News about Cuban baseball

Santiago de Cuba takes first position in baseball in Cuba.

February 5, 2022

Baseball in CubaSent by: Baseball In Cuba
Source: http://www.prensa-latina.cu

Adriel Labrada's Grand Slam today guided Santiago de Cuba's 5-0 victory over Cienfuegos , taking first place in the 61st edition of the National Baseball Series .

The third baseman and fourth bat from Santiago, Labrada, hit his third home run in the campaign and the first with the bases loaded off of the defeated Cienfuegos starter Luis Serpa. Santiago won for the 7th time in 9 games.

From the box, right-hander Danny Betancourt added his second win of the campaign and his 148th lifetime, working six and two-thirds innings without allowing runs, allowing just three hits, giving away four walks and striking out two opponents.

In addition to the homer by Labrada, left fielder Ariel Benavides (3-2), right fielder Yaicel Pérez (5-2) and shortstop Marcos Fonseca (4-2) stood out at bat for the Santiago team, authors of two hits each.

The victory of the Wasps of Santiago de Cuba in their Guillermón Moncada home was combined with the setback of Mayabaque (6-2) in their visit to Holguín (3-6), to lead the league for the moment and has three wins in a row .

Precisely, at the Calixto García stadium in Holguín, the pitching duo of Luis Ángel Gómez (7-INN, 3-H, 1-BB, 3-K) and Yusmel Velázquez (2-INN, 0-H, 0-BB , 3-K) blanked Mayabeque 3-0, who could only connect three hits.

The Tigres de Ciego de Ávila (6-3) broke the streak of five consecutive wins of the Isla de la Juventud (5-4) and won 7-3, supported by Osvaldo Vázquez (3-3, 1- 2B, 1-HR, 2-RBI, 1-CA) and pitching work by right-hander Yander Guevarra (7.1-INN, 6-H, 2-CL, 1-BB, 1-K).

At Julio Antonio Mella, the locals (4-5) added their second successive victory, this time by beating Artemisa (3-5) 7-3 thanks to an offensive of 12 hits, including the home runs of Yosvani Alarcón and catcher Rafael Viñales.

The Saturday program was completed by the triumph of Camagüey (2-7) 7-5 against Pinar del Río (5-4) and Guantánamo (3-6) 9-5 against Villa Clara (4-4).

Tomorrow these same teams will continue in addition to the clash between Matanzas and Granma in the Martyrs of Barbados, who did not play today.

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Summer Koshien: Dreams are made, crushed

2022 Japanese High School Baseball Championship will begin on

Saturday, August 6

and ends on

Monday, August 22

By Michael Clair@michaelsclair

August 26, 2021

The players, some not old enough to shave, crouch down in the infield, their uniforms and faces stained with sweat and mud. They hunch over, scooping the volcanic Koshien Stadium dirt into sacks to take home, to remember this moment, this loss, this brush with greatness. The cameras are sure to catch it all, the tears running down the boys' faces, the pain evident as the dreams they've had their whole life have been crushed.

The Summer Koshien is not merely Japan's premier national high school baseball tournament: It is a countrywide cultural event.

In the pre-Covid times, fans would fill the ballpark, cheerleaders and supporters from the local prefectures would be there in support, singing and shouting throughout the game, and nearly every TV across the country is tuned in. The only way to describe it is if March Madness was mixed with the Super Bowl -- and it all took place in one blistering hot stadium across two weeks in August every summer.

“Of course, kids watch the pro game," Twins starter Kenta Maeda said during the 100th Koshien tournament in 2018, "but it’s Koshien they aspire to."

This is where a new hero will be crowned, a new legend made, but for most, it's where their baseball career ends.

"I associate the U.S. with loving winners, and I think in Japan, we care more about how how they lose," Ema Ryan Yamazaki, the director of "Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams," said in a recent Zoom call.

(While it is mostly known as the Summer Koshien, separating it from the invitational Spring Koshien tournament, when one says "the Koshien," most will assume you're referring to the larger, more famous summer tournament.)

"Even the broadcast, as soon as the game's over, they will cut to the losing team, [who are] weeping and they scrape the dirt off of the ground to take home. [They focus on the loser] more than the winner -- because the winner we'll see again in the next game," Yamazaki said. "We feel so much for the losing team and the beauty of how they've lost. ... I think it just matches the sensibilities of what Japanese people appreciate in watching sports."



While the fans may feel a deep connection with those who lose, the players themselves leave everything out on the field for a chance to win. Ace pitchers take the mound in nearly every game, and every pitch is treated like it's life or death. Turn a game on for just a few innings -- available to stream here -- and you'll see it in action.

"Usually, the batter will dive headfirst into first base, even though he's out, to show how hard he's trying," journalist and author Robert Whiting said. His new book, "Tokyo Junkie," is a look back at his 60-year career covering the country, the sport and its connections to Japanese culture. "And then the cheering sections are really interesting. Each school has its own cheering section that they brought and they're very well organized. They really get emotional about these games."

"Koshien is a page of history," former Tokyo Giants infielder Shigeo Nagashima said in Whiting's iconic book on Japanese baseball, "You Gotta Have Wa." "It burns somewhere inside every man's heart. I never made it there, and I always feel that it was an opportunity lost. I always think, what if ..."



Daisuke Matsuzaka

Koshien Lore ... Matsuzaka's no-hitter (1998)

Long before Daisuke Matsuzaka joined the Red Sox, he became famous for a legendary performance with Yokohama in the Summer Koshien.

He threw an astonishing 250 pitches in 17 innings to defeat the powerful PL Gakuen in the quarterfinals.

The next day, he was called on to pitch the top of the ninth as Yokohama came back from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Meitoku Gijuku.

He saved his best for last.

I had used every last bit of energy, and didn’t have enough left to even celebrate.

The night before the final against Kyoto Seisho, Matsuzaka's mentor and former sporting director at Yokohama High School, Kyoichiro Ogura, told him, “You walk too many batters so a perfect game is out of reach. If you pitch a no-hitter tomorrow, I’ll let you eat all the Yakiniku [Japanese-style BBQ] you want.”

Apparently, that was enough of a reward. Matsuzaka threw a complete game no-hitter as Yokohama won, 3-0, and Matsuzaka -- given the honorific "Monster" for his Koshien performance -- became just the second pitcher in the tournament's history to accomplish the feat.

“I had used every last bit of energy, and didn’t have enough left to even celebrate," Matsuzaka wrote in an email to the New York Times in 2007.



The tournament began in 1915, 21 years before the first professional baseball game in Japan. Since then, it's been held every year -- being canceled only for World War II and last year because of the pandemic. Heartbroken seniors who missed their chance to compete on the grand stage were instead mailed keychains containing dirt from the stadium to atone for what they lost.

