Cleveland Sports Forum

2012 USA-Cuba Exhibition: US Defeats Cuba in Final Exhibition Game


by Circles Robinson

Julio 10, 2012

Boxscore: Friendly USA-Cuba: Game #5-USA 5, Cuba 4


The US national collegiate baseball team defeated Cuba on Monday night by a score of 5-4 in the fifth and final match of an exhibition series held at Havana’s Latin American Stadium.


Teams USA and Cuba played a very interesting series and now will face-off again during the Haarlem Baseball Week in Holland.

A three-run eighth inning rally lifted the US team to victory, although the Cubans did score one in the bottom of the inning to fall one run short.

Jonathan Crawford picked up the win, his second of the series, in relief of Carlos Rodon. The save went to Bobby Wahl who got the final three outs.

Johnny Field drove in two runs for the USA which had seven hits to Cuba’s nine.

Bright spots for Cuba were the three hits and an RBI from Mr. Clutch Frederich Cepeda, and two hits including a homer from Alfredo Despaigne.

While Cuban starter Odrisamer Despaigne failed to last three innings, good relief performances came from Dalier Hinohosa and Darien Nuñez who probably earned themselves a spot on the 24-roster for the tournament in Holland that starts on Friday.

Dissapointing relief jobs came from Vladimir Garcia, Antonio Romero (the losing pitcher) and Yoelkis Cruz.

The US team, loaded with several MLB prospects, won the first and fifth games of the series, but — although the island’s team managed to come up with an overall victory — it was obvious that the Cubans were pulling out the stops to obtain wins in the second, third, and fourth clashes.

Both teams will travel to Holland to participate in the Haarlem Baseball Week Tournament, scheduled from July 13 to 22, along with teams from Puerto Rico, Taipei China, Japan and the host team.

Cuba opens in Holland against Puerto Rico on the 13th and then plays USA on the 15th.

Cuba and the US will repeat their exhibition face-off within a year — though on US soil this next time — to continue these contests that had been canceled since 1996.

Reduction. Teams cut their budgets significantly

July 2, 2012, 8:11 PM

Contracts signed by Dominicans for millionaire bonuses

Only five young people were favored with the figure in 2012

Written by: Juan Mercado

Santo Domingo. -

Even with budget cuts of $ 2.9 million for major league teams for international contracts , several Dominican prospects got million dollar bonuses.

Starting with the favored shortstop Rosario Ahmed Germain, he reached an agreement with the Mets of New York for 1.75 million dollars, being the highest in Latin America.

He was followed by Amaury Minier also a shortstop, who signed with the Minnesota Twins for 1.4 million dollars.

The outfielder Gustavo Cabrera made a pact for $ 1.3 million with the Giants in San Francisco.

The outfielder Hector Caro raised $ 1.1 million with the Cleveland Indians.

While third baseman Carlos Belén agreed with the Padres for a million to close the cycle of million dollar contracts in July 2, 2012.

Other contracts that did not reach the million dollar mark were Frandy de la Rosa, who signed a $ 700 thousand, with the Chicago Cubs.

Baez Yancarlos agreed $ 650,000 with the Yankees.

Jose Almonte managed $ 610 000 in Boston.

Jose Grullon and Almonte Deivy they signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $ 575,000 and $ 540,000 respectively.

Nathanael Javier signed for $ 500 000 with the Giants in San Francisco.

Willy Adames y Domingo Leyva signed contracts Sunday for $ 400 000 with the Detroit Tigers.

Francisco Mejia closed for $ 350 000 with Cleveland.

These amounts reflect a reduction in contracts relative to previous years, being the antithesis of what will happen in the international lottery made by the majors.

There is still a lot of young people who are in negotiations to become professional players

RARITY

Caro makes baseball a triplet millionaire

On October 3, 1995 Hector Caro came to earth as part of an unusual birth of triplets. Today, at 16 years of age is a new baseball millionaire.

by Peter G. Briceño

Santo Domingo

Caro, whose mother Carmen Mercedes was not aware of his sex until he was born is one of five rookies Dominicans have agreed this week for more than a million dollars in the process of signing on July 2.

