Cleveland Sports Forum

Suddenly Yosvani Peraza is back in the World Baseball Classic picture

Cuba’s Expanded Classic Training Roster Still Contains Sufficient Mysteries


by Peter C. Bjarkman

February 5, 2013

Cuba’s preliminary roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic – now swollen from an original 28 selections to a current list of 36 – checked into Havana’s Hotel Tulipan on Monday morning and immediately began extensive training in Latin American Stadium under the guidance and careful watchful eyes of national team manager Victor Mesa, technical director (general manager) Jorge Fuentes, and league commissioner Higinio Vélez. Much speculation has circulated over the past week about looming potential changes on the Cuban roster – especially at the catcher position (where long-time team leader Ariel Pestano continues to sit on the sidelines, and also where a late first-round surge at the plate has deramatically thrust Pinar’s Yovani Peraza back into the picture) and also among the mound corps and outfield contingent. Several widespread rumors had one-time national team bullpen staple Yadier Pedroso returning from shoulder injury rehabilitation and Matanzas outfielder Yadiel Hernández fading from the scene (perhaps in favor of popular Havana Industriales centerfield prospect Yasmani Tomás.

When the dust cleared on Sunday morning catcher Peraza, hurler Pedroso and slugging fly chaser Tomás had indeed been recalled to join the oversized squad, along with a half-dozen others that included infielders Yordan Mandulay and Raúl González, a quartet of pitchers (Yasmani Hernández, Carlos Viera, Diosdani Castillo and Leandro Martínez), and lefty-swinging Industriales outfielder Stayler Hernández. The only two deletions at present from the originally submitted tentative roster have been Artemisa southpaw Yulieski González and aging Camagüey righty Vicyohandri Odelín – both former national team stalwarts. González started the 2011 World Cup Gold Medal game versus Holland in Panama little more than a year ago, and Odelín earn a lasting slot in Cuban lore back in March 2006 by saving the memorable game in San Juan which thrust Cuba into the championship round of the inaugural Classic.

Since Team Cuba is scheduled to play a half-dozen pre-Classic tune-up exhibitions in Taiwan beginning in less than two weeks (matches start on February 18 in Taichung versus Australia, Holland and the host Taiwanese), the squad will like depart as early as February 15 (ten days hence). And now also fast approaching is a mid-February deadline for submitting to MLB officials the final 26-man playing roster (supplemented by a pair of emergency replacements). The looming deadlines mean that eight current squad members now training in Havana will have to be left behind and the most likely final cuts will involve one catcher, three pitchers, a pair of infielders and also a pair of outfielders.

It is anybody’s guess at this point how it might all play out, but if this writer were a betting man he would suggest that the players now likely standing on a soft bubble are catcher Morejón, outfielders Yadiel and Stayler Hernández, the two most recent infield additions (Mandulay and González), and hurlers Yasmani Hernández, Diosdani Castillo, and Carlos Viera. A caveat here is that Stayler Hernández (or perhaps even recently slumping Yadiel Hernández may hold a distinct advantage over Yasmani Tomás given that they are left-side swings (a commodity definitely in the scarce supply with the Cuban lineup). It is difficult to see what the heavy hitting Tomás actually adds to the Cuban squad given the presence of such already heavy bats as those of Abreu, Eriel Sánchez, Despaigne, Cepeda, Peraza and Gourriel. But then there is the issue of why as many as six infielders would be necessary, given the durability of José Dariel Abreu at that position and the ability of catcher Eriel Sánchez to man the corner position should injury ever handicap Piti Abreu.

The Cuban baseball brain trust has now certainly achieved two vital results with this week’s roster expansion – one with an obvious intention and the other likely being largely an unplanned byproduct. The former (the well-thought-out plan) has obviously been to increase the intensity of competition for final roster slots, as well as to provide enough bodies in camp at Latin American Stadium to allow full-squad scrimmages over the next dozen or so days. The latter (largely consequential) fallout is the stroking of another couple of weeks of intense street corner debates about the final makeup of the national squad that will for the third time carry Cuban pride into the showcase event of international baseball.