Like with America's college sports conference tournaments or England's FA Cup, some 4,000-plus teams across the country first battle in their prefectures for the right to become one of the 49 selected to go to the prized tournament that every player and coach dreams about.

The roots of Koshien and the attitudes that surround it go back to the earliest days of Japanese baseball.

"The Japanese adopted baseball in 1873. And by the turn of the century, their high schools and colleges had grafted the philosophy of the martial arts onto baseball, meaning endless training, total dedication. Instead of it being a spring and summer sport, you had to play all year from New Year's to Christmas," Whiting said.

"The whole idea of self sacrifice, group cooperation, total obedience and development of spirit," Whiting added. "And that's what all the foreign sports that they adopted, they grafted this same philosophy on it. You can see the same thing in the school system, in the corporate world, entertainment world, Sumo world, the actual world, that same dynamic that came from martial arts, from the samurai ethic."

This attitude is still prevalent today. The players all live together in team dormitories and they stay there year-round, perhaps getting New Year's off. Most teams require the players to shave their heads to show their commitment to the team over themselves. The players are rarely given positive feedback, with coaches instead calling out a player's mistakes in front of everyone. In Yamazaki's documentary, Yokohama Hayato manager Tetsuya Mizutani makes one player eat extra rice every day to get his weight up, proving his dedication and getting him in line with his expectations.

"I thought I knew high school baseball having watched it growing up," Yamazaki said. "I was expecting it to be quite an extreme part of Japanese culture, because of the shaved heads and it's very intense, people are training every day. But I guess I just didn't realize the depth of that; how it is every day for many, many hours a day."

"There's this famous manager, Tobita Chujun, who managed Waseda in the 1920s, who said, 'A manager has to love his players, but treat them as cruelly as possible. Only then can they succeed. It's only when a player's laying on the ground, foam coming out of his mouth, that you know he's practiced hard enough,'" Whiting said. "They had these drills called the 1,000 fungo drill, where you're fielding ground balls for two, three hours, until you collapse from exhaustion. And this was not a fielding drill. It wasn't a conditioning drill. It's a drill to hone your fighting spirit, the idea that you reach your limits, and try to exceed them, that makes you better and somehow gives you a stronger spirit."



Yuki Saito

Koshien Lore ... 'The Handkerchief Prince' (2006) Yuki Saito

There was Yuki Saito, the ace pitcher for Waseda Jitsugyo High, taking the mound against two-time reigning champion Komazawa University Tomakomai High School and their ace, former Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. While Tanaka's club was the powerhouse, many in the country had fallen in love with Saito. Saito had thrown six complete games in the tournament and his habit of wiping his face with a blue handkerchief earned him the nickname, "The Handkerchief Prince."

The final feels more like a folk tale. Each pitcher tossed 15 innings and allowed only one run, requiring a rematch scheduled for the next day.

Saito would not let anyone else take the mound.

"After throwing 15 innings in the first game, I was already committed to throwing the next one," Saito told MLB.com. "When our manager asked if I could do it, I was thinking 'Of course.' I did feel fatigued, but I knew the memory wouldn’t last if I didn’t throw in that second game. Looking back, I now understand the magnitude of that game, but in that moment, it didn’t feel like I was doing anything special."

With Komadai Tomakomai going with their second starter, Waseda took the early lead. So, in the third inning, Tanaka was called back in to pitch. From there, the two aces matched each other nearly pitch for pitch.

And then, with two outs in the ninth inning and Waseda up, 4-3, Tanaka came to bat. It was truly do or die.

"I was thinking strikeout from the very beginning and started my sequence with that intent," Saito said. "I was able to use my slider to get ahead, but found myself tighten up once [Tanaka] started to work the count. He was someone we had to be careful with because of his ability to hit the ball out of the park."

"I get asked if I was swinging for a home run that last at-bat, and the answer is 'No,'" Tanaka recently said on his YouTube page. "I was trying to give my best swing, a swing I wouldn’t regret as my last at the Koshien."

On a 1-2 count, Saito reared back. He fired a fastball, up and outside. Tanaka swung and missed. Waseda were champions.

"That last pitch, I threw hoping I could finish the game with a whiff for strike three," Saito remembered. "I thought the adrenaline rush and atmosphere in the ballpark could help me mash out 150 kmh (93.2mph) which would have been a personal best, but I didn’t get that perfect ending. Still, I burst with joy the moment I closed the game out with that K."



The regional aspect of the competition is one reason Koshien resonates so strongly. Fans will cheer for their high school if they are one of the lucky few to have reached the tournament, but if not, they'll root for the one closest to their prefecture. When that team loses, they'll often pick the next closest team that is still playing.

"Japan is -- especially from the outside -- known as this monolithic country," Yamazaki said. "But of course, like in every culture, there's nuances and regional flavor. And I think high school baseball brings that out."

Whiting agrees.

"You have everybody from the governor of the prefecture on down to your next door neighbor rooting for you in this tournament," Whiting said. "And these busloads of supporters go into Koshien and they have their own regional customs and regional food that they sell in the concession stands downstairs. And it's the only chance there is for your hometown, your home prefecture, to shine on a national stage."

The timing of the tournament works in its favor, too. Koshien is held at the same time as Obon, a Japanese holiday that honors one's ancestors. It's a time when Japanese companies traditionally close, allowing people to travel to see their families and visit their hometowns.

"I think the fact that Koshien coincides with Obon [means] people have more time," Yamazaki said. "Of course, there's always people who never make it home who are in the big cities trying to live vicariously through watching Koshien, wishing they were home as well."

August is also the anniversary of Japan's tragedies, with the anniversary of the end of World War II coming the day before Obon on Aug. 14. The popularity of the tournament and the shared experience amongst so many people in the country makes it all the more important.

"There's also the dates of the two atomic bombs that fell in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, all during this period," Yamazaki said. "So, there's often moments of silence at the Koshien games, which I think is why we associate this kind of nostalgia as well, marking those things through this tournament. It's not fully intentional, but over the years, I think people subconsciously or not, associate it with that."



Yusei Kikuchi

Koshien Lore ... Yusei Kikuchi is taken out (2009)

The 2009 Summer Koshien meant everything for the current Mariners starter. Not only was his school, Hanamaki Higashi (the same school that Shohei Ohtani attended), playing in the tournament, but all eyes were on the southpaw as there was a chance he would opt to forgo the Japanese professional circuit and come to the Majors instead. At least, that was what the reports in the New York Times were saying.

But that wasn't on Kikuchi's mind.

"When I was in high school, winning the Koshien was my only dream and goal at the time," Kikuchi recently said through his interpreter Kevin Ando. "I wasn't really thinking of playing in pro ball or anything like that. It was just win the championship."