A young outfielder with playing skills as sacred as the very womb of his mother, whose triplets Ilonka, Imalay and Caro were born seven pounds each, and enjoying good health, very different from the traditional delivery which almost always has a member born with health problems.

In his case he needed the incubator, making his stay in the hospital less than might have been required. From his earliest days he suffered health ailments, but apparently came to life for something great and this was accomplished by his baseball hobby that last Monday gave him his first great happiness to reach an agreement of 1.1 million with the Cleveland Indians.

A fact that is strange on all sides, for his father Hector Caro never put his hand to a glove, but his mother does have a family in love with the hobby. Caro only needed a few words of encouragement from his relative Miguel Obispo to join a baseball league and began his journey not intending to become a millionaire at age 16.

In Caro, veteran Ramon Pena, was awarded his second most lucrative bonus in a career as a scout that exceeds thirty years. Last year shortstop Dorssys Paulino, who in his first year averaged .318 (44-14) with a trio of doubles in the Rookie League signed with Indians for a 1.1 million .

Great attributes

"Since I first saw him I liked his attributes, this young man, a lanky 6'4 and 190 pounds, is a pure diamond in the rough," says Ramon Peña , another treasure from the program run by Ivan Noboa.

"I thought he would be female. The doctor told me of the three one was a boy, it was not until he was born that we new," says his mother, a housewife who had previous births all girls Keily, 24 and Jerelle 21. Caro is the only male.

While his father was a little surprised when he learned his wife of 28 years, was pregnant with triplets, it was a shock to one who earned a salary of 650 pesos a month.

With an exemplary discipline, Caro is prepared to face the challenges ahead to develop into a player as quickly as possible from the farm system to the Indians.

Do not be surprised if in a few years you observe a triplet from the Dominican being first class in the Major Leagues.

Meeting.

Ramón Peña directs several prospects of the Cleveland Indians after another day of work in preparation for the Summer League.

He has a successful 30 year career as a scout

by Peter G. Briceño

Santo Domingo

When the pitcher Luis Marte debuted the first of September last year in the shirt of the Detroit Tigers he became the 50th player signed by Ramón Peña involved in the highest level of baseball.

Pena scouted Rhinner Cruz (Houston), Jordanis Vardespin (Mets) and Gorkis Hernandez (Pirates) whose meteoric rise to the majors brings his total to 53, placing Peña as an elite among Scouts who have contributed more players to the game..........................................

SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

$ 1.2 million to Juan Urbina, son of Ugueth Urbina

$ 1.1 million Dorssys Pauline, son of Jesus Sanchez.

Major bargain: Jose Lima, who signed for two thousand dollars.

More elaborate signature: Wilkin Ramirez for $ 290,000

Signature more disappointing: Waldy Sierra who gave $ 100 000. He owned a great arm but never developed.

One of his best signatures: Ramon Santiago, who is with the profile to become a future leader.

Players who got away: Ramon Martinez and Neifi Perez, both came within a hair's breadth of signing.

DPL alum Gaby Guerrero is ready for the United States

Posted July 12th, 2012 by DPL & filed under Down on the Farm,

For more than a decade the Seattle Mariners have been one of the most aggressive organizations in the International market. Signing players the likes of Ichiro, King Felix and Michael Pineda, under the leadership of vice president of international operations Bob Engle they have been among the most effective teams in baseball in finding talent around the world.

