He slugger Yasmany Tomás, from the capital, trained this Wednesday at the Latinoamericano stadium in Havana, which seems to be a positive sign for an eventual inclusion in the Industriales roster for the final of the 62nd National Baseball Series and in the Cuba team that will participate in the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador.
“El Tanque” performed exercises on the field and took some swines in the underground batting cage of Coloso del Cerro, where he was closely observed by Armando Johnson, manager of the national team.
According to sources consulted by OnCuba who requested anonymity, the Most Valuable Player of the Mexican League last winter was accompanied by his father and one of his brothers, who were joined by Yohandry Urgellés, a glory of baseball in the capital and former teammate of Tomas in Industrial.
Ricardo Eizmendi, technical head of the National Commission and former coach of San Miguel during his time at the Lions, also participated in the training. Eizmendi, worth remembering, was the man who contacted Tomás to incorporate him into the World Classic team, something that ultimately did not materialize.
According to the sources, “El Tanque” was in very good shape, hitting the ball hard, although it is still difficult to determine if these practices will be sufficient proof for the baseball executives on the island to bet on him. slugger habanero heading to the Central Americans.
Earlier this week, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, head of the Cuban Baseball Federation, said In a press conference that to specify the inclusion of Tomás in the ranks of the national team, “the player with experience in Major League Baseball (MLB) and other professional circuits must have optimal sports form.”
In the exchange itself, Pérez Pardo indicated that the FCB “works” so that the man from the capital can also join the Industriales team in this National Series. Tomás officially requested to join the emblematic Havana cast with the support of the province’s sports authorities, but he must wait for special permission from higher authorities, as indicated in the Competition Regulations.
“The National Baseball Commission (CNB) will analyze the authorization (exceptionally) of the participation of an athlete who has not complied with the participation regime in all its stages,” explains the document issued by the CNB before starting the fight. .
On the other hand, the Regulation itself makes it clear that “players hired in a personal capacity abroad, who have not abandoned delegations or contracts by the FCB (Cuban Baseball Federation), may be authorized to play on any date, once the their migratory process and prior request of the province and approval of the CNB”.
Said immigration procedure is equivalent to repatriation for those who, like Tomás, decided to establish their residence outside the island. The problem is that the man from the capital does not have in his plans to complete the aforementioned repatriation process.
“I am not going to repatriate to play with Industriales. One thing has nothing to do with the other. I can play with Industriales without any problem. I play my National Series and I go with my family, ”she told journalists Melissa Blanco and Alejandro Rodríguez during an interview a little over a week ago.
The situation has generated considerable controversy among specialists and baseball fans in Cuba, since no repatriation process was requested for the MLB players who agreed to represent Cuba in the past World Classic.
Yasmany Tomás played for the last time in Cuba in the 53rd National Series, almost a decade ago. In that one he produced 23 extra-base hits (15 doubles, 2 triples and 6 home runs) in 65 games and 257 trips to the plate, with 28 runs scored, 35 RBIs and an offensive line (Average / On-base average / Slugging) of .290/.346 /. 450. In addition, he was selected for the All-Star Game that was held on the Isla de la Juventud.