He had topped out at an impressive 96 mph and had pitched three complete games already -- throwing nearly 400 pitches in just nine days. That workload led to what was thought to be a back injury, but was later revealed to be a broken rib. Still, there was no thought of not pitching in the final. So, Kikuchi took the mound.

But after struggling in his start, his manager, Hiroshi Sasaki, pulled him from the game early. It was a shocking decision: In the biggest game of the year, the fireballing ace that pushed the team to the finals was taken out. That almost never happens.

Though the powerhouse Chukyōdai Chukyō won the championship, Kikuchi would likely not do anything differently.

"Yes, there was one time where I had a rib injury and the correct decision was most likely to not pitch that game," Kikuchi recalled. "But because, again, we had worked so hard all year for that game, I just had to go out there and give it my best."

Teams usually reach the finals on the backs -- and arms -- of their aces. Saito's professional career hasn't matched the heights of his Koshien, but his fame remains thanks in part to the nearly 1,000 pitches he threw in the tournament.



Whiting first fell under Koshien's sway while watching Koji Ohta's performance in the 1969 tournament. Ohta threw four complete games in a row, including an 18-inning shutout in a 0-0 final. When the rematch was played the next day, Ohta once again took the ball and threw every pitch in the victory.

But the times are starting to change in response to criticism. Yu Darvish said that no one is giving a "single thought" to the children taking part in the tournament, and so more off-days have been introduced to allow for rest. Teams like Sasaki's no longer require the players to shave their heads. Training methods are no longer as strict as they once were.

"I think high school baseball has been forced to change -- constantly -- but especially in the past decade and in the past few years, because not as many kids are choosing to play baseball compared to the post-war era," Yamazaki said. "Everybody played baseball and now soccer is very popular here. And even the idea of dedicating your youth so much to this sport is not necessarily a universally acclaimed approach anymore. There are families and kids who would rather have a more balanced teenage life."

But the love of Koshien endures. Though this year's tournament has limited spectators, the action on the field remains unparalleled in its intensity, and the tear-streaked faces show that, for better or worse, this tournament still means the world to its participants and fans.

Some players are even named for it.

After losing in the quarterfinals of the Shiga Prefectural Tournament in 1989, Atsushi Tsukada decided that he would name his son Koshiro in the hope that “he plays in the Koshien.”

Years later, after training with his father every day -- taking laps up and down the stairs in the family's 13-floor apartment complex and swinging inside until the flooring began to wear out -- Koshiro fulfilled his father's dream by making the tournament this year with his team, Japan Aviation High School.

Embarrassed of his name growing up and the weight of expectations thrust upon him, Koshiro smiled recently when he was asked. "I'm not embarrassed anymore," Koshiro said.

Some things don't change, though. After Koshiro singled in a 5-3 victory against Nitta earlier in the tournament (they have since been eliminated), a proud Atsushi admitted that he did not plan on praising his son because, "I don't want him to get too relaxed."

Though only one team will emerge victorious, the memories, sweat and tears forged in the Koshien Stadium dirt will last forever.

Additional reporting by Daniel Kramer and Keishiro Jubaru. Research and translation by Sho Kurematsu. Design by Tom Forget.

https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/summe ... tournament

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Results of the day 02/06/2022

Final
MTZ 3
GRA 7

Final
IND 1
SSP 6

Final
IJV 8
BAC 9

Final
PRI 1
CMG 11

Final
ART 2
LTU 1

Final
MAY 6
HOL 0

Final
LCV 15
GTM 6

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Seiya Suzuki: The Next Japanese Superstar

After a long and windy 2021 season, it is time to prepare for the MLB offseason which means Seiya Suzuki will be added to the free-agent mix. Suzuki has played the past few seasons for Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The 27-year old outfielder posted jaw-dropping numbers during the 2021 campaign. He will now test the waters in the MLB Free Agent market this winter.

Suzuki has played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp since he was 18 years of age. He got his first real opportunity to play every day starting in 2016, where he was just 20 years old. His first full season in NPB, Suzuki posted a .335 average through 129 games. Also worth mentioning, he had 29 home runs and 95 RBI’s. The right-handed hitter has gone to hit for a .315 batting average in all his years playing for the Toyo Carp.

Seiya Suzuki: His 2021 Season

Just this past 2021 season, Suzuki’s numbers were off the charts. Hitting a total of 38 home runs, 88 RBI’s, and maintaining a .319 batting average. He’s a very well-known player over in the NPB also. He is a 5-time NPB All-Star, a 4-time Best Nine Award, and a 3-time Gold Glove Award Winner for the Central League. Suzuki also has played for many national teams representing Japan.

But now the question becomes, what kind of contract offer with Seiya Suzuki get? There are many teams in the hunt for outfielders to prepare them for next season. Also, if there is a universal DH for the 2022 MLB season, it will help to land players more jobs with more opportunities to excel. In the case of Suzuki, his glove should not have an effect due to how versatile of a player he is.

Which Team Will Seiya Suzuki Land With?

Teams like the Mariners, Mets, Guardians, Braves, Pirates, and Rockies are all searching for outfield help. All teams have significant players in free agency, where it could be a challenge to sign them back. All these teams could be potential fits for Suzuki, but we will have to see when he will be officially posted. This could be an impact bat for any lineup working to make and create a playoff push. 

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Ichiro to coach at high school baseball power in Japan

By YUKI YAMAGUCHI/ Staff Writer

November 30, 2020 at 18:59 JST

When retired baseball superstar Ichiro Suzuki dons his new coaching cap, he's sure to be a big hit with a team of lucky high school baseball players under his watchful eye.

Ichiro’s post-retirement dream of coaching young players will come true in Japan by the end of this year, according to sources.

He will serve as a temporary coach at a high school that has won the National High School Baseball Championship at least once, the sources said on Nov. 28.

Ichiro, 47, has expressed an interest in coaching amateur players, including those in high school, since he retired from the Seattle Mariners in March 2019. He is now a special assistant to the team chairman as well as an instructor for the Mariners.

In principle, the Japan Student Baseball Association requires managers, players and others wanting to coach amateur players in Japan to leave their pro teams, even if the team is based outside Japan.

But officials of the student and professional baseball associations agreed to make an exception for Ichiro, considering his record accomplishments in the baseball world, both in Japan and the United States.

Ichiro attended a series of lectures in December 2019 to apply for certification to coach amateur players in Japan and qualified in February. That enabled him to coach amateurs when he is not working for the Mariners, a condition set by the officials.

Ichiro talked about his fascination with the purity of high school baseball during a lecture meeting for the annual National Newspaper Convention in Kobe on Nov. 26.

“High school baseball is ‘baseball,’ but Major League Baseball is a ‘contest,’” he said. “It’s mainly about how far you can hit the ball and that’s hardly baseball. High school baseball is very exciting. I’m really interested in amateur baseball.”

