and field), and Luis Miguel Rodríguez Ricardo (baseball). Coaches who received cars included Sarbelio Fuentes Rodríguez (boxing), Filiberto Alberto Delgado Santiago (wrestling), Miriam Ferrer Fernández (parallel track and field), and Nelson Perales García (canoeing).

The rest of the list includes: Erislandy Álvarez Borges (boxing), Luis Alberto Orta Sánchez (Greco-Roman wrestling), Yusneylis Guzmán López (freestyle wrestling), Milaimy de la Caridad Marín Potrillé (freestyle wrestling), Robiel Yankiel Sol Cervantes (parathlete), Yunier Fernández Izquierdo (table tennis), Guillermo Varona González (para-athletics), Yamel Luis Vives Suárez (para-athletics), Pablo Ramírez Barrientos (paraweights) and Sheyla Hernández Estupiñán (para-judo).

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“I Was a Traitor and Now They Want Us To Go Play,” Aroldis Chapman Refuses To Join the Cuban Team

Players who “deserted or breached contracts” will not reinforce the island, according to ‘Swing Completo’

Cuban Aroldis Chapman has not forgotten that he was called a “worm” and a “traitor” after escaping in 2009. / Instagram/@_thecubanmissile54

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 10 March 2025 — Baseball player Aroldis Chapman, known as the Cuban Missile, rejected the Cuban Baseball Federation’s (FCB) plan to reinforce with exiles the national team that will participate in the VI World Baseball Classic. The pitcher, who fled in 2009 in Rotterdam, Holland, stressed: “I was a traitor, a gusano [worm] and a vendepatria [sell-out] traitor, and now they want us to go play.”

“I think that all those people who are calling up the players who are here and those who are going to the Classic are the first ones who should respect themselves and not be calling up everyone,” he said in an interview with the specialized media outlet Swing Completo.

The Holguín native recalled that after his failed escape attempt in 2008 he was removed from the national team which he was a member of when Cuba won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. “Nobody likes you, nobody wants to talk to you or hang out with you and everyone blames you,” he said.

Chapman commented that because of his final escape in 2009, as happens with all athletes who defect, he had to spend eight years without being able to enter Cuba. “I was the black sheep of all of Holguín and possibly of all of Cuba,” he recalled. continue reading

Aroldis Chapman earned 150 pesos a month on the island. / Instagram/@_thecubanmissile54

The left-handed pitcher earned 150 pesos a month on the island, and was subjected to long training sessions and little food. “I lived day to day,” he told Dominican journalist Yancen Pujols. A year after his escape, the Cincinnati Reds offered him a six-year contract for 30 million dollars. In his first season he threw a fastball at 105.1 mph, a record that no one has been able to surpass to date.

Swing Completo reported that “there are possible agreements between the Cuban team management and athletes who play in the Major Leagues.” Among the names of reinforcements are Yoan Moncada and Andy Ibáñez.

However, the same media outlet specifies that those players who have “deserted, breached contracts, or who have spoken negatively about the communist government of Cuba or denigrated national symbols” are excluded from a possible invitation.

In light of this statement, the following players would not be able to represent the Island in the VI World Classic 2026 for deserting: José Iglesias (2008), Aledmys Díaz (2012), Odrisamer Despaigne (2013), Yadiel Hernández and Vladimir Gutiérrez (2015), Yulieski Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr (2016), Yoelqui Céspedes and Norge Carlos Vera (2019).

Also affected are Andy Rodriguez, Cesar Prieto, Lazaro Blanco, Luis Dani Morales, Brian Chi, Geysel Cepeda, Loidel Chapellí Jr. and Loidel Rodriguez (2021).

In 2023, the FCB reinforced the team that represented the island in the World Classic with exiled players. The so-called Team Asere lost its ticket to the final of the event against the United States and suffered the escape of Iván Prieto, who signed with the Mexican club Piratas de Campeche.

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One Month Before the Start of Baseball Season, the Elite League Has Criticized the Poor Condition of Several Cuban Stadiums

The most serious situation is in the José Ramón Cepero, in Ciego de Ávila, and the San Luis, in Pinar del Río.

José Ramón Cepero Stadium, in Ciego de Avila. / Facebook/Guillermo Rodriguez Hidalgo

14ymedio/Swing Completo [Full Swing], Havana, 11 February 2025 — One month before the start of the Elite League season on the Island, the vice president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder), Omar Venegas Echemendía, acknowledged his concern about the poor condition of the playing fields of six stadiums hosting the event, which are located in Havana, Las Tunas, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Pinar del Río and Ciego de Ávila.

“We have to take a closer look in order to rehabilitate them,” he told Jit, the official sports media outlet. The immediate task focuses on “delivering clay, restoring the grass, and working on other aspects such as repairing the safety padding, and painting the stadiums inside and out,” he said.

