The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) announced this Monday that the team that will represent the island in the V World Baseball Classic (WBC) It will be announced on January 24, two weeks before the limit set by the organizers.
“Although the deadline to deliver the report to the Classic is February 7, the complex immigration procedures required (Japan, Taiwan and the United States), the established critical path (training bases and warm-up matches) and the necessary adaptation to the drastic time change force to advance the conformation of the cast, “says the text published by the sports portal Hit.
Team #Cuba to the Classic of #Baseball will be reported on January 24
This was confirmed this Monday morning by the Cuban Baseball Federation, through a statement. #baseball #worldbaseballclassic https://t.co/3APVdpfya6 pic.twitter.com/sUOjI0TEcU— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) January 16, 2023
The FCB also confirms the beginning this Monday of the final stage of preparation for the tournament, which will have the Latin American stadium in Havana as its headquarters.
It will be held behind closed doors to the public “with the players available at this time, taking into account that some are still enrolled in the final of the I Cuban Baseball Elite League, in contracts abroad and others will only be able to join later due to the regulations established by Major League Baseball.”
The management body, headed by manager Armando Johnson, will evaluate the 50 players included in the shortlist “during the work sessions in the Havana stadium, appreciating the Elite League final and by monitoring the figures that inevitably prepare abroad.”
The final group is scheduled to travel to Japan in February to continue getting in shape and celebrate there three friendly matches already confirmed against professional clubs from that nation.
The FCB indicates that the advancement of the date takes into account the interest that players eliminated from the Clásico team can attend the Caribbean Series, with their champion cast or as reinforcements, meeting the needs declared by the director.
The date chosen for the definition of the team for said world competition will coincide with the deadline to deliver the payroll to the Caribbean Baseball Series of Gran Caracas 2023. The FCB clarifies that those who are selected to participate in the Classic will not be in the team that will play in the Venezuelan capital.
In turn, the sports authorities confirm that “the best conditions have been created for the preparation for the Clásico, and the purpose continues to be to form a competitive team that can advance and make the great aspirations of our fans a reality.”
On January 6, the FCB announced the names of the players who would be eligible for the Clásico, a list that had the unprecedented inclusion of players who play without their protection in several foreign leagues, including the Major League Baseball (MLB) from United States.
Cuba announces its preselection to the World Baseball Classic
After finishing their preparation in Japan, the Cuban team will move to the Taiwanese city of Taichung, the venue for group A of the tournament starting on March 8. In addition to the host representation, the teams from the Netherlands, Italy and Panama will be animating that key.
Cuba has participated in the four previous editions of the World Baseball Classic. His best performance in these competitions dates from the initial version, held in 2006, when he finished in second position after losing in the final to the team from Japan.