When asked if people will have the chance to see him coaching the young players, Ichiro said, “I think you will. I’m hoping that I can give something back to (the baseball world) as a person involved in the sport.”

Ichiro had a world-record combined 4,367 hits in his long career in Japan and Major League Baseball.

He has continued training even after retirement and will join high school players in their training sessions when he coaches them for several days, according to the sources.

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Japanese teen’s triple-digit fastball has some calling him the next Shohei Ohtani

BY DYLAN HERNÁNDEZCOLUMNIST

JULY 26, 2019 7:15 AM PT

HANAMAKI, Japan — Synchronized cheers reverberated through the bowels of the stadium, the sounds of a tournament in progress. The noise reached all the way to an indoor batting cage down the left-field line, where the hero of an earlier ballgame was dutifully ushered to a makeshift news conference.

Though at 6-feet-2 he was an entire head taller than anyone else in the room, Rouki Sasaki was nonetheless asked by a tournament official to stand on a wooden box that was placed on the dirt floor. He obliged, removed his cap and bowed.

The elevated platform was necessary to make the lanky right-hander visible to reporters on the outer rings of the semicircle that formed for his post-game address. More than 100 journalists had been dispatched to the backwoods of northern Japan’s mainland to chronicle the first summer start of a 17-year-old high school senior who overcame a family tragedy to become the next Shohei Ohtani.

Japan has an obsession with high school baseball, particularly the prefecture and national tournaments in the summer, but the scene still qualified as extraordinary. It was only the first round of the Iwate prefecture tournament. Sasaki wasn’t even expected to pitch as his Ofunato High team played a small school from a small town.

As it turned out, he went the first two innings of a 14-0 victory that was called after five innings because of a mercy rule. Sasaki estimated that he threw at 60% effort, which explained why his fastball hadn’t come near the 101 mph it had been clocked at three months earlier in breaking Ohtani’s national high school record for velocity.

“Not even this much was made of Ohtani at the start of the tournament,” said Hisatoshi Kato, a radio broadcaster who has called high school games in Iwate for four decades. “Yusei Kikuchi emerged from this area 10 years ago. Shohei Ohtani emerged a few years later. Now, people are saying this kid might be better than those two.”

Kikuchi, a left-hander, is a former star in Japan’s top league who pitches for the Seattle Mariners. Ohtani was a stellar two-way performer in Nippon Professional Baseball — a right-hander with a triple-digit fastball and slugger with prodigious home-run power — before signing with the Angels and becoming the 2018 American League rookie of the year.

Sasaki’s 19-pitch performance was the lead story the following day in Japan’s daily sports newspapers, and his talent was only part of the reason.

The teenager is more than a symbol of Japan’s expanding athletic ambitions, which in recent years has sent Ohtani to the Major League Baseball, teenage soccer prodigy Takefusa Kubo to Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, and biracial basketball star Rui Hachimura to the NBA.

As a former resident of the coastal town Rikuzentakata, Sasaki also represents the recovery of the Tohoku region that was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

When Sasaki was 9, the tsunami claimed the life of his father, according to multiple reports. He lost a set of grandparents as well.

His widowed mother moved him and his two brothers about 10 miles up the coast to Ofunato. As his older brother became Ofunato High’s cleanup hitter, Sasaki emerged as a national-level player in middle school, which led to him receiving offers from powerhouse high schools throughout the country.

Kikuchi had spurned similar offers to remain in Iwate to play for Hanamaki Higashi High. His heroics on the national stage inspired Ohtani to follow him to the same school.

Sasaki went a step further: He not only remained in Iwate, but also stayed on the coast. He wanted to continue playing with the teammates who supported him as he and his family rebuilt their lives.

“This is the final tournament with this team,” Sasaki said. “I want to end with us winning together. That was what I had in mind when I chose this school.”



Despite some memorable performances by Sasaki in recent weeks, Ofunato failed to advance to the national tournament. In the school’s second game of the Iwate tournament, he pitched a six-inning no-hitter. Sasaki followed that with a 12-inning complete game in which he struck out 21, threw 194 pitches and blasted a game-winning two-run home run.

He was rested in quarterfinals, then struck out 15 in a complete-game victory in the next round. The prefecture championship game was played the day after the semifinals and Ofunato elected to do something unusual for a Japanese high school team: It allowed its ace some rest, prioritizing his future over its own ambitions.

With Sasaki on the bench, Ofunato was wiped out by Hanamaki Higashi, Ohtani’s alma mater.

Sasaki and his team started the tournament in the same stadium where Ohtani was clocked at 99 mph as a high school senior.

The entrance of Hanamaki Stadium features a shrine to the local school’s baseball team. Championship banners and certificates won by Hanamaki Higashi are exhibited in a display case, as are autographs of alumni who went on to play professionally, including Ohtani and Kikuchi.

The stadium is part of an athletic complex that borders Hanamaki Higashi High. A green equipment shed by the school’s all-dirt practice field is decorated with plaques recognizing donors. Ohtani and Kikuchi are remembered here, too.

As Ofunato prepared for its opening game, Hanamaki Higashi prepared for its next game by taking infield practice that looked as if it would never end. Hiroshi Sasaki, the manager who once made Ohtani and Kikuchi clean toilets as part of their education, batted fungoes nonstop for more than half an hour.

Hanamaki Higashi was looking toward a potential showdown in the prefecture final against Sasaki, a pitcher who most resembled their most famous graduate.

Sasaki and Ohtani have similar body types. They both run exceptionally well for their size.

Sasaki bats cleanup for Ofunato, just as Ohtani once did for Hanamaki Higashi. But whereas Japanese and major league teams debated whether Ohtani should be a pitcher or hitter — the Nippon-Ham Fighters eventually decided he should be both — Sasaki’s future unquestionably is on the mound.

Using a windup that includes a high leg kick, Sasaki looks as graceful pitching as Ohtani does hitting.



“The fact that he can lift his leg that high and maintain control of his body shows he has a high level of skill,” said Yutaka Wada, a former player who is technical advisor for the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese league. “His breaking pitches have good bite and he has good control. He’s a premium product.”

Shortly after Sasaki delivered a pitch that was clocked at 101 mph at a youth national team camp in April, he declared his intention of signing with a Japanese league team out of high school. The Nippon-Ham Fighters have already said they would use their first-round selection in the October draft on Sasaki. If, as expected, multiple teams select him, one of them will be awarded his rights via a lottery.

But plans can change and some Nippon Professional Baseball officials privately expressed concerns that Sasaki could be poached by a major league team. The Dodgers are one of several teams who are known to have scouted him.

