Cubano

Cuba will start the game with veteran RHP Norge Luis Vera (Santiago de Cuba Wasps). If you guys see him, he is like el Duke Hernandez. He has a very good record in Cuban season play. He beat the Orioles in Baltimore in the 1990's. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?g...rsaint_cubint_1

Is the WBC bad for pitchers? http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=2426

He will end up with the Mets as a starter.

One of the things I dislike about the WBC is the eligibility criteria. All these players who have not been nor speak the language nor have play in an given country are representing these countries. It is MLB times 10. This should be about players who play in the Italian, Dutch, etc leagues unless they were born in those countries.

QUOTE (CryptviLL @ Mar 7, 2009 -> 06:37 PM) WTF. That is funny. I heard that comment too.

Scenario, I also forgot to mention the side of the contract for Cubans. We were paid pennies and still are under pay. In MLB, the bigger the contract the faster your promotion to the big club. I have a study about salaries and stats for Cuban and Japanese players. I have to update it to post it in my blog. The $$$ difference is so big and the stats difference is so small that is unreal. This is despite Cubans have lots of things against them and Japanese come with Hollywood Red Carpet style with garantee posittions, their family also come to the USA, MLB teams helped them with schools for their children, etc. I do not blame the Japanese because I think they have been taking advantage of MLB for good. Viciedo got good money. Kendry did not. His agent is an accountant from Canada tha has a Cuban wife. Kendry is his first client. He subcontracted the negotiations to a Cuban baseball agent who was working for a mortgage company in Miami. Many Cubans players are with agents that do not have experience initially. They just want to escape and sometimes people helping them are not very experienced. Alexei did not get good money either.

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Mar 7, 2009 -> 05:12 PM) most of his at-bats were not shown, most of the broadcast was the rangers broadcasters doing player and front-office interviews during a couple of Dayan's ABs, he did not have any hits today though, no K's either I hate when they do that. I feel like throwing a shoe at the TV. I like to watch the game and not a front office guy saying mostly lies and face saving words. They can put all of that in the newspaper for those who buys them.

I did not watch the game. How did he look like with the bat? Did he swing at bad pitches? Thanks

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Mar 7, 2009 -> 04:34 PM) Viciedo's problem right now is that Fields is outplaying him offensively, Dayan needs to pick it up a bit if he wants to stand a chance I like what I've seen from Dayan, he can definitely play that position adequately It is true. I just wish Guillen shuts up and let Viciedo play. If at the end of the camp his defense is bad, then you tell him. He should not be putting more pressure on this kid by saying his defense is so so. By the way, Guillen has not said anything good about his defense during the last two games but he was quick to point Viciedo needed to impreve defensively.

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Mar 7, 2009 -> 03:24 PM) uh Dayan can play 3rd. Was Guillen watching? After 1 or 2 games, he started saying his defense is subpar and this and that. He was just preparing the kid for the news about being sent to the minors. This happens not only to Viciedo. It happens every year to many players. When you have minor league options or you are the first one to arrive, usually you are send down. It is time to get something in return for all the time and money the Sox have spent in Fields.

Scenario, Cuban players can not choose when to defect. Many of them defect while the MLB season is underway and teams have set up their budgets for the year already. In addition, Cubans are unable to sign right away and are out of baseball shape while waiting for the Draft or going to a third country. Language barrier have been another issue. Before 1996 (?), interantional baseball was played with aluminum bats. In Cuba hitters played with aluminum bats too. Many defectors that played most of the career with aluminum bats had a tough time in the USA adapting to the wooden bat. Only Jorge Toca and Rey Ordonez made it though Ordonez played only 4 years in Cuba. Toca played 8. Recent defectors have killed A, AA, AAA, MLB or Winter League pitching. Kendry Morales was caught trying to defect in Panama. He was send back to Cuba. He was away from baseball and went to the D.R. He played a handfull games. He came to ST and hitted close to 400. His reward was to be sent down. Kotchman was the regular 1B. They had Tim Salmon who was running in one leg and was on his tour out. They had Rob Quinlan ahead of him. To sum up, Kendry was better than all these guys. Look at Kendry's minor league numbers and compare them to Kotchman's and you will see Kendry had better numbers. Kendry has more power than Kotchman and he is a switch hitter too. I thought Kendry had a chance to be the first one. SS Yuniesky Betancourt made it after 3 months in the minors. He escaped Cuba to the USA. Then, he went to Mexico. He was an upcoming player for Villa Clara, but in Cuba there are players better than him now. If the Cuban government and MLB go to bed together at the end of 2009, I garantee you that many Cubans could play straight to the Majors. Alexei already proved it. The veteran players will not make it because MLB and any employer discriminate agaisnt old people. The young guys will make it especially if an MLB team does not have a good player an any given position.