Current Cuba WBC Pre-Selection Roster

Bold=new additions not on original WBC roster

#=Previous World Baseball Classic Experience

*=No previous national team appearances

PITCHERS (16)

#Freddy Asiel Álvarez (Villa Clara) RHP (Age: 23, 7 National Series)

#Ismel Jiménez (Sancti Spíritus) RHP (Age: 26, 8 National Series)

*Raciel Iglesias (Isla de la Juventud) RHP (Age: 22, 2 National Series)

Odrisamer Despaigne (Industriales) RHP (Age: 25, 7 National Series)

#Norberto González (Cienfuegos) LHP (Age: 33, 15 National Series)

Darién Núñez (Las Tunas) LHP (Age: 19, 1 National Series)

*Wilber Pérez (Isla de la Juventud) LHP (Age: 36, 12 National Series)

*Yasmani Hernández (Villa Clara) LHP (Age: 21, 4 National Series)

#Vladimir García (Ciego de Avila) RHP (Age: 23, 7 National Series)

Alexander Rodriguez (Guantánamo) RHP (Age: 29, 12 National Series)

#Danny Betancourt (Santiago de Cuba) RHP (Age: 31, 12 National Series)

*Carlos Viera (Las Tunas) RHP (Age: 22, 1 National Series)

*Yander Guevara (Ciego de Avila) RHP (Age: 25, 5 National Series)

*Diosdani Castillo (Villa Clara) RHP (Age: 25, 5 National Series)

#Yadier Pedroso (Artemisa) RHP (Age: 26, 8 National Serie)

Leandro Martínez (Granma) LHP (Age: 33, 5 National Series)

CATCHERS (4)

Yulexis La Rosa (Villa Clara) BR/TR (Age: 33, 12 National Series)

Frank Camilo Morejón (Industriales) BR/TR (Age: 26, 8 National Series)

#Eriel Sánchez (Sancti Spíritus) BR/TR (Age: 38, 19 National Series)

#Yosvani Peraza (Pinar del Río) BR/TR (Age: 33, 15 National Series)

INFIELDERS (8)

José Dariel Abreu (Cienfuegos) BR/TR (Age: 25, 9 National Series)

*Luis Felipe Rivera (Isla de la Juventud) BL/TL (Age: 35, 16 National Series)

José Miguel Fernández (Matanzas) BL/TR (Age: 24, 5 National Series)

*Andy Ibáñez (Isla de la Juventud) BR/TR (Age: 19, 1 National Series)

#Yulieski Gourriel (Sancti Spíritus) BR/TR (Age: 28, 11 National Series)

Erisbel Arruebarruena (Cienfuegos) BR/TR (Age: 22, 5 National Series)

*Yordan Manduley (Holguín) BR/TR (Age: 26, 7 National Series)

Raúl González (Ciego de Avila) BR/TR (Age: 25, 7 National Series)

OUTFIELDERS (8)

#Frederich Cepeda (Sancti Spíritus) BB/TR (Age: 32, 15 National Series)

#Alfredo Despaigne (Granma) BR/TR (Age: 26, 8 National Series)

Rusney Castillo (Ciego de Avila) BR/TR (Age: 25, 4 National Series)

Alexei Bell (Santiago de Cuba) BR/TR (Age: 28, 11 National Series)

Guillermo Heredia (Matanzas) BR/TL (Age: 21, 3 National Series)

*Yadiel Hernández (Matanzas) BL/TR (Age: 26, 3 National Series)

*Stayler Hernández (Industriales) BL/TL (Age: 30, 9 National Series)

*Yasmani Tomás (Industriales) BR/TR (Age: 22, 3 National Series)

<
Mexico routed Puerto Rico last night 10-0. Mexico moves on and will meet the Dominican Republic tonight for the series championship.



Venezuela threatens to have the game forfeited in a game they lost yesterday 4-2 to the Dominican Republic. Firstbaseman Donell Linares was removed from the game in the second inning and was replaced by Francisco Pena. Linares came up ill. Pena's two run homer in the ninth won it. Evidently the substitution is being challenged.
Luis Alonso Mendoza, superb; Mexico to the finals!
Kevin Villa Homer
Villa Greeted At Home
MEX: Mendoza, De Reyes (8), Cobos (9) with Franco:

PR: Villa, Segovia (6), Bryson (6), Mejia (7), Espinoza (9) with Castro.

PG: Luis A. Mendoza (2-0)

PD: Kelvin Villa (0-2)

HOME RUNS:

MEX. Barbarian Cañizarez (1)

Hermosillo, Sonora (PH)

Pitching gem by Luis Alonso Mendoza, who threw seven no-hit innings, led Mexico to victory over Puerto Rico 10-0, to clinch their place in the final of the 2013 Caribbean Series Hermosillo , where they will face the Dominican Republic. The championship match between Mexico (3-3) and Dominican (5-1) is scheduled for 19:00 pm in the Sonora Stadium. Rodrigo Lopez pitches for the Yaquis and Ángel Castro hosts by the Dominicans.