As Ohtani showed, players this age can be talked out of their plans. As a high school senior, Ohtani was closely linked to the Dodgers and made public his intentions of signing with a major league team. The Fighters convinced him to remain in Japan by offering him a chance to play both ways; the Dodgers were planning to develop him only as a pitcher.

One major league scout monitoring the situation said he had no idea whether there was a chance Sasaki could be persuaded to move to the United States out of high school.

“We cannot get access to the kid,” said the scout, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because his team forbids him from publicly commenting on amateur players.

Ofunato High has forbidden visitors setting foot on campus after Sasaki unleashed that 101 mph fastball. The rule also applies to journalists, whose access to Sasaki has been restricted to post-game news conferences in the summer prefecture tournament.

But those limitations haven’t kept him from becoming one of the country’s most talked-about athletes. Japan believes in his talent and has made an emotional investment in his story.

Sometime in the future, the United States could, too.

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Nippon Professional Baseball: Players to watch in Japan, including some potential future MLB aces

By R.J. Anderson

Jun 19, 2020



1. Seiya Suzuki (鈴木 誠也), OF, Hiroshima Toyo Carp

Suzuki was the most productive position player in NPB last season, according to DeltaGraphs' Wins Above Replacement measure. He hit .335/.453/.565 with 28 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. Factor in his above-average defense in right field, and it's easy to understand why he was estimated to have contributed nearly nine wins on the year.

Suzuki, 25, has a well-rounded game. He has one of the most discerning eyes in the league, and he's topped 25 home runs in each of the past four seasons. Defensively, he has a strong arm that serves as a reminder that he pitched as a youngster. He's tallied 24 assists since 2017; for comparison's sake, Bryce Harper led big-league right fielders in that category last season, and he has 22 assists over the same timeframe.

The one blemish for Suzuki is his basestealing. He's been a voluminous thief, averaging more than 15 stolen bases over the past four seasons, but not an efficient one. He's succeeded on just 63 percent of his 99 attempts during that stretch.



2. Tomoya Mori (森 友哉), C, Saitama Seibu Lions

The Pacific League's reigning Most Valuable Player, Mori earned the hardware by hitting .329/.413/.547 with 23 home runs and catching for the best team in the league.

Mori, who turns 25 in August, is a smaller backstop than what Americans are accustomed to seeing behind the dish. He's officially listed at 170 centimeters and 85 kilograms, or roughly 5-foot-6 and 187 pounds. MLB hasn't had a catcher that short who qualified for the batting title in any season since Yogi Berra last did it in the 1950s.

That tidbit isn't meant to discount Mori or his accomplishments, by the way, since he can clearly handle business. It just illuminates some of the subtle differences between leagues.



3. Hayato Sakamoto (坂本 勇人), SS, Yomiuri Giants

Whereas Mori won the Pacific League's MVP Award, Sakamoto took him the honors in the Central League. He did so by hitting .312/.396/.575 with 40 home runs.

Sakamoto is the oldest position player on this list, having turned 31 in December. It feels like he's been around much longer, given that he first became a regular with the Giants in 2008, when he was 19. He's since played in nearly every international event one can, including both the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics, and it stands to reason those tournaments are as close as he'll come to suiting up against MLB talent regularly.

Even so, Sakamoto has already had a heck of a career. He's batted .292/.359/.457 with 1,886 hits, 223 home runs, and 152 stolen bases. He's made 11 All-Star Games and has won the Japan Series twice. And so on. Unfortunately, American fans might recognize Sakamoto's name only for a different reason: he recently tested positive for COVID-19.



4. Tetsuto Yamada (山田 哲人), 2B, Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Sakamoto is unlikely to jump to the majors, but Yamada just might. He turned down a multi-year deal last winter, ostensibly with an eye on asking the Swallows to post him for big-league consideration after the season. If so, you can be certain he'll have suitors.

Yamada has been referred to as the "Mike Trout of Japan" for good reason. He's put together some jaw-dropping statlines over the years, including last season, when he hit .271/.401/.560 with 35 home runs and 33 steals (on 36 attempts). That performance gave him four 30-30 seasons in his last five tries, and left him with a career line of 297/.401/.526.

The Trout comparison works on another, unintended level. Yamada has less hardware than you'd expect: he won the Central League MVP Award in 2015, and that's about it.



5. Hotaka Yamakawa (山川 穂高), 1B, Saitama Seibu Lions

It's easy to get caught up in what Yamakawa doesn't provide. He's a 28-year-old, 5-foot-9 right-handed first baseman with a well-below-average glove and set of wheels. He's also prone to swinging and missing, resulting in one of the highest strikeout rates in the league; and so on. If he were in the majors, he'd be a rough season away from being non-tendered.

We're including Yamakawa because he does one thing exceptionally well: slug. His career ISO is .294, or 10 points from Joey Gallo's (.304). In addition, he's homered 90 times over the last two seasons, including 43 in 2019, which tied Neftali Soto for the most in the league. Secondary value matters, but sometimes it's just fun to watch someone hit dingers. Yamakawa is good for the latter, even if that's all he's good for on a baseball diamond.



6. Kodai Senga (千賀 滉大), RHP, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

It's fair to call Senga NPB's premier pitcher due to his performance and talent levels. In 2019, he led qualifiers in innings, strikeout rate, and fastball velocity (95 mph) while posting the league's fifth best ERA. It's fair, then, to describe him as NPB's premier pitcher. He also led the league in walk percentage, so it isn't all butterflies and cupcakes here.

The main question with Senga, 27, is how much longer he'll remain in Japan. He asked the Hawks to post him for big-league consideration over the winter, but the team rejected that request. Should the Hawks hold firm, he might have to wait until 2022 to come over.

Whenever Senga arrives, he has the potential to be at least a mid-rotation starter. In addition to his mid-90s fastball, he has a cutter, a slider, and an elite forkball/splitter that serves as his top outpitch. If he can improve his command, then he could be given a different title someday down the road: big-league ace.



7. Shota Imanaga (今永 昇太), LHP, Yokohama DeNA BayStars

Imanaga is a short, physical 26-year-old who rebounded from a rough 2018 in a big way last season. He threw a career-high 170 innings while posting a 2.91 ERA and 3.32 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fueled in large part by the league's highest non-Senga strikeout rate.

To be clear: Imanaga doesn't possess Senga's top-shelf stuff. His fastball sits in the low-90s (good for the fourth-highest average velocity among qualified starters), and he complements it with a full slate of secondary offerings.



8. Yasuaki Yamasaki (山崎 康晃), RHP, Yokohama DeNA BayStars

Yamasaki is a 27-year-old reliever with a career 2.34 ERA and 163 saves. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and he throws a splitter. More importantly: he knows how to enter in style:

This is why Japanese baseball is amazing: Yakult Swallows closer Yasuaki Yamazaki comes in from the bullpen on a sports car.

https://youtu.be/buvERnGtc-s



9. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (山本 由伸), RHP, Orix Buffaloes

We'll end with Yamamoto, who seems primed to succeed Senga as the league's gold standard.

