Miami Ends Cuba's WBC Hopes

    Last night -- March 19th-2023 -- the 2023 World Baseball Classic ended for Cuba in hostile Miami, of all places, against the hostile United States team that is comprised at every one of the 9 positions by the highest-paid baseball players in history. Yet the highlights for Cuba included the fact that the U. S. permitted Cuba to play at all and to even have a couple of U. S. Major League Cuban superstars. Also, the highlights will attest that Cuba was the surprise of the 20-nation 2023 WBC because the island nation won the 5-team Pool A in Taiwan, then survived the quarter-finals in Japan, and then at least showed up in Miami to face the United States multi-millionaries in the WBC semi-finals!!!

     If you study the two scoreboard photos above from last night's WBC semi-final in Miami, you will see that Cuba in the top of the First Inning led 1-0 and still had the bases loaded with no one out!! But, alas!!, please note that the final score of the game revealed that poor little Cuba had been blasted 14-2 as the multi-millionaries for the United States celebrated in Miami.

    This photo shows the surprising Team Cuba ending its blow-out 14-2 loss to Team USA in Miami last night.

     This is Carlos Lazo, the Cuban-born professor from Seattle, shown on July 7, 2021 when he walked from Miami to Washington to beg the Biden administration to end the Embargo/Blockade of Cuba. Earlier he had ridden his bicycle the 3,000 miles from Seattle to Washington to beg the Trump administration to end the Embargo/Blockade against Cuba. While ignored by the mainstream U. S. media because he is obsessed with helping Cuban families on the island, including his own mother, Carlos has founded the Bridges of Love foundation that flies medicines and food to Cuba, prompting Miami's U. S. Senator Marco Rubio to ask the FBI to check on Carlos. Today -- March 20th-2023 -- Carlos used his Facebook page to lambast the mainstream U. S. media for its ageless and extremely biased coverage of  what Carlos, and a few billion other people, think about the USA's six-decade-old Embargo/Blockade of Cuba's baseball-loving families:

     This is the Facebook post today by Carlos Lazo, the Seattle professor who leads the strong Cuban-American outrage in the U. S. by a strong contingent of Cuban-Americans, the contingent that the mainstream U. S. media ignores. Carlos read the blazing headlines in the Miami Herald, USA Today, New York Times, etc. damning Team Cuba before it played Team USA in Miami in the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic. Yet, as shown above, today Carlos Lazo used his Social Media platforms to say: "We won! You might think that the results of the game gave Team USA the undisputed victory. But the results of this match surpass the final result. We won! Even before the game, we had already won....We won because despite the pressure, the hatred, the media manipulation..."

   This was Team Cuba/Team Asere relaxing in Miami before its WBC semi-final contest vs. the United States. "Asere" means "friend" or "buddy." Yes. Despite losing 14-to-2 to the U. S. in Miami Sunday night, Team Cuba won. It won because it SHOWED UP TO PLAY the best it could.

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Cuba vs. USA in WBC Semi-Finals Tonight in Little Havana!!

 U. S. Media Promotes Violence for Cuba!!

    This is Yoan Moncada, the powerful 27-year-old switch-hittingThird Baseman for the Chicago White Sox and for Team Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The heralded event started with the world's top 20 Baseball nations and it now is down to just four nations alive in the Semi-Finals -- Cuba, USA, Mexico,and Japan. It is being played at the sold-old Major League Stadium in Miami. Yoan Moncada very bravely and proudly chose to play for Cuba. He flew 14-hours to Taiwan to help Cuba win the 5-team WBC Pool A round, and then flew to Tokyo to help Cuba win in its WBC Quarterfinals game. Then he flew to Miami because Cuba, thanks to him, was the first of the 20 teams to make the WBC semi-finals. The photo below shows Yoan Moncada bravely arriving at the Miami airport.

 Tonight in Miami's sold-out Major League stadium and a massive live television audience, Team Cuba plays the mighty, ultra-paid Team USA that has ultra-priced Major League superstars at every position. But saddest of all for the Cuban players, especially Yoan Moncada, much of the gutless mainstream U. S. media is reporting and seeminly promoting violence in Maimi tonight for the Cuban players. See below and judge for yourself.