Mendoza (2-0) carried the no hitter into the eighth when Daniel Ortiz opened with a double. Mendoza earned the victory in seven and a third innings, with two hits , nine strikeouts and four walks. Dennys Reyes and Jose Cobos combined for the final five outs with one hit. Kelvin Villa (0-2) was the one who took the loss by throwing for five innings, allowing four hits, five runs, awarded two bases and struck out six.

Mexico took command from the second inning, Marlon Byrd (3) opened with a double and later came Barbaro Canizares (1) to connect homer that put the game 2-1 over the Puerto Ricans. The game continued when Karim Garcia (1) hit another double and reached third on an error by pitcher Kelvin Villa, in which Augustine Murillo reached base, then Oscar Robles hit into a double play and Garcia came to the plate.

Alfredo Amezaga, the first batter of the sixth inning was walked and advanced to third on error by pitcher, Douglas Clark singled, and both were batted in by the second double of the game by Marlon Byrd (4). Zach Zegovia pitcher walked intentionally Karim Garcia (1 ), followed by the double steal with Marlon Byrd (2) to put two in scoring position. Zegovia intentionally walked Oscar Robles , and finally it was Iker Franco who brought two runners to score and put the game 7-0. Chris Roberson received a base on balls and a wild pitch scored Robles to put the game at 8-0.

In the ninth, Jose Felix opened with a single and Sergio Contreras (1) doubled adding the ninth run for Mexico. The game continued as Douglas Clark singled and Marlon Byrd had a sacrifice fly to end the scoring. Final score was Mexico 10 Puerto Rico 0.

Freddy Tapia

Hermosillo

They loosened the mud (diarrhea)

Ricardo Nanita, Donell Linares and Jose Constanza lead a group of Escogido members who are affected by diarrhea that makes wave in the clubhouse.

They ate tacos last night after the game against the Yaquis de Obregon Nanita and for that reason did not start playing in yesterday's game against Venezuela on time. Linares and had to be replaced by Francisco Peña as Linares was exhausted before his first at-bat.

Bladimir Marte, chief medical officer of the Leones, has been busy placing several on IVs to rehydrate.

The team's attack was greatly diminished by the situation yesterday.

Own brands more hits (57), doubles (18), home runs (15), runs scored (54) and produced (46)

February 6, 2013, 2:52 PM

Miguel Tejada Caribbean king

Written by: Ruben Castro ESPNDeportes.com

HERMOSILLO-

Playing against the Yaquis de Ciudad Obregon has something special for Miguel Tejada, for the Dominican on Tuesday fired his 15th homer to extend his record in the Caribbean Series.

Just last Sunday, Tejada homered off of Edgar Gonzalez, to add 14 and now it was the turn of Marco Carrillo in the third inning with one on base, to add one more in his 12 Caribbean classics played.

The Dominican shortstop missed the past four Caribbean Series, and before doing so, he hit two homers in the same game against the same Yaquis in 2008 in Santiago, Dominican Republic, to establish the mark at 13.

In the game of February 2, 2008 at Estadio Cibao, Isauro Pineda gave up the first homer in the second inning without people on base and immediately afterwards the second off of Julio Cesar Jimenez in the seventh inning, in what was back to back homers with Brayan Pena.

Tejada got his first homer in his debut in the Caribbean Series in 1997 at Hector Espino Stadium in Hermosillo to Puerto Rico and the following year hit two in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela.

After not playing in 1999, in 2000 added one more to the total in Santo Domingo and the following year in Culiacán hit two to get to six in four Caribbean Series played.

In 2002 in Caracas, Venezuela, reached seven homers, and in 2003 in Carolina, Puerto Rico and in 2004 in Santo Domingo homered once.

2005 in Mazatlan, Mexico, did not homer, but in 2006 in Venezuela reached 10 to add two more. With one in 2007 back in Carolina and two more in 2008 in Santiago, Dominican, became the record with 13.

Nearly half of his home runs have been against Mexico with four one each against the Yaquis and Mazatlan, Hermosillo and Navojoa. In total, the Dominican has homered in 10 of the 12 series that he has participated.

Tejada now owns records for most hits (57), doubles (18), home runs (15), runs scored (54) and RBIs (46) in the history of the Caribbean Series.

`` I'm very happy about that, to continue to have the opportunity to participate in the Caribbean Series. I have trained very hard and here are the results, for me this would be a very big win this Caribbean Series because it might be the last,'' Tejada said after the meeting.

DR team plays despite Caribbean Series dispute

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 2/7/2013 2:32 A.M. ET

HERMOSILLO, Mexico --

The Dominican Republic's Leones del Escogido, a powerhouse team looking to win back-to-back titles, is once again dominating the Caribbean Series, winning five of its first six games and locking up a spot in the championship two days early.

But they're also in the middle of controversy here at Estadio Sonora, with gripes over compensation and the new format.