Gaby Guerrero-OF Seattle Mariners

But the Mariners have a sprinking of players from some non-traditional baseball places, like Germany (RHP Daniel Thieben), South Africa (RHP Dylan Unsworth and RHP Dylan De Meyer), Netherlands (OF Kalian Sams, LHP Scott Ronnenbergh, RHP Lars Huijer – but no longer, tragically, Greg Halman, murdered during the offseason), El Salvador (LHP Kevin Quintanilla, RHP Danny Cruz), Nicaragua (RHP Erasmo Ramirez, RHP Hector Hidalgo, RHP Jose Validiva), Colombia (RHP Ivan Julio, RHP Jose Torres, IF Diego Mina), Brazil (IF Pedro Okuda, RHP Thyago Viera, IF Felipe Burin), Aruba (IF Reginald Lampe), Curacao (OF Raysheron Michel, IF Gianfranco Wawoe) and U.S. Virgin Islands (OF Jabari Blash, RHP Richard White, by way of Germany). There are also players from Taiwan, South Korea, Cuba, Canada, Mexico and Panama.

Gaby Guerrero (nephew of Wilton and Vladimir Guerrero) is proud to carry on the baseball tradition in the family. Since the start of the 2012 Dominican Summer League season Guerrero has been blazing hot. AB-136, AVG-.338, H-46, 2B-6, 3B-3, HR-9, RBI-36;
In an interview with the Dominican Prospect League, Seattle Mariners scouting supervisor Patrick Guerrero says “We signed Gaby after extensive evaluation during his time in the DPL and at our academy. He had some plus tools, size and a lot of upside but was very raw; he was a free swinger with no balance at the plate. Freddy Tiburcio our hitting coach has done a great job with him since Gaby entered the academy. Gaby has toned up his body, changed his approach and he’s even running 4.0-4.1 home to first. With him it’s all about patience, when developing Latin players the organization needs to give these players ample time to adjust, it takes time for these kids to figure it out and thank God Gaby has made quite an adjustment. We hope to have him in the U.S by next week, he may be sent to either PulaskI Mariners-Rookie level or Clinton Lumberkings-Low A, the Arizona Summer League doesn’t seem to be an option”

Wilton Guerrero spoke about Gaby’s recent hot streak. “He’s always had talent but now he is developing into a man and concentrating more, he trained with Vlady and I during the off season, he’s picked up a lot of positive things in his approach and preparation. Seattle Hitting coach Freddy Tiburcio and scouting supervisor Patrick Guerrero have also been influential in his development, it’s been a group effort, he has many baseball people around him. I think he’s mentally and physically ready for the U.S.”.

Guerrero is making an impression in the Mariners organization, enough to get himself to the next level. The Mariners are optimistic that Gaby will continue to develop in his quest to the Big Leagues.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Ten teams are competing for the Little League World Series in the ASPAC region
The tournament is played in Taichung, Chinese Taipei

Jason Pan, in Chinese Taipei

Ten countries and regions are participating in the 2012 LLB Asia-Pacific (ASPAC) Tournament this week, taking place in Taichung City of Chinese Taipei.

Pool A has host Chinese Taipei joined by New Zealand, Philippines, Guam, and Hong Kong. Pool B is headed by Korea and Australia, along with Indonesia, Thailand, and Saipan-CNMI.
The winning team at this competition will represent Asia-Pacific at the Little League Baseball World Series
in Williamsport, USA (Aug. 16-26).

In the opening day action, Korea shut out Indonesia 11-0, Saipan beat Thailand 10-6, Philippines routed New Zealand 12-2, and Chinese Taipei prevailed over Guam 5-2. The championship final is scheduled for later this weekend at Taichung's Wan-Shou Stadium.

This 2012 Little League Asia-Pacific Tournament is organized by the LLB, Chinese Taipei CTBA and other agencies and sponsored by Herbalife and Hua Nan Financial Holdings.

Chinese Taipei heading to Williamsport

In the ASPAC Region final in Taichung they defeated Hong Kong in the championship game


Jason Pan, in Chinese Taipei

In the championship game of the Asia Pacific (ASPAC) Region of the Little League, Team Chinese Taipei banged out 12 hits to defeat Team Hong Kong 12-2.

Thus Chinese Taipei won the 2012 Little League ASPAC Tournament, which took place in Taichung City, and earned a spot in this year's World Series in Williamsport, USA.

