Reflections by Comrade Fidel
Events have proven me right
On Tuesday March 17th I wrote: “The Classic was organized by
those who administer the exploitation of sports in the United States…” I immediately added: “The three best teams in
the Classic and the Olympics, Japan, Korea and Cuba, were placed in the same
group so that they might eliminate each other.
Last time, they placed us in the Latin American group; this time in the
Asian group.
Therefore between today and tomorrow in San Diego, one of the three will
be irremissibly eliminated…”
On the subject of players on the Republic of Korea’s national team, I
stated in that very same article: “They are the main adversary because they are
also methodical and their batting is stronger than that of the Japanese.”
Two days later on March 19th, I explained: “In
the game between the teams from Japan and Cuba that finished today at almost
“However, I doubt that any team from the west
can defeat Japan and Korea in the group of competitors who will be playing in
Los Angeles in the next three days. With
its quality, only one of the two Asian countries shall decide who will take the
first and second spots in the Classic”.
Regarding the Japanese, I provided details:
“Training sessions are incredibly tough and
methodical. They have devised technical
methods to develop the reflexes each player needs to have. Every day, batters practice with hundreds of
balls thrown by left and right-handers. As for the pitchers, they are made to
throw four hundred balls every day. It
they make any mistake in the game, they must then throw one hundred more. They do it with pleasure, as if it were a
form of self-punishment. Thus they
acquire notable muscle control which obeys the orders sent by their
brains. That’s why their pitchers amaze
everyone with their ability to land their throws at the exact spots they
choose. Similar methods are applied to
each of the activities each of the athletes must carry out at the positions
they are defending and in their batting activities”.
“Athletes in the other Asian country, the
Republic of Korea, are developed with similar characteristics, thus turning it
into a powerhouse in professional world baseball”.
Events have been happening exactly like that:
Yesterday, after 12:30 at night Cuban time,
the Korean team defeated the Venezuelan team by 10 to
Carlos Silva, the opening pitcher for Venezuela,
could have been spared an unnecessary humiliation when, after walking the first
batter and two consecutive errors in the defense, there were three hits one
after the other, thus making it one to zero with bases loaded and no outs in
the first inning. The Koreans were deciphering Silva’s pitching and he had to
be replaced with no hesitation. Korea hit
a grand slam giving them a 5 to 0 advantage all within the first inning. With a team like this Asian one, the game had
already been decided in the first inning even though it is fair to point out
that the Venezuelan national team fought hard and didn’t lose heart throughout
the game. At the end their aim was to
avoid a knockout score.
The game tonight between Japan and the United
States is a mere formality.
On Monday spectators both inside and outside
that country will be able to watch the encounter between the two Asian
powerhouses of professional baseball.
It will be a rough road to reestablish Cuba’s
supremacy once more in that sport where patriotism, national pride and our
struggle for healthy and educational sport has attained the highest of
levels.
Many are the lessons we must learn from the
last Classic.
Fidel Castro Ruz
March 22, 2009
1:54 p.m.