Throughout the tournament, Escogido players -- though not so much those who come from Major League organizations -- have taken issue with their team's organizers, alleging that they were promised more than they're being paid for their participation in the Caribbean Series and threatening to boycott.

On Wednesday, it almost came to a head.

Right up until game time -- with both lineups announced over the PA system, the anthems being played and Venezuela's Navegantes de Magallanes on the field -- Escogido was nowhere to be found. The entire team was in the clubhouse, having a players-only meeting regarding their compensation. Players say they were promised 15 days of pay, but are only going to be paid for seven days, plus practices and travel dates -- which adds up to 10 or 11 days.

At 4 p.m. MT, Escogido players rushed into the dugout, put on their helmets and went to the on-deck circle to hit as the visiting team without even warming up. They wound up eliminating Venezuela with a 4-2 win, and the game started only five minutes later than scheduled.

But the issue remained unresolved.

Escogido players are expected to meet with the club's higher-ups later Wednesday night, and a couple of players said they expect to come to an agreement prior to the championship, which will take place at 7 p.m. MT on Thursday.

"That's something between the team and organizers of the [Dominican Professional Baseball League]," shortstop Miguel Tejada said in Spanish. "I expect it to get resolved."

Escogido is also the victim of a new format.

In prior years, the Caribbean Series champ was the team with the best record after six days of double-round-robin play. This year, though, a championship game is being held, pitting the team with the best record against the team with the second-best record. Some Escogido players don't think that's fair, given that they'll go into the championship 5-1 and their opponent, Mexico, is 3-3.

"I don't think that has been a good decision on the part of the organizers of the Caribbean Series," veteran infielder Julio Lugo said in Spanish. "I don't think a team that has won [five] games should be knocked out by a team that has won only three. It's not right. I don't think that's been managed well."

Host Mexico to face DR for Caribbean Series title

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 2/7/2013 2:32 A.M. ET

HERMOSILLO, Mexico --

The people of Mexico got what they wanted: their team facing off against the powerhouse Dominicans for the Caribbean Series championship.

And they have Royals pitcher Luis Mendoza to thank.

Mendoza held Puerto Rico hitless through seven, before a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth, and finished hurling 7 1/3 shutout innings, leading Mexico's Yaquis de Obregon to a 10-0 thrashing on Wednesday and setting up a matchup against the Dominican Republic's Leones del Escogido in the final.

Thursday's championship, the first of its kind in a Caribbean Series that used to be strictly double round robin, will take place at 7 p.m. MT, in front of an Estadio Sonora crowd desperate to see Mexico win a title while hosting the Caribbean Series for the first time since '05.

Mexican Rodrigo Lopez, who pitched 11 years in the Majors, will face off against Dominican Angel Castro.

"This is for the team," Mendoza said in Spanish. "We're one team, and everyone deserves this victory."

Obregon, the champion in 2011 and making its third straight trip to the Caribbean Series, is 3-3 and needed the win over Puerto Rico's Criollos de Caguas (2-4) to secure a trip to the final.

Escogido, searching for its second straight title and third in four years, is 5-1 and clinched a spot in the title with an 11-6 win over Obregon on Tuesday. Earlier on Wednesday, it beat Venezuela's Navegantes de Magallanes, 4-2, thanks to a go-ahead two-run homer by first baseman Francisco Pena in the top of the ninth.

Venezuela, whose last Caribbean Series title came in '09, finished 2-4.

One start removed from tossing six shutout innings, Mendoza gave up two hits on four walks and nine strikeouts in an outing that saw him expend 113 pitches. Heading into the eighth, he had retired 10 of his last 11 batters, five via strikeout. But Daniel Ortiz led off with a double to right-center field.

Then, after seeing Mendoza allow a one-out single to Jesus Feliciano, Obregon manager Eddie Diaz removed the 29-year-old right-hander, who got a standing ovation from a raucous sold-out crowd.

"I'm going to try to take this into Spring Training," said Mendoza, who will likely end up as the Royals' long reliever. "That and my health is most important. I finished strong and I felt good throughout, and that was the best part of this."

American players adjust to Caribbean leagues

Passionate fans, good competition a hallmark of teams in Latin America

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 2/7/2013 1:19 A.M. ET

HERMOSILLO, Mexico --

Austin Bibens-Dirkx, a 27-year-old from Oregon who's now in the Blue Jays' system, will never forget the moment it hit him.

It was three years ago, while playing in his first stint of winter ball, when he was on the mound with one out left in the inning, that security guards in Venezuela rushed the field, putting down cones to boycott the game because of a fight with police officers amid an intense political climate. Soon enough, the military showed up in full riot gear, bullying them off the field long after Bibens-Dirkx had sprinted off it in fear.