Lee Cheng-Fong, starting pitcher for Chinese Taipei, took the Game MVP honors with his fine performance. He struck out 8, gave up 3 hits and 3 walks through 4 innings.

Hong Kong was the surprise of this tournament. They upset the heavily-favored Team Korea 3-2 in the semi-finals, and ended up with the second-place.

Korea settled for a third-place finish, as they prevailed over Saipan 2-1 in the consolation final.

Cuba announces baseball team week in Haarlem

Receptores (2): Frank Camilo Morejón (Industriales) y Ariel Pestano (Villa Clara).

Infielders (6): José Dariel Abreu (Cienfuegos), Yulieski Gourriel (Sancti Spíritus), Rudy Reyes (Industriales), Erisbel Arruebarruena (Cienfuegos), Aledmis Díaz (Villa Clara) y Alexander Guerrero (Las Tunas).

Outfielders (6): Alfredo Despaigne (Granma), Frederich Cepeda (Sancti Spíritus) (A), Rusney Castillo (Ciego de Avila), Guillermo Heredia (Matanzas), Alexei Bell (Santiago de Cuba) y William Luis Campillo (Camagüey).

Pitchers (10): Yadier Pedroso (Artemisa), Odrisamer Despaigne (Industriales), Dalier Hinojosa (Guantánamo), Freddy Asiel Álvarez (Villa Clara), Ismél Jiménez (Sancti Spíritus), Vladimir García (Ciego de Avila), Norberto González (Cienfuegos) (LZ), Pablo Millán Fernández (Holguín), Darién Núñez (Las Tunas) (LZ) y Leandro Martínez (Granma) (LZ).

Manager: Víctor Mesa (Matanzas).

Preparador Físico: Víctor Figueroa (Matanzas)

Asistentes: Primitivo Díaz (Pinar del Río) y Ángel Castillo (Ciego de Avila).

Entrenadores de pitcheo: Raicel Sánchez (Pinar del Río) y Juan de Dios Peña (Sancti Spíritus).

Jefe Técnico: Jorge Fuentes.

There's about 12 players I wouldn't mind seeing defect and we claim all of them

Puig eager to get Major League career started

Cuban outfield prospect has first workout at club's Spring Training facility

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 07/13/12 12:46 AM ET

GLENDALE, Ariz.

"My name is Yasiel Puig."

"I am from Cuba."

"I am 21. Thank you."

After almost 10 minutes of answering questions during a Spanish interview with MLB.com at the Dodgers' Spring Training facility, the club's new outfield prospect smiled and switched to English -- a language he had never spoken before Thursday morning -- for three short answers that gave little insight into Los Angeles' new $42 million dollar mystery man.

By all accounts, Puig, who had just wrapped up an hourlong workout that included batting practice, fielding drills and other activities, is eager and a quick study. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound outfielder says he's ready for the big leagues and can't wait to get his Major League career started.

"It feels really great to be here in Arizona training with the team that's going to make my dream come true to play in the Major Leagues," Puig said through an interpreter. "My plan is to play in the big leagues. That's why I am here. I feel I'm ready, but it's up to them. I'm training as hard as I can to get there. "

The Dodgers have a much more measured approach for their prospect. In fact, they tempered Puig's workout to keep him from overexerting himself in Arizona's 105-degree heat. What's certain is that Puig will play in the Arizona Rookie League in the next few weeks, when his paperwork is finalized and his physical conditioning has improved.

Where he goes from Arizona is still up in the air.

"We have not put any timetable on him or any pressure," said Logan White, the Dodgers' assistant general manager, scouting. "We didn't sign him because the Dodgers are at the halfway mark and we need hitting and we need an outfielder and everybody knows that. We didn't sign him to be that guy. This is a long-term thing with him. We are just going to let him take it as he progresses. He'll tell us. He's 21-year-old kid, like a college player, so you think he can be there next year or the next year. It's somewhere along those lines."

Puig's story is well known, and that's quite a feat considering he has only been on the scene in the U.S. for a few weeks. He defected from Cuba last month, landed in Mexico and starred in a showcase in front of Major League scouts just ahead of the adoption of new rules for the July 2 international signing period that would have capped his signing bonus at $2.9 million.

