Viva Cuba!

[Stu]

Not sure if anyone watched the Cuba-Puerto Rico game last night, but it was high drama. Rain, beanballs, home runs, ejections, political overtones, a Willis Reed moment by Carlos Delgado -- the game lasted 4 hours. I was there and it was a joy to watch the Cuban team play, even though they beat my team.

 

For those of you who are not sold on the WBC, you should have been in San Juan. Hiram Bithorn stadium was the loudest, most electric atmosphere I have ever witnesses, and my experience includes Who concerts.

 

Cuba is a really fun team to watch -- they hit and run, they work the count, the don't make errors, the move the runners over, hit the cutoff men, run the bases intelligently and it seems like their pitchers rarely hit 90 on the gun. I am rooting for them to win it all -- I know it's a long shot, but there is something so nice about a team full of young guys playing for $65 a month beating major leagers. Most of Cuba's roster is made up of kids 19-23 or so.

 

I highly recommend you watch the DR-Cuba game on Saturday.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I wonder how much MLB is suffering by not having the luxury of pulling in Cuba's best over the years, defections aside. Imagine if we had no players from the DR.

[UMFan83]

Yes, get the Cubans to the USA...that's when all the fun begins ;)

[soccer10k]

I wonder how much MLB is suffering by not having the luxury of pulling in Cuba's best over the years, defections aside. Imagine if we had no players from the DR.

 

That's a good point.

[Laura]

Deadspin has a great take on the game last night.

 

But the best has to be Cuban manager Higinio Velez. He was thrown out of the game last night, which was incredible to watch, considering he was talking through his interpreter (a heavy-set, obviously beleaguered woman). Velez said something to the umpire that caused him to toss him, but we couldn’t figure out; did the interpreter say it? Did the ump know what it was? How bizarre is it for a manager to come out to yell at the ump, bring his stout translator with him and then get run up? It was awesome. We’d never seen that before. We love the WBC.

[Soul]

Good for them.

 

Now hopefully they knock the USA out before another one of our players goes down with injury.

[Brian]

Now hopefully they knock the USA out before another one of our players goes down with injury.

 

If Cuba knocks out the US it will be in the Championship game, so you might as well hope for the US to win (unless you're a terrorist ;)).

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Now hopefully they knock the USA out before another one of our players goes down with injury.

 

If Cuba knocks out the US it will be in the Championship game, so you might as well hope for the US to win (unless you're a terrorist ;)).

 

Or Canadian.

[Stu]

Deadspin has a great take on the game last night.

 

But the best has to be Cuban manager Higinio Velez. He was thrown out of the game last night, which was incredible to watch, considering he was talking through his interpreter (a heavy-set, obviously beleaguered woman). Velez said something to the umpire that caused him to toss him, but we couldn’t figure out; did the interpreter say it? Did the ump know what it was? How bizarre is it for a manager to come out to yell at the ump, bring his stout translator with him and then get run up? It was awesome. We’d never seen that before. We love the WBC.

 

That was hysterical. As soon as she ran out there, I told my father in law, "Can you imagine being a translater for one of those arguments." I can just see: "El dice que tu estas ciego" "Well, he says you're a jerk.... " and on an on. She was throwing in all the body language as well. I was cracking up. It was yet another wonderful bizzare moment in the most memorable baseball game I have ever attended.

[Derwood]

My wife's family is probably psyched (her mom is a native Cuban)

[goonys evil twin]

http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2371083&name=FPT-2371083-031617&srvc=sz

 

 

Cuba wants to host and have games every 2 years. When Fidel dies, if they open up their country, there should be a MLB team in the PR and Cuba. I'd make that road trip every year.

[Derwood]

http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2371083&name=FPT-2371083-031617&srvc=sz

 

 

Cuba wants to host and have games every 2 years. When Fidel dies, if they open up their country, there should be a MLB team in the PR and Cuba. I'd make that road trip every year.

 

Too bad Fidel has about 30 sons....