Team Cuba Flies from Taiwan to Japan!!

 

         Today is Monday, March 13th-2023 and this photo gladdens the hearts of Baseball-Loving Cubans in Cuba. It shows Luis Martin arriving in Tokyo proudly carrying his Cuban duffel bag. Luis -- born in Guantanamo, Cuba -- is the Superstar 25-year-old Center Fielder for the Chicago White Sox and he has let it be known to the media that "It was my dream to play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic." For that stance Luis has been loudly criticized by the U. S. media that adhers only to the opinions of Counter Revolutionary Cubans in the USA. Yet...today there is Luis Robert in Tokyo proudly ready to help Team Cuba in the Quarterfinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Luis had just flown from Taiwan where he helped Team Cuba win the 5-team Pool A in the 20-nation WBC.

    Even though the collegiate and pro basketball playoffs are ready to commence in Basketball/Football-obsessed USA, the 5th World Baseball Classic is playing before sold-out stadiums in Taiwan, Japan, USA, etc...and the games are being televised in all 20 of the baseball-loving nations. Baseball fans are enthused that the Super-Paid U. S. Major League Superstar Players are filling the lineups -- especially of nations such as the U. S., Dominican Republic, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Yet...underdog nations such as Mexico and Cuba are also making some headlines in the 2023 WBC!! Cuba has advanced to the Quarterfinals in Japan after winning the tough 5-team Pool A in Taiwan. And check the photo-image above. It is not a MIRAGE. On TV and in a sold-old stadium in Phoenix last night, Mexico defeated the Superstar-ladened Team USA 11-to-5. The experts, of course, still predict that the U. S., Japan, or the Dominican Republic will be crowned the 2023 WBC CHAMPION on March 21st in Miami. But first they must beat some good teams.

     In the first week of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, even baseball-loving Cubans in Cuba have had a lot to cheer for. That's because, surprisingly, the U. S. eased the drastic six-decade-old Embargo enough to allow Team Cuba to have some U. S. Major League Cuban-born Superstars. Most of Cuba's plethora of Major League stars succumbed to pressure not to join Team Cuba but there are two prime very brave and super exceptions -- #10 Yoan Moncada and #88 Luis Robert. At age 27 Yoan is the Superstar switch-hitting Third Baseman for the Chicago White Sox. And at age 25 Luis is the Superstar Center Fielder for the Chicago White Sox. Their courage and talent helped Team Cuba win the WBC Pool A in Taiwan and now, proudly, Yoan and Luis are in Japan to help Team Cuba compete in the WBC Quarterfinals at the awesome Tokyo Dome. Japan was already 4-and-0 in the First Round and is considered unbeatable but two of the five teams in Tokyo will move on to the Semi-Finals that will be played in Miami...so a team like Cuba or Australia can advance.

     But for now and forever, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert will be remembered for making the baseball-loving Cubans in Cuba very Happy and Proud in March of 2023.

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A Happy Sunday for Baseball-Loving Cubans!!!

 

    On the Big Stage of the 20-nation, Superstar-Studded World Baseball Classic, today in faraway Taiwan the baseball-loving island of Cuba beat home-based Taiwan 7-to-1 in a raucus, sold-out stadium. While the U. S., Dominican Republic, Japan, and Venezuela are all loaded with Major League Superstars such as Trout, Ortani, Betts, etc., etc., Cuba this time is allowed a few  Major League Superstars. Yoan Moncada, #10 and the Superstar switch-hitting Third Baseman for the Chicago White Sox and Cuba, had a homer, double, and single to help Cuba to a quick 6-0 lead in Taiwan's beautiful, sold-out stadium on the way to cruising to a 7-1 victory that is monumental to the team and to the Caribbean nation. Now Yoan Moncada and his Cuban teammates fly to Tokyo to participate in the World Baseball Classic quarter-fianls next week.

    The four games at Taichung Stadium in Taiwan revealed a gritty and dedicated Cuban team, with the strong Fox Sports Network televising all four games live to baseball-loving nations around the world.

     Not only did Yoan Moncada play excellent defense at Third Base and also belt six key hits in the last two games in Taiwan, he also was a vocal leader to the players who look up to him.