The Dodgers announced his signing on June 29.

In Cuba, Puig played professionally for Cienfuegos during the 2010-11 Cuban Series and hit .330 with 17 homers and 47 RBIs, with a .430 on-base percentage in 327 at-bats. In the playoffs following that season, he hit .370 in 46 at-bats.

Puig did not play for Cienfuegos during the 2011-12 season because he was disciplined for attempting to defect.

As do many Cuban players, Puig chose not to share how he defected, nor did he give the details of his suspension. But the fact that he had not played baseball in a year was hard for the Dodgers to ignore.

But it wasn't enough to keep them from signing him.

"We've been on him from when he played when he was younger. It was not always easy to see him, but he always had the skills, and if you look up his stats in Cuba, he put together really good numbers," White said. "What we saw at the workouts in Mexico was a young man that had not been able to do a lot of baseball activity and had not seen a pitch in a year, and we had to do a lot of reading through it, but what I saw was a guy with good hitting mechanics, short and quick to the ball. He's got a lot of strength, and his bat speed is really quick. "

Puig's seven-year, $42 million contract is a record for a player right out of Cuba. It's bigger than the four-year, $36 million deal Oakland gave outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and the nine-year, $30 million deal the Cubs gave Jorge Soler earlier this year.

The Dodgers are certain he is worth the money.

"There's always inherent risk in this business, whether it's the Draft or international, and I wish there wasn't," White said. "But I never go into anything looking at the risk, because if I did that, I would never sign players, because this is a very tough business. For me, based on all my years of past experience doing this, he has size, athleticism and good hitting mechanics, and when you combine that with his makeup and the level of baseball he played in Cuba, [he's] really good. When I factor everything in, I think the risk is relatively small."

But questions do remain. According to the club's scouting reports, Puig had an above-average arm in the past, and they are optimistic his arm will at least be average when it gets into playing shape. He's always been known for his running abilities, but how his speed translates in game situations in the U.S. is yet to be determined.

What the Dodgers do know is that Puig profiles as a quality outfielder, and his eagerness to learn English is only part of the makeup they really like.

What they didn't know was how funny he is or that he is so popular that he could make a non-Spanish speaker such as White speak that language.

"Chicago is frio [cold], New York is frio. Los Angeles is bella [beautiful]," White said he joked while he was recruiting Puig in Mexico.

After taking a few rounds of batting practice on Thursday, Puig was asked if he wanted to show off his arm.

"I left my arm in Cuba," he deadpanned, "but I will show you what I have now."

Puig made another joke about the Arizona heat, but nobody was laughing when the temperature reached nearly 110 degrees during the workout.

"He always has notes and he wants to learn," said Tim Bravo, the club's director of cultural assimilation, who is teaching Puig English. "He's just soaking up all the knowledge. He makes me laugh all day long and has a great attitude. Imagine if you were in his shoes and come from where he comes from, could you handle that?"

Puig chooses not to think about the past. Instead he wants to focus on the future. For now his present will keep him working out in Arizona.

"When I get to Los Angeles, the fans will get to see the best of me, and I'll be able to help the team," Puig said. "What I can say is that all of us Cubans that are here want to play in the big leagues, and that's why we came. Others can see us play with stars that are here and see we are stars, too."

12 July 2012 Last updated at 19:01 ET

Japan baseball exports to MLB striking it big in US

By Mariko Oi

BBC News, Tokyo
Japanese fans of US baseball are closely watching the fortunes of Yu Darvish after he signed a six-year deal with the Texas Rangers

Far away from Kansas City in the US state of Missouri, die-hard Japanese baseball fans gathered around their television sets earlier this week to watch the 83rd Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

They were utterly disappointed, however, when their star Yu Darvish didn't get to pitch.

He is Japan's latest addition to Major League Baseball (MLB) after signing a six-year contract worth $60m (£38.7m) with the Texas Rangers in January.