According to Full Swing, the specialized media outlet, the most pressing situation was found at José Ramón Cepero Stadium in Ciego de Ávila. The authorities found that the facility at the Tigres team’s home field lacks padding to protect the players, and some is located in the wrong places. “The condition of the benches is another critical problem, because they are very far below the standard of quality they should have. The whole situation is extremely worrying and covers almost all areas,” the sports website reported.

Venegas Echemendía acknowledged the situation, and added that the lights also present problems, although “they are already working on securing investments for the lighting towers, because a good set of lights is necessary.”

The Captain San Luis stadium in Pinar del Rio also presented some problems. / Facebook/Guillermo Rodriguez Hidalgo

Guillermo Rodríguez, the journalist from Radio Rebelde, shared images from the tour of several stadiums on his networks. At Captain San Luis Stadium in Pinar del Rio, which he visited on February 1, “the 20-second clocks don’t work, there’s a lack of clay in the infield area, the [batter’s] box needs to be filled, the clubhouse (where the batting cage is located) needs to be illuminated, and the interior and exterior areas need paint.”

Latinoamericano Stadium in Havana also needs improvements. During the tour on February 5, work was underway on the dugouts and bullpens, which the journalist Rodríguez reported had to be ready by last Friday.

Meanwhile, at the Mártires de Barbados stadium, the journalist said, “we have to work to improve the quality of the field, especially the grass, and increase the level of clay.”

Making some improvements at Latinoamericano Stadium in Havana./ Facebook/Guillermo Rodriguez Hidalgo

During the tour, the vice president of Inder gave assurances that he had spoken with the Islazul chain, in charge of tending to the Elite League, “in order that they provide the stipulated food for the athletes, the best accommodation conditions, and to strengthen the supervision of the organizing committee.”

The problems of the sports facilities on the Island were aggravated by Hurricane Rafael. Last November, the authorities confirmed damages in 48 sports facilities in Artemisa. The most significant was the fall of the lighting towers in 26th of July Stadium. That property also reported damage to the roof of the electronic scoreboard.

The roof of the Cazadores team headquarters was another of the sites affected by the hurricane. At the time, internet users reported apparent damage in four other stadiums: Jesús Suárez Gayol, Julio Pérez, Tricontinental, and Luis Campos. They noted that even before the cyclone struck, several sports facilities lacked adequate maintenance.

Translated by Tomás A.

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Cuba’s Official Press Calls Las Tunas ‘Bad News for Cuban Baseball’ in the Series of the Americas

Curazao showed the weakness of the Las Tunas team / Jit

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 27 January 2025 — Curaçao won by 15-2 over the Leñadores de Las Tunas, who represent Cuba in the Baseball Series of the Americas, based in Nicaragua. Faced with the catastrophic result, the official media Granma reported that the Island’s team “had their hands tied” (was immobilized in the sport), and that their performance was “bad news for Cuban baseball, whatever the competition.”

Those led by Abeysi Pantoja, according to the same media, succumbed to players who had already turned the corner of stardom. The Curaçao team “has the wisdom and the craft” for their participation in teams of the US Major Leagues, in addition to the fact that some currently play in the Minor Leagues.

Cuban baseball is in crisis, and Cubadebate also recognized that nothing worked for the Cubans against Curaçao. The offensive line barely achieved three hits, and the Las Tunas pitchers allowed 16 runs. “You can’t win that way in baseball,” the same report emphasized.

“The pitchers allowed 15 uncatchable hits, and, to top it off, the defense also failed, not only because of the two errors, but also because there was no solution for throws that did not commit,” Granma summarized.

Sports analyst Juan Carlos Guerra Alonso “JuanK” in Por la Goma, reiterated that this bad moment of Cuban baseball “has a lot to do with the suffocating and obsolete policy of those who direct and pull the strings of the sport: those at the top, those in the middle and those “phantoms” who make decisions from behind a desk.” continue reading

JuanK specified that “you can’t have a good performance without playing baseball. You can’t live on Saturn, wanting to compete on Earth.” He recalled that the Cuban players have not played for a winter, and in the face of results like those against Curaçao, “we are losing the credibility and respect that our history gave us.”

Cuba’s first defeat against Nicaragua left doubts in some fans and accusations in others. “The Island did Managua a favor, they were clever,” José Pablo, a regular at the stadiums of the Central American country, told 14ymedio. “I have no doubt; those drunken pigs that make up the team (of Nicaragua) could never beat the Cubans for good, no matter how many desertions they have had and not even if they’re tied up and blindfolded.”

Baseball in Nicaragua is also in “decline.” According to a report in La Prensa, despite the investment of 4 billion córdobas for the “construction of 13 stadiums and the remodeling of another 24 sports facilities,” the fans have been absent from the games.

