Cuba Delays World Baseball Classic Roster Reveal

Havana, Jan 23 (RHC) Contrary to what has been reported in recent days, the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) decided today to postpone the announcement of its 30 selected athletes to face the upcoming V World Classic of the discipline.

In a message on its official Twitter account, the FCB wrote: “Pending a query linked to an MLB (United States Major League) player of interest to the technical group, we have decided to postpone the announcement until Wednesday the 25th. from Cuba to the Classic”.

It is worth specifying that the organization planned to reveal the list tomorrow in a television program that will be broadcast live from 7:00 p.m. local time, a detail that reveals the collective interest on the way to the fight scheduled from March 8 to 21.

Likewise, the entity reported that on Thursday it will announce the reinforcements of the Farmers team to compete in the 65th edition of the Caribbean Series, from February 2 to 10 in Venezuela.

Under the guidance of manager Armando Johnson and an expanded coaching staff, which includes illustrious figures of yesterday, part of the country’s preselection has been training at the Latin American stadium, in this capital, since January 16, although with notable absences.

No MLB Player Will be Able to Join The Classified Teams

It happens that no MLB player will be able to join the classified teams before March 3 -by order of the organizers of the program-, and the largest of the Antilles will have to wait to gather men like Andy Ibáñez (Detroit Tigers), Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Moirán, both of the Chicago White Sox.

Due to the tensions generated by visa procedures, the Caribbean territory will announce its roster in advance, because the deadline to deliver the list is February 7.

It is worth noting that Cuba is in bracket A and will face the Netherlands, Italy, Panama and Chinese Taipei, in that order, at the Taichung Intercontinental Stadium, one of the four venues for the first round of the contest.

Presumably, the team will fly on February 10 to train in Japan and challenge the main teams of Chunichi Dragons (day 19), Yomiuri Giants (22) and SoftBank Falcons (23), while in Taipei they will have other friendly duels .

For the first time in the history of the tournament that emerged in 2006, a total of 20 teams will compete and the format will be three stages in four different cities: Miami (United States), Phoenix (United States), Tokyo (Japan) and Taichung. .

In segment B, the Czech Republic, two-time champion Japan, South Korea, Australia and China will compete; while the C is integrated by the current monarch United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Colombia and Canada.

Cataloged by specialists as the “group of death”, the D exhibits the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Israel and Nicaragua, with the first three mentioned full of players inserted in the MLB.

This article is originally published on radiohc.cu