Only a few days separate us from the beginning of a new edition of the Caribbean Series Baseball in the Dominican Republic, event that gathers the champions of teams representing Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba and Dominican Republic. Ciego de Avila team will enter for Cuba, a selection with more than seventy percent of players who are not active in the National Series for the province, and who have defended the colors of Cuba in international events such as Olympic Games, Central American, Pan American Games, World Cups and World Classics.Cuba is one of the pioneer nations in the Caribbean Series.
In 1952, Lions from Havana were crowned champions in the series played in Panama. Five years later in 1957, the Tigers of Marianao, celebrated the success under the command of Napoleon Reyes and the following year repeated the feat in Puerto Rico. When the Cuban Revolution triumphed, Scorpions of Almendares, repeated the primacy in the fair held in Caracas. A year later, the Elephants of Cienfuegos keptthe crown of the Caribbean Series in the Greater Antilles.
Cuba did not attend these events until 2014 when the selection of Villa Clara, directed by Ramon Moré, played in Margaritas, Venezuela Islands, and where only obtained a triumph. They spent sixty-four years to return to these contests and the return was disappointing.
Last year 2015, Alfonso Urquiola, outstanding director of baseball teams in Cuba, cheered up the archipelago with the title in the series held in Puerto Rico. Cuba is the third nation with Mexico, in number of titles in the Caribbean Series with eight crowns, surpassed only by Dominican Republic.
Individually, the Cuban players have left their names engraved on the antics of the Caribbean Series. Al Gionfrido in 1949 with an average of (533), then the alquizareño Hector Rodriguez, a leader in 1950 (474) and Lorenzo "Chiquitin´´ Cabrera a year later, with his astronomical average (619), current record for Caribbean Series.
For 2016, the challenge of Roger Machado and Tigers is great, they have a commitment; to retain the crown the Vegueros of Pinar del Río won. Yulieski gourriel, Yosvany Alarcón, Alfredo Despaigne and Ariel Borrero can drive the ball for drivind races, together with others like Yurisbel Gracial, Yorbis Borroto, Raul Gonzalez, Yordan Manduley and Yeniet Perez, responsible for short connections and opportunities to run and batting. Pitching is also relatively new, although there are pitchers with experience in domestic classics such as Jose Angel Garcia, Miguel Lahera, Vladimir Garcia, Vladimir Baños, Livan Moinelo, Yaifredo Dominguez, Yunier Cano and Yohenis Yera. The story accompanies the Dominican hosts, but we trust Tigers. Luck, Avileños!