    Above are the incredible final records of the teams in Group A of the World Baseball Classic played in Taiwan. All five teams finished with 2-2 records but Cuba ended #1 as champion for this reason: Cuba barely lost a 4-2 first game to Paises Bajos/Netherlands and then barely lost 6-3 in ten innings to Italy, before blasting Panama 13-4 and Taiwan 7-1. Scoring that many runs and allowing that few runs has crowned Cuba the Champion in Group A of the World Baseball Classic. The WBC guarantees $300,000 to each of the 20 teams and each Group winner also gets more money to be divided among the players. Cuban players such as Third Baseman Yoan Moncada and Center Fielder Luis Robert Jr., who are being well paid by the Chicago White Sox, are giving their shares of WBC money to the rest of the Cuban team...and, presumbably, other Major League WBC players will do the same with their teams. The USA's WBC Center Fielder, Mike Trout, has a guaranteed $430 million contract with the LA Angels, so Mike -- who also is swamped with millions of endorsement dollars -- doesn't need his WBC money, and neither do many other players in this star-studded World Baseball Classic.

    This is Luis Robert Robles Jr. in his #88 WBC uniform for Cuba. As a star Major Leaguer for the Chicago White Sox, Luis and his teammate with both teams Yoan Moncada have been sharply criticized for playing for Team Cuba in the WBC. Luis responded to the U. S. media this way: "I dreamed of playing for Cuba. I left to play in the top echelon of baseball. But all the people I know in Cuba love baseball and are good people. They support me in the U. S. and I want them happy. I dreamed of playing for them in this Cuban uniform in the WBC." Born 25 years ago in Guantanamo, Cuba, Luis at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds is a very fast and powerful Center Fielder. When he joined the White Sox three years ago he was ranked the Top Major League Prospect in the world, just as Yoan Moncada also was. The informative Baseball Reference website reports that, in his three years in Chicago, Luis has been paid salaries of exactly $15.333 million dollars and he has, among lots of other toys, a multi-million-dollar mansion in Florida. But Major Leaguers like Luis only get the $40-or-so-million-dollars-a-year contracts when they reach Free Agency, when all 30 Major League teams can bid for them...including the obscenely rich teams such as the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, etc. And, while already a multi-millionaire, the young Luis has not reached his Free Agency stage yet. But, let it be known, that he is proud to be wearing his Cuban uniform in the World Baseball Classic.

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Cuba vs. Homestanding Taipi Tonight in WBC

 

   The Chicago White Sox's powerful switch-hitter Yoan Moncada and Team Cuba defeated a good Panama team in its third game in Pool A of the World Baseball Classic being played in faraway Taipi, Taiwan. Unfortuately, Cuba lost its first two games -- 4-2 to Netherlands and 6-3 in 10 innings to Italy.

     With a line-up led by two super talented Major League stars from the Chicago White Sox -- Third Baseman Yoan Moncada and Center Fielder Luis Robert Jr., Cuba was the favorite to win the 5-team Pool A in Taiwan but Moncada and Robert didn't get to practice with Team Cuba at all and their 14-hour flight to Taiwan landed just hours before Game One, perhaps causing Cuba's two close losses in the first two games. But the 13-4 win over a strong Panama team in Game Three revealed loudly that Moncada and Robert were no longer hampered by jet-lag.

    Tonight at 11 PM on the Fox Sports Television Network {FS2} in its 4th game in Taipi, Team Cuba will play the home team Taipi, which has a strong 2-1 record and is tied with Netherlands for first place in the standings.

    Cuba's starting pitcher tonight in Taipi again Taipi will be 33-year-old Havana-born right-hander Elian Leyva.

     While Cuba's baseball-loving fans root for Team Cuba, many Cubans are also rooting for Venezuela in the 20-nation World Baseball Classic. Above is Venezuela's line-up tonight against the Dominican Republic in Miami, a vital opening game. The DR entire line-up consists of Superstar Major League players but baseball fans can see {above} that Venezuela also is loaded with Superstar Major Leaguers, also with Venezuelan Major League players making guaranteed $300-$400 Million Dollar contracts in the United States. And, as you can see above, Venezuela's starting pitcher tonight will be Sandy Alcantara, the Cy Young Winner and the best pitcher in Major League Baseball in 2023. So Venezuela will be tough to beat although Japan, the Dominican Republic, and the USA are the Big Three favorites. Japan and the USA are also playing on their home turf. Japan is already 3-and-0 and many experts have predicted that Japan, playing in the Tokyo Dome, can win this year's star-studded World Baseball Classic when Superman Ortani and the other Japanese get to Miami. But the key game tonight is Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic; the USA tonight starting at 9 PM on the prime Fox Network has an EASY game against Great Britain.