It was the most expensive contract that any Japanese player has scored so far.

He has only been pitching in the US for less than half a year, but 25-year-old Mr Darvish was selected for the final and 34th spot on the All-Star team as a result of online voting by MLB fans.

Thanks to fans


"Do I still think I'm worthy or not? Personally, I voted for Peavy," Mr Darvish said before the game, referring to White Sox starter Jake Peavy.


Mr Darvish was the ninth Japanese player to be included in the All-Star Game "I feel very good. I know the way I got selected was [a] vote by the fans, so I appreciate all the fans who voted for me."

If he was disappointed that he didn't get to pitch on Tuesday, he didn't show it.

"I was able to meet and talk to some of the players so I enjoyed it," he said.

Mr Darvish was the ninth Japanese player to be included in the All-Star Game and the list of others recount the history of Japanese Major Leaguers.

Paving the way
Hideo Nomo was the first Japanese player to join a Major League Baseball team after his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995.

He won the Rookie of the Year Award and is often credited with paving the way for other Japanese players.

Don Nomura was his agent who managed to find a way to release him from his contract with his Japanese team.

"Hideo said he always wanted to play in the US especially after he played against international teams in global events such as the Olympics," says Mr Nomura.

"I believe it was his childhood dream."

Mr Nomo pitched with eight different teams before retiring in 2008.

Big hitters

Since Mr Nomo, there have been nearly 50 players who have crossed the Pacific to join MLB.

Ichiro Suzuki, usually known simply as Ichiro, was the first hitter to move to the US in 2001.


Hideo Nomo was a baseball pathfinder when he moved from Japan to the US in 1995 He continues to play for the Seattle Mariners with a unique swing that has defined his career.

Last month, he also reached the 2,500-hit milestone in his 12th season in the majors.

Another famous hitter is Hideki Matsui, nicknamed Godzilla in Japan.

He played for the New York Yankees between 2003 and 2009 and recently signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.

He was always seen to be on an elite track in Japan as number four hitter for the country's most popular team, the Yomiuri Giants.

Many Japanese reporters and photographers followed him to New York.

Dreams not money

So why do Japanese players want to play in the US?

"The mentality of it is that if there is a challenge out there, the money is good and the league is highly respected, you'd want to give it a go," says Mr Nomura, who has also acted as an agent for many other baseball players.

"Amateurs still dream of joining Japan's professional league but once you enter it, there is something missing."


Many young Japanese players dream of playing baseball in the US He adds: "For example, a salary doesn't grow after a certain point so there is nothing that players feel that they want to achieve within the league."

Mr Darvish had reached the point in 2011 when he earned the top yearly salary of 500m yen ($6.3m; £4m) at his old team Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

But for him and many others, it is more about following their dreams.

Take Norichika Aoki for example.

He joined the Milwaukee Brewers in January, but his salary is reportedly one-third or possibly a quarter of what he used to earn in Japan.

The 30-year-old Mr Aoki began the season on the bench with a two-year contract, though he has since been getting regular playing time.

He was quoted as saying "it's not about money" when he expressed a desire to move to the US last year because he "always wanted to play in MLB".

Following the finest

Taihei Professional Advertising

For Japanese companies, however, these players offer great advertising opportunities.

"When Mr Nomo first went to the US in 1995, the American stadiums weren't allowing any Japanese language advertisements," says Kazumasa Kijima of Taihei Professional Advertising.

"But when Ichiro went in 2001 and especially after Matsui joined the Yankees in 2003, the stadiums started to allow us to advertise because of the large amount of money that Japanese companies were willing to spend.

"MLB games attract a lot of interest around the world so Japanese companies see them as a great way to reach the American and overseas markets."

The games are mostly shown by Japan's public broadcaster NHK which is not allowed to show advertisements.

But if an advert is placed behind the hitter on the mound, there is not much broadcasters can do to avoid showing it.

That is exactly how men's beauty salon Dandy House advertises its business there.