That's the moment Bibens-Dirkx realized playing baseball in Latin America is, well, quite different.

"Ha, it's way different," he said, now laughing.

"You can either take it or you can't," current teammate Ken Ray said. "That's why you see a lot of guys who aren't really successful in winter ball but they're successful in the States. It's just a completely different atmosphere. The fans are different. It's just one of those things that takes a little getting used to."

Bibens-Dirkx, who has pitched seven years in the Minors, Ray, a 38-year-old right-hander who spent 15 years pitching in pro ball, and Joe Thurston, a 33-year-old utility man who appeared in 184 Major League games from 2002-11, are three Americans who played for Venezuela's Navegantes de Magallanes team, now eliminated from the Caribbean Series.

And they're among a long list of American-born players who happily play winter ball in foreign, Spanish-speaking lands, putting up with the less than ideal conditions, struggling with the language barrier, navigating through the political mess and, mostly, embracing a culture where baseball is king and stadiums rock.

"Twenty-thousand people here seems like 80,000 in the States," Bibens-Dirkx said. "It's just that loud, that intense, nonstop."

Asked what sticks out most about winter ball, which he's been playing since 2006, Thurston said: "The competition is very good, and the fans are dedicated."

"I mean, we have good fans in the States, but you see the good fans come out during the playoffs," he added. "Regular season games, they don't show up. In winter ball, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it's Monday or a Sunday day game. They show up. And they know the game. The small children, the old women, whoever it is, they know the game, they pay attention to the game, from the first pitch to the last pitch. It's not about texting or WhatsApp. They're in the game."

Sometimes, perhaps, too in the game.

"Oh, they'll be ready to fight you if you lose," Thurston said.

"They'll go from one game to the next," Bibens-Dirkx added. "One game you don't do so well, stay in your hotel room."

The three of them can write a book on what they've seen happen on the winter ball fields of Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. This winter, Ray saw people throwing homemade bombs in the stands. Bibens-Dirkx has seen them fling batteries, ice, beer, fruits.

In the finals, one guy even threw a diaper -- and it almost hit him.

"It was dirty, it was wrapped up, and it was thrown at us," Bibens-Dirkx said. "That was a little different. I've never had a diaper thrown at me before."

It's all part of the experience for this American-bred trio, none of whom can put as much as two coherent Spanish sentences together.

In some ways, they believe, it's better.

"There's no such thing as prospects," said Ray, who's been playing winter ball for seven years. "It doesn't matter how much money you signed for, what round you're [drafted] in. It's all about whether you can come in and help a team win.

"Politics are gone. It's all about winning, which is what it should be."

Usually it's the American players, sometimes more so than the legends of Caribbean baseball, who are stopped most often on the streets.

"Especially me," Bibens-Dirkx said, "I have long, blond hair."

Bibens-Dirkx's hotel room this season was connected to a mall in Venezuela, and every time he went there to eat his chicken and rice, people bombarded him for autographs and pictures.

"If you are a baseball player, everybody knows who you are -- especially in the playoffs," Bibens-Dirkx said. "Everybody's so excited, the place is always packed, everybody's always wanting your autograph, a picture. I mean, that's nonstop every day.

"For us, the biggest thing is it's an honor for us to be representing Venezuela here in this kind of atmosphere, where this is their country going up against other countries in the Caribbean."

Hermosillo - Sonora -

For over a decade, shortstop Miguel Tejada has been considered the ballplayer of the Fatherland for deliveries on the representation of the Dominican Republic in international events such as the Caribbean Series and the World Baseball Classic. But like everything in life happens, time changes and has to find a successor who can do the work that other stops.

Now the position of the Fatherland Pelotero wants to be filled by another player, who coincidentally is shortstop. His Name: Hanley Ramirez.

"I want to follow in the footsteps of Tejada, he's a great example both on and off the field. I want to be like him and represent my country and do it with dignity," Ramirez said in conversation with writers prior Today the fifth game of the 2013 Caribbean Series held in this city Sonora Stadium. For years, Ramirez expressed his desire to play with the Licey Tigers in the Dominican winter ball, but was never given permission to wear the uniform.

But this year, after the change that sent him to the Dodgers, Ramirez got the blue jacket and not only played until the Licey was eliminated but also accompanied the Dominican team in interleague Star Game with Venezuela and Leones del Escogido champions the Caribbean Series.

"I've always said that everything for my country."

Can't stand the NASCAR- like advertising on baseball uniforms. MLB better keep an eye on this or it will look like a clown show.