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Cuba Flexed its Baseball Muscles Today in Taipei

 

    Today -- March 10th of 2023 -- these Cubans in Havana finally got something to cheer about!! All their lives they have been punished by history's longest and cruelest Embargo/Blokade ever imposed by a powerful nation -- the U. S. -- against a much smaller nation, Cuba. The U. S. legalized it in February of 1962 and it still exists to this day. In the meantime, baseball-loving Cubans have cheered their teams despite their hardships and just before daylight today...at 4 A. M...they were able to cheer Cuba's smashing 13-to-4 win over Panana in the World Baseball Classic in Taipei, which is 8,747 miles from Havana {And that's why the 13-4 victory over Panama ended almost at 4 A.M. this morning}.

    One of my favorite U. S. Major League players is Yoan Moncada, the talented switch-hitting Third Baseman for the Chicago White Sox. This morning live on the Fox Sports Newwork I watched Yoan perform as one of the best players on the planet. He is playing for Cuba in this 5th World Baseball Classic because, surprisingly, the U. S. eased the Embargo enough to allow Cuba to have some Major League players this year. Despite strong criticism from the powerful Counter-Revolutionary anti-Cuban fervor in the U. S. since 1959, Yoan had the courage to play for Cuba in the WBC.

    Another superstar for the Chicago White Sox -- young Center Fielder Luis Robert also had a great game in Taipei this morning in Cuba's 13-4 WBC win over a strong team from Panama. Like his Chicago teammate Yoan, Luis Robert had a great game against Panama today. And like Yoan, Luis is facing much criticisn in Social Media and in the mainstream U. S. media. But bravely and showing much more integrity than his critics, Luis said: "I respect everyone but my decision was to come and play for Cuba." Courageously, as shown above, he posted that quote to the media and in his social platforms. For sure, the infamous U. S. Embargo has hurt Luis Robert as it has hurt generations of Cubans in Cuba, but at age 25 he is being paid over $15 million U. S. dollars by the White Sox and he lives in a fabulous mansion in Florida. Luis respects baseball-loving Cubans on the island and he is proud they are celebrating today's 13-4 win over Panama in Taipei. But Cuba lost two close games to start its play in Taipei -- losing 4-2 to Netherlands and 6-3 in 10 innings to Italy. In both of those losses both Luis and Yoan played poorly -- perhaps for good reason. Because of restrictions, their 14-hour flight to Taipei didn't land until just before they suited up and played in the 4-2 loss to Netherlands. In the Panama game today, both Luis and Yoan played like well-rested Major League superstars with no jet-lag.

     Cuba's 4th WBC game in Taipei will be against Chinese Taipei at 11 PM Saturday and it will be televised live on Fox Sports 2. It will be played in a sold-out and very beautiful stadium in Chinese Taipei. And Chinese Taipei has a very strong team, and it beat Italy 11-to-7 today {March 10th}.

      The 2023 World Baseball Classic consists of 20 teams divided into 4 Pools. In Pool A the Netherlands is already 2-0 while Chinese Taipei and Italy are both 1-1 with Cuba and Panama now both 1-2. The two top teams in each Pool will advance to the Quarterfinals. The U. S. with superstars such as Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, etc., has an advantage of playing in Phoenix and Miami...but powerful Japan, which is a threat to anyone and is already 2-0, is playing in its own fabulous Tokyo Dome. For some reason, while Cuba will be playing its 4th game in faraway Taipei against strong Taipei Saturday night, the U. S. will be playing its first game Saturday night at 9 P. M. against weak Great Britain in Phoenix. In the quarterfinals the U. S. will play in Miami.

     The U. S. vs. Great Britain game Saturday night {9 P. M. on March 11th} will feature a U. S. line-up filled only with Superstar Major League players, as shown above. Great Britain, to put it mildly, will be totally over-matched. Yet the game will be televised live on the mighty Fox Network. Later the U. S. team will be challenged by pitching-rich Japan as well as teams such as the Dominican Republic and perhaps even Venezuela, which are other teams also loaded with Superstar Major League Players.

