Cuba, China Taipei and the Netherlands for Seats to Rotterdam’s WPT Final

If the local team beats today Curaçao it will result in a triple tie at the top of Rotterdam’s 14th World Port Tournament.

Cuba defeated Curaçao (3×0), the Netherlands (4×0) and China Taipei (3×1), and lost to locals (0×7) and to Asians (1×2).

It is becoming evident that for our team the international baseball events held in the nation of the tulips, wether it is in Harlem or in Rotterdam, are getting difficult to win, and they get to mirror the flaws in our national sport.

Even when the rest of the countries do not participate with tough squads, we always go there with the best of our men, that is why fans and specialists expect a little more.

To the 14 edition team Cuba was represented by the men who won the All-Star Game held in the past season under the name Occidentales (Western).

Though a young group, many of the players have international experience and have even participated in the greatest event of baseball: the World Classic.

No wonder the ambience of uncertainty in the island, where everyone demands that our “pelota” gets to the place where it belongs.  However, to get there, we must adjust to international standards and fully understand how globalized is the sport we are passionate about and act accordingly.

It all translates into embracing the idea of inserting oursleves in foreign leagues, ameliorating our domestic championships, from the very base to the top, and changing, above all, old principles and states of mind that have us nowhere, and with an unwanted lack of important titles.

Cuba will face Curaçao tomorrow in search of a seat to the great final. The Netherlands and China Taipei will fight for the other. The table is set.

TAKEN FROM www.cubaseballillustrated.wordpress.com