Mexico captures Caribbean Series in 18-inning thriller

Clark's homer gives Mexico's Yaquis de Obregon second title in three years

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 2/8/2013 12:51 A.M. ET

HERMOSILLO, Mexico –-



It took a lot longer than anyone would've ever anticipated, but nobody around here cares. At 2:43 a.m. MT, after 18 innings and almost eight hours of low-scoring baseball, Mexico's very own Yaquis de Obregon prevailed over a powerhouse Dominican squad, outlasting the defending champs with a 4-3 victory that gave the locals a Caribbean Series title to celebrate.

Now, they'll party 'til the sun rises.

"They're the ones who push us. They're the ones who keep us going," Royals right-hander Luis Mendoza, who pitched Obregon into the championship game with a near no-hitter, said as he gazed upon the fans in a still-packed Estadio Sonora after the closing ceremonies. "They were here the whole game. Nobody ever left. That's why we're here.

"This championship is for them."

And it was Massachusetts-bred Doug Clark who gave it to them with a wall-scraper that barely made it over the right-field fence with one out in the top of the 18th. His home run provided the final blow in defeating the Dominican Republic's vaunted Leones del Escogido, and it put the finishing touches on a historically long game.

The time of game (seven hours, 28 minutes) was a record in the 55 years the Caribbean Series has been played. So were the 21 pitchers used. And the 18 innings tied a 2007 game for the most ever.

In total, 507 pitches were thrown.

The concession stands ran out of beer with what turned out to be five innings left to play.

And it was 5:43 a.m. in the Dominican Republic when a 5-1 Escogido team fell just short of winning its third title in four years.

"This was a game for the ages," Clark, the MVP of the finals, said while trying to muster his best Spanish. "This is like three or four games in one. We had the game in our hands twice and they came back. But they're a very dangerous team, and we had to maintain our focus every inning."

Before Mexican Pacific League legend Karim Garcia led off the top of the 14th with a go-ahead homer, Obregon had just four hits through 13 innings. Before Caribbean Series hero Miguel Tejada came up with a two-out, game-tying RBI single in the bottom-half of the frame, Escogido was 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Four innings later, Clark broke another prolonged silence, feasting on a breaking ball out over the plate thrown by Edward Valdez.

Clark is 36. From 1998 to 2007, he toiled in the Minors mostly as a left fielder, seeing action in only 14 games from 2005-06 with the Giants and A's. From 2008-10, he played in Korea. And over the last three years, he's made a living in Mexico, all for a moment like this.

"This," Clark said, "is the best feeling of my life. My wife is here, my son is here -– he was born here in Mexico. This is a moment that we'll never, ever forget."

The fact Mexico even had this opportunity was the product of a new format, which tacked a championship game onto the end of the original double-round robin format. Had previous rules been in place, Escogido would've clinched the championship with Tuesday's win over Obregon, which went 3-3 in its six round-robin games.

Obregon -– with other past and present Major Leaguers in Luis Ayala, Alfredo Amezaga, Marlon Byrd and Dennys Reyes –- was making its third straight trip to the Caribbean Series as the Mexican Pacific League champs. The title was the club's second in three years, and it marked the first time since 2005 that Mexico captured the crown in a year it hosted the Caribbean Series.

Obregon did it by beating an Escogido team that boasts the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, Fernando Rodney, Julio Lugo and Fernando Tatis, who was out for the final due to a leg injury.

"We're champions of the Caribbean Series," Mexico's Dominican-born manager, Eddie Diaz, said. "No one can ever take that away from us."

Obregon starter Rodrigo Lopez and Escogido starter Angel Castro each pitched well through 7 2/3 innings, with Castro giving up two runs (one earned) and Lopez surrendering just one unearned run.

In the fifth, Mets prospect Jordany Valdespin let a two-out line drive bounce off his glove and trickle to the fence, giving Mexico its first lead, which would hold until the ninth.

Against Ayala in the bottom of the ninth, Ricardo Nanita –- a winter-ball legend who has played 11 seasons in the Minor Leagues but hasn't reached the Majors -– tied it at 2. In the top of the 14th, Garcia hit one out to give Mexico yet another lead, but in the bottom half, Tejada came through with his two-out RBI single to the right side.

Then came Clark.

Finally, in the bottom of the 18th, in the wee hours of the morning, Donell Linares' line drive fell snugly into Byrd's glove in right field.

And then, at last, the party started.

"It's Mexico, man, they love their baseball here," Byrd said. "That's what I've learned. I got down here early, played a whole season of winter ball. Baseball is the No. 1 sport. It's just amazing."

Jose Ramirez finished strong in the championship game in which it took 18 innings for Mexico to defeat the Dominican Republic 4-3. Jose Ramirez was 2-7 with a pair of walks and one rbi.