Yamamoto is only 21 years old, but he's already proven to be a force. He led the league in ERA last season, accumulating a 1.95 figure over 149 innings. His fastball clocked in as the second-hottest among qualifiers, averaging around the mid-90s, and he complemented it with a deep arsenal, including, among other pitches, a promising splitter and cutter/slider.

There are knits to pick with Yamamoto -- he's on the shorter side and he has a busy delivery -- but should he continue to progress as expected, he'll be someone who American fans will become familiar with in due time.

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Andrés Giménez, stability and defense for the Cardenales infield



Friday 11 | 12:19 p.m.

William Linares

The Cardenales de Lara obtained Andrés Giménez , a major leaguer who plays for the Cleveland Guardians, in the exchange that sent Oswald Peraza to the Leones del Caracas . The infielder from Barquisimeto will have the opportunity to make his debut in the LVBP , where he has not yet played.

Giménez is a big league infielder. He made his Major League debut in 2020 with the New York Mets , a team where he played 49 games and hit .263 in his rookie season. What most caught the attention of his talent is the defense he has, showing great range and good reading of the hits that went through his fields.

José "El Chato" Yépez , Cardenales sports manager, assured after the change that the shortstop promised him to play next season.



"Andrés told us that he would be where the manager needed him (2B, 3B or SS), that his intention was to collaborate and win the games, he will help us defensively," the executive told Lara's press department after the change was completed. .

Andrés Giménez has not played with Leones and because of his desire to be close to his family in Barquisimeto, he was a piece that had all the ballots to be traded to the Cardinals . Nowadays, many players request changes to be able to play where they were born, as happened with Asdrúbal Cabrera or Víctor Reyes when they left for Caribes de Anzoátegui . It is something that has become a common denominator in the teams that are part of the circuit.

"These are similar players: Barquisimetanos, defenders of the short and contemporaries, although Giménez is a little more done," said Carlos Miguel Oropeza, general manager of the crepusculars, in conversation with the digital media Triángulo Deportivo and the journalist Carlos Valmore Rodríguez.

Giménez has two seasons in MLB. In 2020 he was seventh in the Rookie of the Year voting and came to Cleveland in the transaction involving Venezuelan pitcher Carlos Carrasco and Puerto Rican shortstop Francisco Lindor last year.



If his desire to wear Lara's jacket at 22-23 is a reality, the twilight will have won insurance in his infield.

"Giménez has the profile to help us with that and we believe that, in the short and medium term, the possibilities of Giménez playing with us are more real than Peraza's, even if there is no guarantee on that, naturally. Giménez is very motivated by wear the Cardinals uniform and there is the commitment and the desire to play in front of his family and in the team he always was a fan of, in the stadium he used to go to as a child to see his club It is not easy to deliver the third prospect of the New York Yankees, but you receive a player who has already been in the Major Leagues and who was among the top 100 prospects in the majors,” Carlos Miguel Oropeza also told Carlos Valmore Rodríguez.

Juniel Querecuto, Ildemaro Vargas, Carlos Rivero (although voices assure that he is in the market), Andrés Giménez and other names make Cardenales gain stability and good defense in their infield.

[ Oswald Peraza is a 21-year-old shortstop. He is a prospect for the New York Yankees, where he is considered one of the five best promises that the Bronx team has (third, according to MLB Pipeline). The scouting reports indicate that he is a hitter "with a lot of ability to work the strike zone, and the ability to take the ball to different areas of the field. In addition to being able to count on occasional power when he learns to elevate the ball." According to expert projections, he could hit 15 or 20 home runs in MLB at the time. ]

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Margarita Braves sign Toronto Blue Jays prospect

Thursday 10 | 2:58 p.m.

Meridian Drafting

Bravos de Margarita announced the signing of Toronto Blue Jays young catcher and prospect , Albert Millán , for the 2022/2023 season. The catcher is a native of the Macanao Peninsula, Nueva Esparta.

According to the sports manager José Manuel Fernández about the acquisition of the player, “We are very happy with the signing of Albert, he is a boy from Margarita who has always had the dream of playing with the Bravos. We wish him the best of success in our organization," says the Bravos statement .

The 16-year-old Millán signed his first major league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last January.

LVBP: Brayan Rocchio says goodbye to the Tiburones de la Guaira

By VICTOR BRICENO November 21, 2021

The LVBP lost one of its promising players this season. Cleveland infielder and prospect Brayan Rocchio ends his year with Tiburones in Venezuela.

In case you don't know yet, the Venezuelan Brayan Rocchio is the #7 prospect of the Cleveland Guardians organization in the MLB and this 2021 he made his debut in the Venezuelan Winter League with the Tiburones de La Guaira. Rocchio, a young man of only 20 years, showed from game 1 all his talent and solvency both at shortstop of the Sharks, and in the batting box.

[ 20yr old (SS) prospect Brayan Rocchio had a single in the 8th inning tonight in the Venezuelan Winter League. Rocchio reached base 4x (3-4 BB) & is now hitting .458 through 12 games. ]

https://twitter.com/CleGuardPro/status/ ... -guaira%2F

22-48 10R 5(2B) 1(3B) 2HR 6RBI 4BB .458 AVG 1.229 OPS

However, it was more than clear that his internship at the LVBP was not going to last long and that moment has sadly arrived . The Cleveland Guardians recently released their 40-player roster for the 2022 season and Brayan Rocchio is included. Therefore, the team ordered him to finish his performance in Venezuela so that he can prepare for next year's Spring Training.

Brayan Rocchio showed his talent to the LVBP.

Rocchio played 66% of the games within the Tiburones de La Guaira lineup this year and during that tour he showed those skills that make him worthy of his status with his organization in the United States. An ambidextrous hitter with a great vision of the game , with important speed on the bases that makes him aggressive when he is in circulation.

[ Check out the play by #Indians 20yr old (SS) Brayan Rocchio made today in @LVBP_Oficial action. To top it off Rocchio had 3 more hits (3-5 R 2B SB) including his 6th double in 15 games. ]

https://twitter.com/CleGuardPro/status/ ... -guaira%2F

"The Professor", as he is called in the Cleveland Guardians organization , leaves incredibly respectable numbers in the 2021-2022 LVBP and even more so when it comes to a rookie of his caliber: 16JJ - 69AB - 27H - 2HR - 6RBI – 2SB – .415AVG – 1,000 OPS.