     As a part of their typical disgrace to journalism, as you can see above, today the Miami Herald, NBC , USA Today, etc., have joined other propaganda dispencers to predict or promote violence in Miami tonight -- March 19th-2023 -- for Cuban players brave enought to play a great USA team in Miami/Little Havana in the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic.

    Today -- March 19-2023 -- above is the blazing Headline and Sub-Headline in the famed but propaganda-riddled New York Times.

     The highly regarded Armando Johnson is the Manager of Team Cuba that plays Team USA tonight in Miami in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The photo above shows Armando and one of his star players asking media questions today in Miami. Armando has said repeatedly, "We just play baseball the best we can. We don't ever try to hurt anyone." Of course, all decent Americans and Cuban-Americans hope that Armando and his players are not hurt in Miami tonight. They deserve to be treated with respect and with dignity.

    This photo was posted on Facebook today. These children in Havana will root for Team Cuba tonight in the semi-final game of the World Baseball Classic against Team USA. These children also need to be respected with dignity by Miami, USA.

Brave Cuban players in Miami tonight.

    Domingo {Sunday} night in Miami tonight, Team USA, literally the richest team that money can buy, will defeat Team Cuba. But the hope is that Team USA will do it with dignity and respect.

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Cuba, Mexico, and Japan in the WBC Semi-Finals

 With Either the U. S. or Venezuela!!

    The 20-Nation World Baseball Classic features the highest-paid players in the History of Baseball. The 20 teams were placed in four Pools of 5 teams each. As of today -- Saturday, March 18th-2023 -- the WBC Semi-Finals consist of Cuba, Mexico, Japan and the winner of tonight's game in Miami pitting the USA against Venezuela. Above you see the All-Star Team After Games in Pools A-B-C-and-D have been played. As you see above the All-Stars include Randy Arozarena of Mexico and Yoan Moncada of Cuba. Those two U. S. Major League Superstars are why Mexico and Cuba have shocked the WBC World by reaching the WBC Semi-Finals in Miami...with Cuba having had to win Pool A play in Taiwan and then winning its Quarter-final game in Tokyo. Cuba is in the semi-finals because of 27-year-old Yoan Moncada, the Superstar switch-hitting Third Baseman for the Chicago White Sox. And Mexico is in the semi-finals because of Randy Arozarena, the young Superstar outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays.

      Led by the great Randy Arozarena, Mexico last night upset Superstars such as Francisco Lindor and Puerto Rico 5-4 in Miami. That propelled Mexico in the WBC semi-finals at 7 PM on Monday, March 20th against Japan.

     The great Mexican hero Randy Arozarena was born in Cuba, is a young Major League Superstar with the Tampa Bay Rays, and somehow is playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. He is the reason Mexico is playing Japan in the WBC semi-fianls on Monday night in Miami. Of course, Arozarena was also eligible to play for either Cuba or the USA in the WBC.

     But let it be known that the Chicago White Sox switch-hitting Yoan Moncada is the reason little Cuba will play either the USA or Venezuela in the WBC Semi-Finals in Miami on Sunday night March 19th.

    This is the line-up that the U. S. can use against Venezuela tonight starting at 7 PM in Miami. Everyone of these U. S. players is a Major League Superstar and this line-up includes the highest-paid baseball players in history, such as Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, etc. If the U. S. beats Venezuela tonight in Miami, the U. S. will play Cuba in the WBC semi-finals at 7 PM tomorrow night -- Sunday, March 19th!! And in Little Havana-Miami tomorrow night, the Cuban players will be loudly booed by a sell-out crowd...just for showing up to play the Super-Star USA Team of Super-Star Venezuela in Miami.

     But, of course, Team Venezuela also has a Superstar Lineup to face Team USA tonight in Miami, led by lead-off batter Jose Altuve who has won multiple Batting Titles playing for the World Champion Houston Astros. And baseball fans can look at the Venequela line-up above and understand that this team can beat Team USA tonight in Miami.

     So now Japan plays Mexico in one WBC semi-final game in Miami at 7 PM Monday night, March 20th. And Cuba plays either the USA or Venezuela in the other WBC semi-final in Miami at 7 PM Sunday night, March 19th. I still think Shohei Ohtani and Japan will beat Mexico in the semi-finals Monday night and then Tuesday night in Miami win the Championship game against either the USA, Venezuela or Cuba. As an incomparable pitcher and hitter, Shohei Ohtani is the most famous and most incomparable baseball player in the world. After this season he will be a Free Agent and it is likely the LA Angels will lose him to a richer team that will offer Ohtani at least a half-billion-dollar contract. But Japan in the WBC has other Superstar players other than just Shohei Ohtani.