Ramirez finished the series with a .226 batting average. He lead off once again in the championship game, started at secondbase, relocated to shortstop in the 8th inning, and then returned to secondbase in the 18th. Jose had nine chances, 6 at shortstop and 3 at secondbase and fielded all chances cleanly.

Offensively, he did well but could have done better. In the 1st inning, Jose was tossed out 5-3 attempting a drag bunt for a basehit. In the 3rd inning with a runner on third and one out, Jose grounded out to secondbase for an rbi. Ramirez lined out to left in the 6th near the line (nice catch came very close to being a certain double if not a triple. Jose batted once again in the 8th and flied out to left. In the 10th, Ramirez singled. He singled once again in the 12th. Ramirez walked in the 14th and then flied out deep to center in the 15th. In the 17th, with two out, a single by Alberto Rosario and a wild pitch advance Rosario. Ramirez was intentionally walked. Both runners were left stranded.

What an outstanding season for Ramirez, starting in Mahoning Valley and ending up in Mexico. The kid has ice in his veins. He performed under pressure of the large and vocal crowds. When he was down, he was never out, always showing his resilience both on offense and on defense.

I wish you all could have watched his performance this winter. It was simply awe-inspiring. No matter what happens from here on out, Jose Ramirez just became one of my bestest Indian performers in a loooong time. In fact, since another Indian named Ramirez.......Alex, that is!

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Clark's Game Winner
Closing Ceremonies

The 2013 Hermosillo Report - Wrap-Up Edition

Mexico is the 2013 Campeones de la Serie del Caribe (Photo: AP)

By Arthur Kinney (I.P.I.)

February 8, 2013 ShareThis


At 2:43 AM Hermosillo time (4:43 AM here in Cleveland), Republica Dominicana (Leones del Escpgido) third baseman Donell Linares hit a long fly ball straight into the glove of Mexico (Yaquis de Obregon) right fielder Marlon Byrd, handing the host nation's representative a hard-fough 4-3, 18 inning victory and the title of baseball champions of the Caribbean.

For those of us used to Cleveland teams coming up just short in championship games/series, it is hardly surprising that the team with an Indian on it would lose in such a fashion. Besides the team failure of his Dominican squad, the final three games of Jose Ramirez's Caribbean series could hardly be hailed as an individual success...

Jose Ramirez
2B, Republica Dominicana (Leones del Escogido)
7 GP, 7-31, 5 R, 4 RBI, HR, 2 2B, 8 BB, 8 K, 2 SB, 2 E

In the final two games of the round robin phase, Ramirez's performance at the plate was one of generally poor quality, albeit punctuated by a single flash of brilliance. In Wedneday's 11-6 win over Mexico, Ramirez went only 1-5 but that one hit was a three-run homer. However, his performance in the round robin finale, a 4-2 win over Venezuela (the supposed Navegantes del Magallanes), was unmitigatedly awful (0-5 with 2 Ks). He hardly redeemed himself in the field, either, picking up an error in each of the last two round robin contests.

His production picked up slightly in the final as he went 2-7 with 2 walks and an RBI, all while managing not to commit an error. However, picking up a couple hits is virtually automatic for a player who plays the entirety of an 18-inning game. Regardless of how one approaches this outing, it did serve to help bolster his flagging Caribbean Series slash line, bringing it up to .226 BA/.387 SLG/.417 OBP/.804 OPS.

How could somebody so dominant through the regular season and Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) round robin play so poorly in the Caribbean Series? Simply put, this is a matter of one of the pitfalls of the "reinforcements" system, namely, bringing on a player who has neither the momentum of having played in the LIDOM final nor the rest of having missed the playoffs entirely. Such a player has had just enough time off to rust, but not enough to truly recuperate, making him far less than fit for game action, much less so in the most important games of a team's season. Thankfully, Ramirez will have a few weeks to rest now before he reports to minor league spring training. Hopefully it's enough. Speaking of players who could use a nice, long rest right now...

Rob Bryson
RHR, Puerto Rico (Criollos de Caguas)
2 GP, 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R (all earned), 3 BB, 1 HR, 1 WP

Bryson made only one appearance in Puerto Rico's final two games, another 0.1 IP outing in the team's swan song, a 10-0 loss to eventual champions Mexico. Unlike his first outing in the tournament it was a scoreless affair marred only by a hit, a walk, and a wild pitch. The outing was still not terribly positive, however, as he allowed all three inherited runners to score. Looking at Bryson's less than stellar Caribbean Series numbers in the context of his nearly flawless league season, they appear to be the stats of a man worn out by a borderline year-round baseball season. Much like Ramirez, he needs to make the most of these precious few weeks of rest he has before he needs to be in Goodyear to prepare for the spring and summer season.