According to sports journalist Pablo Fletes, one of the causes is the local “quality of competition” caused by a championship that brings together 20 teams. The “saturation” has generated the disinterest of fans. Meanwhile, sports reporter Edgard Tijerino commented that national baseball has fallen behind in the international context, so “it has been left out of events such as the World Classic and the Premier 12.

Curazao has three wins and leads the Baseball Series of the Americas. Nicaragua and Águilas Metropolitanas follow, both tied with two games won and one lost. Cuba and Club Daom are equal in fourth and fifth place with one victory and two defeats. In the background is Caimanes de Barranquilla (Colombia) with three consecutive stumbles.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Havana’s Industriales Baseball Team, From Success to Exodus

Of the 37 players who made up the dazzling Cuban team of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, 25 have left the country

The Industriales of Havana have won the National Baseball Series 12 times / Cubadebate

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 13 December 2024 — The Industriales of Havana of the 1995-1996 campaign is one of the teams most remembered by their own and strangers.

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, December 13, 2024 — The Industriales of Havana of the 1995-1996 campaign is one of the teams most remembered by their own and strangers. With a team of great new players, it broke the hegemony of the Azucareros of Villa Clara, who were looking for their fourth consecutive National Baseball Series. Today, however, it is no more than the epitome of the situation of national sport on the Island, bled by migration.

One of the players of the “Blues,” Jesús Ametller, recounted on Facebook the current whereabouts of his former teammates. Of the 37 members, 25 left the country in search of better opportunities, despite the fact that they had years of good baseball health on the Island. In 1996, for example, Team Cuba repeated the Olympic gold – undefeated – at the Atlanta Games. In fact, Cuba won three gold and two silver medals in 16 years, from 1992 to 2008.

Eight of the 13 members of the pitching staff currently reside abroad: Orlando Hernández, Ernesto Noris, Luis Alberto González, Agustín Marquetti Jr., Ángel Díaz, Pablo Miguel Abreu, Leonardo Tamayo and Juan Carlos Llanes; while Jorge Fumero alternates stays between Italy and Cuba. Only Lázaro Valle, René Espín, Juan Rafael Despaigne and Osnel Blas continue reading

Bocourt live on the Island.

Out of the nine starters of the Industriales team that won the National Baseball Series 28 years ago, only Germán Mesa remains in Cuba

As for the catchers, they all emigrated: Ricardo Miranda, Francisco Santiesteban, Bárbaro Cañizares and Michel Hernández.

Regarding the players who ran the bases, six out of eight also looked for better opportunities abroad: Roberto Colina, Juan Padilla, Luis Pestana, Lázaro Vargas, Vladimir Hernández and Ametller himself, who published the list, while Germán Mesa and Alexander Malleta stayed in the country.

Javier Méndez, Carlos Tabares and William Ortega, all of them outfielders, also emigrated; the only one who stayed in the country was Juan Francisco Cuéllar.

Finally, as for the management, Pedro Medina – considered by many one of the best catchers of all time in Cuban baseball, chosen among the 100 best athletes of the twentieth century in the country – resides on the Island, along with Eulalio Linares, Enrique Rojas and Fidel Ramírez. His colleagues Ángel Leocadio Díaz and Reinaldo Batista decided to leave.

On the list are two members who have passed away: one of the coaches, Juan Gómez, and the outfielder Orbe Luis Rodríguez.

Swing Completo says that out of the nine starters on the Industriales team that won the National Baseball Series 28 years ago, only Germán Mesa remains in Cuba.

About 1,100 athletes have fled in the last decade. Most of them, 635, have been baseball players, according to a count by the official weekly Trabajadores, in January 2022. Since then, the numbers have continued to grow. The exile also includes coaches from various disciplines, many of whom have already delivered results with other nations, as happened in Paris 2024, where 50 trainers in 30 countries harvested 28 medals with their athletes, triple those achieved by the Cuban delegation (barely nine).

Translated by Regina Anavy
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A Baseball Team in Havana is Denounced for Abandoning Its Coach ‘For Being a Woman’

Baseball players of the Marianao team / Cubadebate

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 10 December 10, 2024 — The more than twenty players of the Marianao team from Havana abandoned their coach, Annie Fonseca, by failing to show up for the game they had this Monday. The club, which is in last place in the Provincial Series, forfeited the game to Plaza by “not being present” in an act that the Facebook page Por La Goma described as “detestable” and “macho.”

According to the same publication, the team has a “miserable” attitude by “questioning the ability of a coach just because she is a woman.” It also highlighted Jordan William Bustamante, Daniel Yanes, Pedro Remolar, Yankiel Hernández, Kevin González, Rayco Víctores, Daniel Escalona and Dayron Miranda (injured), the only players from Marianao who did show up for the game.