Now, being on Cleveland 's 40-man roster makes not only him but all Venezuelans dream of seeing him debut in the Major Leagues at some point in 2022. Perhaps this is his first and last year in the Venezuelan League, but the imprint and identity that this boy leaves with the Tiburones de La Guaira this year, makes us dream big of a bright future in the MLB from now on.

https://twitter.com/JL_Baseball/status/ ... -guaira%2F

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Yu Darvish of Tohokou High School celebrates with his teammates at the 2004 Summer Koshien National High School Baseball Championship. Bob Fontaine, Jr., who scouted Darvish at the tournament, recalls that Darvish “was probably as polished and confident as any high school pitcher I have ever seen. He was so good and did so many things other kids cannot do at that age. It was unbelievable.”

“It was unbelievable.” Bob Fontaine Jr. Scouts Yu Darvish at Koshien

By Bob Fontaine, Jr.

February 8, 2022

Japan is an interesting place to scout players. They play a different style than others in the world, show great discipline, and have a true appreciation and passion for baseball.

Japan has a major league of their own. Scouting in a professional league is fun with the atmosphere inside the ballparks. Fans wave flags, blow trumpets and horns, and chant throughout the game’s entirety. It creates a loud and exciting environment to watch a ballgame.

Watching players do their pregame activities can be quite interesting. They have two batting cages on the field pregame so two hitters can hit at one time, with all other players doing other baseball activities.

My first time in the Tokyo Dome, I saw guys my size hitting balls out regularly and then realized there were no dimension numbers on the outfield walls. The next day I measured it off myself, walking from home plate to the wall. They were much shorter distances than in the U.S. That is a practice I used when I would go to see a power hitter and questioned the numbers.

They play an aggressive brand of baseball and even though they play more, pitchers throw more. Players have been able to come to the United States and not only compete, but in some cases become stars like Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Hideo Nomo, as well as current day talents like Shohei Ohtani, Masahiro Tanaka, and Yu Darvish.

One of the most exciting and different high school game experiences I ever had was when I went to Osaka to see Yu Darvish pitch in the National High School Baseball Invitational.

I was with Seattle at the time. Bob Engle, our international scouting director, and Ted Heid, our Pacific Rim supervisor, along with many others in our international department, felt we had a chance to sign Darvish out of high school. I went to give them another opinion. In most cases, you wouldn’t expect to spend a week in advance to see a pitcher, but you did in Japan.

When I arrived in Osaka, I was met by two of our young scouts from the region and they were going to take me around while I was there. The first day, we went and watched the team workout and saw Darvish throw a bullpen session. Right away you could see this was a special arm.

It was a long practice, like they all would end up being. When we got to the hotel, I was so hungry that I told the two guys we were going across the street to eat at Outback Steakhouse.

I could tell they were a little nervous when they looked at the prices on the menu. Things can be expensive in Japan, especially for travelers. I asked them if they wanted a beer, and they just looked at me. I then asked if they wanted appetizers, and again, they just stared. Finally, I said, “I’m ordering. Bring us a beer each and three appetizers and then we will order.”

They ordered, and even though the meal was expensive, it broke the ice. We had a wonderful time, and they taught me much about the customs of Japan.

There were nights we ate the local cuisine and I think I provided more entertainment for them and the staff of the restaurants than anything else. Watching me try to eat with chopsticks certainly provided more food on the walls and ceiling than I got into my mouth. I did try, at least.

They were both very respectful young men, and I appreciated their approach, but when I took them back a week later, they didn’t hesitate. This time they ordered beverages, appetizers, and a meal.

We watched Darvish’s team practice every day for six days at six different sites, and he threw off the mound each of those days, a practice you never see in the United States. The practices were as interesting as they were intense, and the coaches were tough. At one point in the practice, players would stop, and bow to the coach.

Since we weren’t supposed to be at these practices and because I stood out, we had to stay hidden, which I loved. One practice while hiding behind a tree in the outfield, a ball was hit to the fielder closest to me and he just butchered it. The ball rolled out by where I was standing behind the tree, and as the player got near, I yelled to him, “You have to make that play, Meat!”

Our two scouts freaked and said I couldn’t do that, and we had to move places. I couldn’t help it. The kid needed to make the play.

The last day in Osaka was the day Darvish was going to pitch in the tournament. Our game was in the afternoon at Hanshin Koshien Stadium. It is like their version of Fenway Park. It is an old stadium with a dirt infield, and with horrible weather and a lot of rain that day, the field staff worked hard to keep it playable.

This tournament is a huge event that is televised nationally and played in front of big crowds. The day we were there, they had bad weather. About 35,000 people were in the stadium, which holds 55,000. It’s a very impressive and competitive venue.

We got to our seats down the third base side right near the high school cheering section. They had a huge group all waving flags and dressed alike with a horn section. It was entertaining for a while, but their theme song was the music from Popeye the Sailor Man. The drummers and horns never stopped with all supporters chanting and yelling the theme song. It’s a wonder how they watch the game. After nine innings of that, I could scream.

Darvish didn’t disappoint. He had such a fluid delivery with a loose, free, and quick arm. He threw five pitches from different angles and could throw strikes from each angle. It gave him what looked like 15 pitches, as well as the ability to change speeds on each pitch. The ball was live out of his hand with a great finish to his pitches.

He ended up throwing about eight innings and probably well over 125 pitches before they took him out of the game. His team lost, but he was very impressive.

I turned in a report saying that if he were in the amateur draft in the United States, he would be in the top part of the first round. He was probably as polished and confident as any high school pitcher I have ever seen. He was so good and did so many things other kids cannot do at that age. It was unbelievable.

I was disappointed when we couldn’t sign him, but it didn’t take many years before he was pitching in MLB. He has pitched nine seasons through 2021 and is recognized as one of the best Japanese-born pitchers in major league history.

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Guardians Sign Pitcher Enyel De Los Santos

Cleveland Guardians have signed 25-year-old RHP Enyel De Los Santos to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.

TODD PAQUETTE DEC 1, 2021

The Cleveland Guardians have signed 6-foot-3, 235-pound RHP Enyel De Los Santos to a minor league contract with an invite to MLB spring training for the 2022 season.

De Los Santos spent time in 2021 with both the Phillies and the Pirates. He appeared in 33 games between both clubs striking out 48 batters over 35.1 innings, but allowed 43 hits and 18 walks leading to a 6.37 ERA. On November 5th the Pirates removed De Los Santos from their 40-man roster, paving the way for him to become a free agent.

Currently De Los Santos is pitching in the Dominican Winter League for his club Tigres del Licey. He has yet to allow a run over five games while striking out 13 batters over his 8.0 innings pitched. Two of his current Tigres teammates include recent Guardians minor league free agent signing catcher Sandy Leon and RHP J.C. Mejia (who Cleveland traded to Milwaukee on November 22nd).