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Cuba is 0-and-2 in World Baseball Classic

 

     Baseball-loving Cubans were devastated recently when Cuba was uncompetitive in the Caribbean Series in Caracas. This week, however, they were buoyed by Cuba's chances to be very competitive in the 5th World Baseball Classic that runs until March 21st and includes teams from 20 nations. The WBC Classic this year includes team loaded with top-salaried Superstars such as Trout, Ortani, Soto, Betts, etc., etc. Even Cuba this time is allowed some of its Cuban-born Major League Superstars -- led by switch-hitting Third Baseman Yoan Moncada and Center Fielder Luis Robert. The 20 teams are divided into four pools of five teams each, with Cuba starting off as the favorite to win Pool A that is being televised from Taiwan. But after two games Cuba is winless and both Moncada and Robert have been weak links in a 4-2 loss to the Netherlands and today in a 6-3, 10-inning loss to Italy. In those two losses Moncada has been hitless while Robert has managed two useless hits; in the 4-2 loss to the Netherlands, for example, Robert struck-out his first three at bats and in the 8th he finally hit a double...and then got picked off second base by the catcher!!

       And so today -- on March 9th -- above are the records of the five teams in Pool A of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. After losing to the Netherlands 4-2 and then 6-3 to Italy in 10 innings today, Cuba's 0-2 record in Taiwan makes this an unhappy day for 11.2 Cubans on the island who deserve some good news.

       In its 3rd game in the World Baseball Classic tonight starting at 11:30 PM Eastern Time Cuba will play Panama. The Cuba vs. Panama game tonight will be televised live from Taiwan on Fox Sports 1 Network.

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Cuba Spotlighted in World Baseball Tonight

 

    Tonight -- March 7th-2023 -- the 20-nation, star-studded World Baseball Classic starts with Cuba taking on the Netherlands in a sold-out stadium in faraway Taiwan. The game starts at 11:00 PM tonight Eastern Time and it will be televised live by the Fox Sports Network. The Top 7 Ranked Teams {according to the legal gambling odds}, including Cuba, have high-priced Major League players in their line-ups. For example, the USA team has stars such as Mike Trout, who has a $430 million contract with the LA Angels; Japan has the next $500+ million player in Pitcher-Slugger Shohei Otani {when all the rich teams can bid for him when he becomess a Free Agent in 2024}, etc., etc. And the Dominican Republic also has a line-up crammed with a plethora of superstar players making in excess of $300 million. But this time, even Cuba is allowed to have Major League Stars in the 2023 World Baseball Classic starting tonight!! 

    In tonight's opening game in the World Baseball Classic in Taiwan, Team Cuba will have a competitive team and is a favorite over the Netherlands that also has Major League superstars such as shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Cuba, as shown above, has young players from the Cuban premier league but also has stars from the U. S., Japanese, and Mexican pro leagues. Two Chicago White Sox stars -- switch-hitting Third Baseman Yoan Moncada  and brilliant Center Fielder Luis Robert -- will headline the Cuban Batting Order tonight. Both Moncada and Robert are high-priced Stars for the Chicago White Sox and are in their prime; both of them had hand/finger injuries last season but are now healthy. Robert, for example, is 25-years-old and was born in Ciego de Avila; this year the White Sox are paying Luis Robert exactly $15,333,333.00 but when he reaches Free Agency he, uh, can expect a BIG contract. The World Baseball Classic runs from March 8th-21st and look for Moncada and Robert to be among the Top Hitters!!

      This is Yoan Moncada, the powerful swtich-hitting Third Baseman for the Chicago White Sox. You can watch Yoan and Team Cuba play the Netherlands to start the 20-nation, star-studded World Baseball Classic tonight in Taiwan. The game starts at 11:00 PM Eastern Time on the Fox Sports Television Network.

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Raul Castro Flies to Caracas

Remembering Hugo Chavez 

     The President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, posted this photo on his Twitter page today -- March 6th-2023. It shows him meeting in Caracas with Cuba's revolutionary icon Raul Castro who is now 91-years-old but in good health.

     Cuba is memorializing the life of Hugo Chavez, the powerful leader of Venezuela until he died of cancer on March 5th, 2013. Till his death Hugo Chavez had been Revolutionary Cuba's best and most important friend.

      This photo of the three Castro brothers was taken in 1940 in Santiago de Cuba near their birthplace in Biran, Cuba, and near the foothills of the Sierra Maestra Mountains where the Cuban Revolution started on July 26th of 1953 when Fidel and Raul led the ill-fated attack on Batista's Moncada Army Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. The three Castro brothers all lived into their 90s but at age 91 Raul is the only one still alive.

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