Por La Goma reported that in the series there are teams like El Cotorro, which is also lagging behind but does not question its coaches. “You can have problems and situations, you can have difficulties and differences, but the pledged word cannot be ’prostituted’ with abandonment; that is not for good men, that is not correct.”

The position of the players generated other reactions. The women’s magazine Alas Tensas interpreted the athletes’ decision “as an act of rejection towards the female figure in command, which has ignited the debate on gender equality in Cuban sport.”

Annie Fonseca won the national softball championship in Guantánamo (1998) with Havana / Facebook/Fidel Ramírez Coll

Annie Fonseca, who was chosen this year to take charge of Marianao in the 64th edition of the Provincial Series of Havana, is not an ’improvised’ coach. As a player, she won the national softball championship in Guantánamo (1998) with Havana. She is currently in the fifth year of a degree in Physical Culture, Sport and Recreation at the University of Sports.

Last year, when Marianao became the runner-up, Fonseca was a bench coach. In November, in a chat with Swing Completo, she accepted that running the club would be a challenge because sexist beliefs still persist. However, she took on the challenge. “I firmly believe that women also have the right to earn respect within the field of baseball. We’re here to build and help the sport that we all love,” she declared.

“I was born a baseball player, and I’m a woman,” the coach said. “I can’t be more woman. Everything is in the person.” Fonseca has relied on elite players such as Dayron Miranda and Jordan William Bustamante.

This Tuesday Por La Goma considered that the sports authorities of Havana should “reformulate their strategies, allowing women who have talent and dedication to represent themselves.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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One Step Away From Its Worst Record in History, Cuba Drops a Step in the World Baseball Rankings

Cuba is facing a decade with more defeats than victories in international tournaments

Cuba finished with one win and four losses in the last Premier 12 / ’Jit’

14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 28 November 2024 — Team Cuba will close 2024 close to its worst position in history in the international baseball rankings. The island dropped one step in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) ranking, published this Wednesday, and is in tenth position, just one step away from its worst record – 11th place – in 2021.

The Cuban team generated the fewest points during 2024 within the top 10 of the world ranking. The team could only add 401 points, far from the second worst team in the year, the Dominican Republic, with 760. For the classification, what was achieved in the lower categories is also taken into account, where there were also no great results.

The Cuban team generated the fewest points during 2024 within the top 10 of the world ranking.

Poor performance has also caused Team Cuba to fall even at the regional level, although in 2012 it was the world leader in the rankings. Today it is ranked sixth in the Americas, behind Venezuela, which is now third in the world, with 4,846 points.

Also on the list are Mexico (4,729), the United States (4,691) and Panama (3,334). Japan is firmly at the top of the World Baseball Softball Confederation rankings, despite losing to Taiwan in the final of the last continue reading

Premier 12. It has 6,866 points, well ahead of the Taiwanese, who are in second place, with 5,489.

Cuba’s poor results in international tournaments have been a constant for a decade. Its record in 2013, after playing in the World Classic, was the last time the team had more wins than losses in a year, winning four games and losing only two.

During the 2015 Premier 12, the Cubans qualified in the second round, where they fell to South Korea. Thus they closed that year with a 3-3 record. Two years later, in 2017, they again played in the World Classic. In that tournament, they reached the second phase of the event, where they fell by a thrashing (14-1) to the Netherlands. With that defeat, their record was 2-4. That has been, so far, the worst performance for Cuba in that tournament; in 2006 they were finalists.

During the 2015 Premier 12, the Cubans qualified in the second round, where they fell to South Korea.

In 2019, in the second edition of the Premier 12, the island was eliminated for the first time in the group stage. It finished in tenth place overall, with one win and two losses. That same year, the team competed in the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. The competition, which Team Cuba dominated throughout history – with 12 titles, 10 of them consecutive, from 1971 to 2007 – ended with three losses in four matches and the team remained in third-to-last place. At the end of the year, its record was 2-5.

Two years later, the 2021 Pre-Olympic tournament was held, on the way to the Tokyo Games, another event in which the Cuban teams had shown superiority, with three gold medals out of a possible five. Only on a couple of occasions did they have to settle for silver. However, those hopes of recalling old glories did not come true, since they did not get the ticket. That year they won one game and lost two.

The year 2023 was bittersweet. On the one hand, the team reached the semifinals of the World Classic and qualified for the second round of the championship with a 2-2 record. In the quarterfinals, they defeated Australia in a tight match (4-3), but then lost to the United States in the semifinals (14-2). Despite the positive scenario, the record in the tournament was three wins and three losses. That same year, they played in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games and were eliminated in the first phase. They were only able to win one game out of four to end the year with four wins and six losses.

Finally, in 2024, they played five games, all within the framework of the Premier 12, with one victory and four defeats, leaving a total record of 13 games won and 24 lost in more than a decade.

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