De Los Santos was originally signed as an international free agent back on July 17th, 2014 by the Seattle Mariners for just $15,000 dollars. He was traded to the Padres in 2015 and then to the Phillies in 2018. On July 10th, 2018 he made his MLB debut with the Phillies vs. the Mets. In 2021, De Los Santos was designated for assignment by Philadelphia and Pittsburgh claimed him off waivers. He finished the remainder 2021 season in the Pirates organization.

The scouting report on De Los Santos is he possesses a 97-98 mph fastball with excellent life. He has a couple of nice secondary pitches with a slider in the low-80's and a changeup that has looked strong at times but still could use more work. He has started in the past, but may be more suited for the bullpen with a nice two-pitch mix in his fastball slider combination.

De Los Santos was originally signed as an international free agent back on July 17th, 2014 by the Seattle Mariners for just $15,000 dollars. He was traded to the Padres in 2015 and then to the Phillies in 2018. On July 10th, 2018 he made his MLB debut with the Phillies vs. the Mets. In 2021, De Los Santos was designated for assignment by Philadelphia and Pittsburgh claimed him off waivers. He finished the remainder 2021 season in the Pirates organization.

The scouting report on De Los Santos is he possesses a 97-98 mph fastball with excellent life. He has a couple of nice secondary pitches with a slider in the low-80's and a changeup that has looked strong at times but still could use more work. He has started in the past, but may be more suited for the bullpen with a nice two-pitch mix in his fastball slider combination.

LIVE BASEBALL FROM CUBA

Granma v Ciego de Avila - Serie Nacional de Beisbol de Cuba - February 12, 2022

GRANMA LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONS

https://youtu.be/E0NnKA1SzAY

OFAC extends the license to six LVBP teams until 2024

The United States Department of the Treasury will meet soon to decide on a "bridge license" for Navegantes del Magallanes and Tigres de Aragua

For The National-February 9, 2022

The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) extended the license to six of the eight clubs that make up the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League ( LVBP ) until 2024 . For now, the US Treasury Department is expected to make a decision on the bridging license it wishes to grant to the two missing teams: Navegantes del Magallanes and Tigres de Aragua.

Ignacio Serrano, a journalist specializing in sports and the director of the outlet, El Emergent, broke the news. He reported that Giuseppe Palmisano, president of the LVBP, received the renewal from OFAC last Friday, February 4.

An OFAC renewal means that the Venezuelan baseball league can continue to maintain relations with the United States. In other words, Venezuelan baseball players have authorization from the United States to join Major League Baseball (MLB).

In the case of Navegantes del Magallanes and Tigres de Aragua, they are clubs that have had limited relations with the MLB for some time. According to Serrano, the option of granting them a "bridge license" is being evaluated.

In other words, the office is working to approve a license for these two clubs that will speed up their process.

For some years now, the United States has sanctioned figures from the administration of Nicolás Maduro.

Due to this, the commercial operations of companies based in the United States (such as Major League Baseball) linked to the Venezuelan government are not viable. This is the case of the Tigres de Aragua and Navegantes del Magallanes teams, whose directors include representatives of the regional administrations of Aragua and Carabobo, respectively.

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Wasps from Santiago return to the top of Cuban baseball

Santiago de Cuba leads in the standings (11-4) followed by Matanzas (10-5) and Mayabeque (9-5).



Taken from Latin Press

Sunday, February 13, 2022 06:06 PM


Havana.- SANTIAGO de Cuba beat Camagüey 7-4 and recovered the lead of the 61st National Baseball Series , in which the champion Granma crushed Artemisa 12-1.

Santiago de Cuba and Camaguey were tied 2-2 at the end of the fourth inning , but a cluster of five runs in the next inning led to victory number 11 with 4 defeats.

The win went to Edialbert Valentín, the loss to Pedro Luis Guzmán and Luis Fonseca scored his 7th save.

Central fielder Yoelquis Guibert homered for the winners and shortstop Alexander Ayala did the same for the losers.

With their victory, Santiago de Cuba took a half game lead over the Matanzas Crocodiles surprised by Artemisa 1-0. In the duel of left-handed pitchers, Geonel Gutiérrez was the winner and Naikel Cruz the loser, while the experienced right-hander José Ángel García achieved his 4th save of the season.

For their part, last year's champion Granma punished Vladimir García, starter for Ciego de Ávila, early on, and did not stop until he was knocked out 12-1 in seven innings.

Yunier Castillo picked up the win and his teammates Alexquemer Sánchez had a solo homer and Roel Santos with two men on base.

Also with victories were Mayabeque, Industriales, Isla de la Juventud, Sancti Spíritus and Las Tunas.

The Mayabeque Hurricanes defeated the Vegueros de Pinar del Río 7-2, with Mailon Cruz's third win and the first loss by Branlis Rodríguez, while the Havana Industriales outscored the Elefantes de Cienfuegos 8-3.

Juan Xavier Peñalver, in relief, was the winner of the game and starter Yasmani Insua was charged with the defeat in which Jorge Enrique Alomá and Andrés Hernández homered for the Industriales, his fourth of the season.

Isla de la Juventud defeated Villa Clara 13-7, in which Alberto Hechavarría was the winning pitcher and Eriel Carrillo took the loss. Kendry Hernández saved the game, while Leandro Turiño and Yeniet Pérez homered for the losers.

The Gallos de Sancti Spíritus defeated Holguin 3-1, with the victory to Ariel Zerquera and the loss to Wilson Paredes and the save by Yanieski Duardo.

Las Tunas prevailed 7-5 over Guantánamo, supported by home runs by Rafael Viñales and Yosvani Alarcón to support the work of the winner, Alejandro Meneses. Daniel Blanco took the loss.

Lefty Yudier Rodríguez scored his first save of the season and Robert Luis Delgado homered for the Indios del Guantanamo.

After these results, Santiago de Cuba leads the standing (11-4), followed by Matanzas (10-5), Mayabeque (9-5), Ciego de Ávila, Sancti Spíritus and Industriales, Pinar del Río and Granma.

From the middle of the standings are Villa Clara and Artemisa, both 7-7, Isla de la Juventud (7-8), Las Tunas and Guantánamo (6-9), Camagüey and Cienfuegos ( 5-10) and Holguin (3-12).

February 2/14/22

1 Santiago de Cuba 11-4
2 Matanzas 10-5
3 Mayabeque 9-5
4 Ciego de Avila 9-6
5 Sancti Spíritus 8-6
6 Industriales 8-6
7 Pinar del Río 8-7
8 Granma 8-7
-------------------------
9 Artemisa 7-7
10 Villa Clara 7-7
11 sla de la Juventud 7-8
12 Las Tunas 6-9
13 Guantánamo 6-9
14 Cienfuegos 5-10
15 Camagüey 5-10
16 Holguin(3-12