    But one of the BIG stories in the 2023 20-nation World Baseball Classic is the fact that Yoan Moncada and Team Cuba have made it to the Semi-Finals and will play either the USA or Venezuela tomorrow night...Sunday, March 19th...in Miami. Win or lose...that is BIG NEWS!!

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Cuba FIRST WBC TEAM TO MAKE SEMI-FINALS IN MIAMI!!

 

    This was Team Cuba back on Tuesday right after beating Australia in the Tokyo Dome, making Team Cuba the first team in the star-studded, 20-nation World Baseball Classic to reach the Semi-Finals!! These running guys got to Tokyo by winning the 5-team Pool A in faraway Taiwan. After becoming the first team to make the semi-finals on Tuesday, Team Cuba got five full days to celebrate from Tokyo to Miami because the first semi-final game for Team Cuba is not until 7 PM Eastern Time Sunday night against, believe it or not, either the United States or Venezuela...either Cuba's bitter enemy or its sweet ally. Of course, both the U. S. and Venezuela are loaded with Superstars from the U. S. Major Leagues.

     This graphic uses the Cuban flag to show that Team Cuba was indeed the first of the 20 nations to make the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic.

     There is one vital WBC game tonight in Miami: Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. The U.S. Today photo above shows the New York Mets' Superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor leading Puerto Rico to a smashing upset over the Dominican Republic, which was considered unbeatable by many experts. So the DR is eliminated and Puerto Rico can make the semi-finals against Japan if it beats Mexico tonight.

     But Mexico against Puerto Rico tonight is also a powerful team, and Mexico shocked the WBC with its wins over both the U. S. and the Dominican Republic. And Mexico is led by Cuban-born Randy Arozarena, the Superstar young slugger for the Tampa Bay Rays. Randy is among the many top Major League Cuban plays that opted not to play for Team Cuba...and he did so bad-mouthing Cuba.

    But 27-year-old Yoan Moncada, the great switch-hitting Third Baseman for the Chicago White Sox, very bravely and proudly chose to play for Team Cuba. And that decision is why Team Cuba was the first team to make the WBS Semi-Finals where Cuba will play either the U. S. or Venezuela Sunday night in Miami. And Yoan is not afraid to play the huge game in Little Havana, Miami on Sunday night.

    The Center Fielder for the Chicago White Sox and for Team Cuba is the talented, brave, and proud 25-year-old Luis Robert. When he was criticized for playing for Team Cuba, Luis told the media and social media, "I dreamed of playing for Cuba again."

    While the experts picked either the U. S. or the Dominican Republic to win the 2023 World Baseball Classic, I have picked Japan...and not just because of Shohei Ohtani, the Superman pitcher and hitter leading Team Japan. Japan has a Major League that is close to being as good as the U. S. Major Leagues...and the great Ohtani has a lot of help. With Ohtani having massive pitching and hitting stats, Japan is the only unbeaten of the 20-teams at 5-and-0. Japan next plays Monday night {March 20th} in the semi-finals in Miami against either the winner of tonight's game between Puerto Rico and Mexico.

     The mighty United States plays mighty Venezuela in the semi-finals of the WBC in Miami at 7:00 PM Saturday night, March 18th. The U. S. is led by Mike Trout, the highest paid baseball  player in history, and the U. S. has other almost-as-rich Major League Superstars. Venezuela is led by Batting Champion Jose Altuve and other super-rich Major League superstars. Despite having a Major League superstar at every position, the U. S. has lost to Mexico and barely, in its last game, won 3-2 against Colombia, a team that had lost to both Great Britain and Canada.

     Venezuela is surely the underdog against the U. S. Saturday night but the graphic above tells me the game should be rated even. When he is healthy, Salvador Perez is the best all-around catcher on the planet, and his MVP award for leading Venezuela to the title in Pool D of the WBC tells me he is healthy leading up to Saturday night's showdown in Miami against the United States. But leading into the WBC it was well known that Venezuela, the U. S., the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico were all loaded with Major League superstars...and yet many people agree with me that Japan should have been listed as the favortie from the outset.