FINAL THOUGHTS

- First, I just wanted to get a rant off my chest that's been going through my mind ever since I saw the broadcast details for this year's edition of the Caribbean Series. The only US broadcast was a Spanish-language broadcast on ESPN Deportes. While I understand that this event appeals primarily to a Spanish-speaking audience, my question is: What on earth is MLB Network airing that they couldn't find the time to air the Caribbean Series in English? ESPN's English-language networks are too jam packed with other programming (especially college basketball this time of year) to carry the Series and I'm sure they'd be happy to monetize the English-language rights by sublicensing them to MLB Network. No offense to Australia and the Australian Baseball League (I'm personally a big fan of the ABL and Australian sporting culture in general. Aussie Rules football in particular is high-quality sports viewing if you ever get the chance to catch a game), but when MLB Network shows the ABL Championship Series, but can't find a way to air a tournament where last night's title game alone featured Major Leaguers such as Marlon Byrd, Hanley Ramirez, and Miguel Tejada, something is seriously wrong.

- Finally, I'd like to send out congratulations to both Ramirez and Bryson on highly impressive (seemingly all-conquering at times) winter seasons (the final stats should be up here on IBI fairly soon). Hope they can keep it up throughout the summer. Also, congratulations to the Yaquis de Obregon: 2013 Campeones de la Serie del Caribe. And last, but not least, congratulations to Hermosillo both on the new ballpark (I still see that eventually being a PCL park) and their successful hosting of this year's Series.

So that's it for the winter season for the Tribe (the ABLCS will be on MLBN this weekend but all the indians in that league are on teams who missed the playoffs). While there's never truly an offseason here at IBI, we do get to take it a little easier for a couple of weeks. Speaking of a couple of weeks, we are now exactly two weeks from the big club's preseason opener against the Cincinatti Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. Even better...

MY COMMENTARY

WoW! That was a harsh critique of Jose. I hope the writer knows that Ramirez, at age 20, was THE YOUNGEST AND MOST INEXPERIENCED PLAYER in the Series Del Caribe. I think we were watching different ballgames.

As noted earlier, Ramirez had one disastrous ballgame during these series games when he was 0-5 (first time during the playoffs and series that he did not reach base at least one time) and committed all three of his errors in that game after being error free the entire playoff and series season. Ramirez was 0-4 but had his 3-run homer the next game. That was the worst stretch of baseball Jose had all winter long. 0-9 mini-slump. Jose was hitless in his first two series games (0-7) but walked four times, stole two bases, and scored a run.

Otherwise, Jose was a very steady, confident, and a consistent performer for the Toros and as a replacement player for the Leones. Ramirez's final totals don't indicate how many of those outs were hard hit baseballs. Ramirez could very easily have had at least five more hits including an additional homer.

It's hard for me to criticize Ramirez at age 20, a single "A" performer, going up against major leaguers, AAAA, AAA, and AA players much more experienced. I have to put this into perspective, he's faced the best pitching he's seen to date. During the playoffs and especially this series, Ramirez has faced the best pitching the winter leagues had to off.

KC's Mendoza named MVP of Caribbean Series


HERMOSILLO, Mexico --

Kansas City Royals pitcher Luis Mendoza, suiting up for Mexico's Yaquis de Obregon in the Caribbean Series, was named the Most Valuable Player of the six-game, double-round-robin portion.

The 29-year-old right-hander was a no-brainer after pitching 13 1/3 scoreless innings in his two starts. On Wednesday night at Estadio Sonora, Mendoza had a no-hitter through seven and wound up giving up just two hits in 7 1/3 innings, sending Mexico to Thursday's championship game against the Dominican Republic's Leones del Escogido.

Prior to the game, the Caribbean Series All-Stars were announced. They are as follows:

• Manager: Audo Vicente (DR)
• Catcher: Francisco Pena (DR)
• Pitcher: Mendoza
• First base: Donell Linares (DR)
• Second base: Jose Ramirez (DR)
• Third base: Mario Lisson (Venezuela)
• Shortstop: Miguel Tejada (DR)
• Outfielder: Marlon Byrd (Mexico)
• Outfielder: Ricardo Nanita (DR)
• Outfielder: Doug Clark (Mexico)
• Designated hitter: Barbaro Canizares (Puerto Rico)
• Right-handed pitcher: Mendoza
• Left-handed pitcher: Efraim Nieves (Puerto Rico)
• Relief pitcher: David Reyes (Mexico)
• Closer: Saul Rivera (Puerto Rico)