Their target audience is specifically Japanese men who are watching the games when the Japanese pitchers make their debut.

'Expensive ads'
"We put an ad behind the hitter for the first pitch of Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish," says Naoto Wakishima of Dandy House.

"In one day alone, there was an economic effect worth 20-30bn yen because that particular clip gets repeated over and over on various news programmes.


Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki were two successful Japanese baseball exports to the US "It's slightly more expensive to place an ad on MLB games and the price is getting higher but it's definitely worth it."

As some of Japan's finest make their way abroad, so does the advertising money.

But it also means that Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) has been losing not only its top players but also advertising revenues and audience ratings.

Did Mr Nomura expect so many others to follow Mr Nomo back in 1995?

"No, but I think it's nature taking its course," he says.

"Hideo was determined to have a successful career in the US. He was also representing his country so I think there was a lot of pressure on him.

"But he gave many others hope and confidence that if he could do it, maybe they'd try too."

Friday, July 13, 2012

International Tournament Haarlem Baseball Week starts on Friday

The Netherlands, Cuba, Team USA, Puerto Rico, Japan and Chinese Taipei will be playing in the 26th edition of the prestige event

The "Haarlemse Honkbalweek" kicks off its 2012 tournament, the 26th edition in history, on Friday, July 13. Until Sunday, July 22 the Netherlands, Cuba, Team USA, Puerto Rico, Japan and Chinese Taipei will play in the Haarlem Baseball Week. Defending champion is the Dutch national team.

Cuba and the United States will come to Europe fresh off a five-game exhibition series in Havana, which was won the Caribbean powerhouse. Cuba is coming with a strong team, including well-known stars Yulieski Gourriel, Alfredo Despaigne, Frederich Cepeda, Alexei Bell and Freddy Alvarez. They are managed by Victor Mesa. Team USA is a selection of college players, led by Golden Spikes Award finalist Carlos Rodon and coached by Dave Serrano.

All games will be played at Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, Netherlands. Two games are scheduled each day. After a round-robin preliminary phase the top four teams in the standings advance to the semi-finals.

Schedule:

Friday, July 13:
14:00 Japan – Chinese Taipei
19:00 Cuba – Puerto Rico

Saturday, July 14:
14:00 USA – Japan
19:00 Netherlands – Puerto Rico

Sunday, July 15:
14:00 Chinese Taipei – Netherlands
19:00 USA – Cuba

Monday, July 16:
14:00 Puerto Rico – Japan
19:00 Cuba – Chinese Taipei

Tuesday, July 17:
14:00 Puerto Rico – USA
19:00 Japan – Netherlands

Wednesday, July 18:
14:00 USA – Chinese Taipei
19:00 Netherlands – Cuba

Thursday, July 19:
14:00 Cuba – Japan
19:00 Netherlands – USA

Friday, July 20:
14:00 Chinese Taipei – Puerto Rico
19:00 Semi-Final 1

Saturday, July 21:
14:00 Game for 5th Place
19:00 Semi-Final 2

Sunday, July 22:
12:00 Game for 3rd Place
16:00 Final

Japan defeats Chinese Taipei (13-07-2012)

Japan won this afternoon the first match of the Honkbalweek bij beating Chinese Taipei 4-1. The MVP of the match is Keisuke Mekaru from Japan. He hits the first homerun of the tournament.

Puerto Rico defeates Cuba | 13-07-2012

Even though both teams appeared equally strong, Puerto Rico beats Cuba in the Haarlem stadium. In the eighth inning Puerto Rico finally managed to take the advance, resulting in a 2-3 score after nine innings.


MVP was Orlando Cepeda, starting pitcher for the Puerto Rican team.

Netherlands beats Chinese Taipei; 3-0 | 15-07-2012

Strong pitching performance and timely hitting deliver Dutch win over Chinese Taipei. Pitchers Bergman and Van Driel combine for a shutout and the offense provides just enough for the Dutch to keep hope for the tournament. Player of the Game: Rudy van Heydoorn (NED)