    While Third Baseman Yoan Moncada is the prime reason that Team Cuba was/is the first team to reach the semi-finals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, there are other reasons, of course. For example, Team Cuba has four Cuban-born pitchers from the Japanese Major Leagues that have looked sharp in both Taiwan and Tokyo, and I imagine on Sunday night in Miami we will see all four of them pitch against either the U. S. or Venezuela.

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CUBA HEADS TO MIAMI FOR SEMI-FINALS OF WBC

       The seven photos above chronicle today -- March 15th-2023 -- as one of the Greatest Days in the storied history of Cuba Baseball. You see the very last pitch getting ready to end a 4-to-3 victory over Australia in the Tokyo Dome, which occurred at about 9:30 A. M. Eastern Time this morning. The talented and gritty Cuban players had won the 5-team Pool A in faraway Taiwan and today survived the Quarterfinals of the start-studded 20-nation 2023 World Baseball Classic in faraway Japan. Now Team Cuba flies, of all places, to nearby Miami as one of the four Semi-Finalists in the international event where teams from Japan, U. S., Dominican Republic, and Venezuela literally have line-ups loaded with the highest-priced baseball players in the history of the planet -- names such as Ortani, Betts, Trout, , Soto, etc., etc., etc. But let it known...this talented Cuban Team was not scared in Taiwan or in Japan and it will not be scared in the shadows of Little Havana in Miami. This Cuban Team is led by 27-year-old Superstar Yoan Moncada, the Third Baseman for the Chicago White and Cuba. His guts for fighting for his chance to play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic tells you all you need to know about #10 Yoan Moncada.

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Team Cuba is in the WBC Spotlight in Japan!!

With Cuba Anxious & Excited!!

    The magnificent Tokyo Dome is one of Japan's greatest treasures and it has hosted World Baseball Classic games in all five years of its existence -- 2006, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2023. The baseball-loving Japanese are currently hosting the most star-studded WBC in history with a plethora of Major League Superstars that include Japan's unique icon and Babe Ruth-like Hitter-Pitcher named Shohei Ortani. Tomorrow at 6:00 A. M. Eastern Time the Tokyo Dome will host Team Cuba vs. Team Australia to start the Quarterfinals of the 2023 World Classic. Team Japan, of course, easily won its four games in the 5-team WBC Pool B. Japan has Major League teams rated almost as good as the U. S. Major League teams, and Japan in the 2023 WBC also has some top U. S. Major League superstars, including the incomparable Shohei Ortani who is in his prime and the most acclaimed baseball player on the planet. But Team Australia, which gave Japan its closest game in Pool B and then the Aussies easily won their other games to make them the big favorites over Team Cuba to start the Quarterfinals tomorrow -- March 15th-2023 -- in the Tokyo Dome. But Team Cuba earned its trip to Japan by winning the 5-team WBC Pool A that was played in a raucus new stadium in faraway Taipei, Taiwan.

    Baseball-loving Cubans should read this huge article today in The Japan Times about tomorrow's WBC Quarterfinal game between Australia and Cuba in the Tokyo Dome. The article predicts Australia will beat Cuba!!!!

     Also, as shown above, The Japan Times seems to be rooting for Australia against Cuba in tomorrow's big Quarterfinal WBC game in the Tokyo Dome.

     And, as shown above, The Japan Times today explains that Australia's baseball scouts have compiled a minute update on Cuba's WBC team...but, of course, Cuba has also compiled a top scouting report on the Australian team.

      Every team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic that plays Cuba has to be most concerned with containing Yuan Moncada and Luis Robert, two young Major League superstars.

      Cuba won the WBC Pool A competition in Taiwan because Yuan Moncada, #10, and Luis Robert, #88, both proudly and bravely begged their Major League team, the Chicago White Sox, so they could play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. Yuan is a powerful 27-year-old switch-hitting Third Baseman and Luis is a 25-year-old powerful Center Fielder. They are the reason Cuba is playing Australia tomorrow to start the Quarterfinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic in the Tokyo Dome. The game starts at 6:00 A. M. Eastern Time and will be televised by the Fox Sports Network {FS2}.

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