Congratulations to the Dutch! You deserve every moment of joyce. Your program has improved over the years. I remember being a kid back home watching Cuba trash the Netherlands. In the last few years, the Netherlands have played hard and beaten Cuba, Japan and USA teams. They have players that play in the minors, Mexico and their own league. Let's go USA! I like to see USA vs Cuba in the finals. If I am watching alone, I will be rooting for the Cubans. If my kid is around, I will rooting for the USA then. The security around the Cuban team in Mexico is unreal. The Cuban security personnel do not allow them to do anything. What a shame!

Japan trashed Korea today. Korea had beaten Japan 4 of the last 6 games between them counting the WBC # 1, Olympics and Asian Cup. This is the schedule. Canada vs USA today. http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/schedule/

QUOTE (BFirebird @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 03:30 PM) Australia must suck...Wes Whistler 4 k's through 2. I hope they do vs Cuba. We are in the same group in Mexico.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 02:12 PM) Australia of course. Stupid question. Oh, my God!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 02:09 PM) So who are you rooting for? I am sure he is rooting for the Sox like I am rooting for Fields to win the 3B job over Viciedo. Ha, ha, ha. :aussie:

Cualfield12: Certainly, Viciedo does not have a place with the Yanks. Maybe, in Boston with Lowel in his way out soon. I think he will be a free agent soon, but I am not sure plus Boston wants to get rid of him. How about signing for less with other team for a chance to be in the MLB roster for that team? I do not know how many teams and how much those teams offered for sure. Anyways, let see what happens. I do not think Viciedo is the next Baby Ruth. I will never make those projections. Qwerty: I am not demanding he makes the team. I am just writing about the Sox saying first, Viciedo will have a chance to compete for the starting 3B job. Then, the same Sox saying the job will be handed to Fields in day two of the ST. If Fields performs better, he should start. If Viciedo performs better, then he should start. I am done with this discussion.

QUOTE (Cowch @ Mar 5, 2009 -> 08:45 PM) His first good play was grabbing a ball on a bad hop and getting the guy out anyway, second, and most impressive for his size to me, was diving for a liner jumping towards the mound onto the grass, and third was a throw just about from the foul line to get the guy out. This coming after I hear he's a bad defender, where did that come from? As for his ABs today, it looks like he's still trying to get a feel for all the pitches. He's making contact in every AB though, and when he makes contact he really gets some wood on the ball. Guillen

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Mar 5, 2009 -> 08:16 PM) I only saw two of his atbats, in one it was a 3-pitch strikeout, swinging at some breaking balls away, the other was a flyout i believe his defense looked pretty good today, very strong arm at 3b Thanks!

China 0 Japan 4 Japanese hitters did not hit the chinese pitchers well. One Japanese went from 2 second base to third base with a rolling at SS and less than two outs. Another runner went from thrid to home plate with less than two outs. Did anybody wake up at 4:30 AM EST to watch this game? Friday morning Korea vs Chinese Taipei at the same time.

QUOTE (Cowch @ Mar 5, 2009 -> 07:55 PM) Did you watch today's game? He made some slick plays at third. I only watched the first game vs Kuroda and Milton not today's game vs the same guys. I am at work. Viciedo had not played for a long time before ST. I wished he had played a few games in the D.R. winter league like Alexei did. How did he look like today with the bat? Was he swinging at balls way out of the strike zone? His page in WS.com has nothing. I have not seen his two HRs.

Caulfield12 and Lostfan: I understand your opinion very well especially the everyday playing time issue for a 19-20 year old. However, let's not forget Viciedo is a White Sox for three reasons: 1. White Sox offered a competitive offer to him. 2. The appeal of the other Cuban in the White Sox organization. 3. The promise of a true competition for the 3B position. I am sure Viciedo has heard all the talk about not being a true competition for the 3B job. I am sure he and his agent are thinking why we chose the White Sox over other teams especially when other teams offered more $$$$$$$$. The White Sox misled Viciedo and his agent. He would have signed for more money with X or Y team if I have to go to the minors anyways. Do you guys believe the White Sox will compete with the other teams this year? I think by July, Dye and others will be gone. If Viciedo and Beckham have not played any other position in the minors, I hope they do not throw them anywhere else beside 3B and SS in the Majors out the blue. If there are concerns with Viciedo's ability to play 3B, then tell him to his face. You are assigned to 1B or the outfield starting today.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 03:35 AM) Guillen won't play Dayan in RF because of a guy named Jermaine Dye. He won't get to play in LF because of Carlos Quentin. Cubano, you add a lot to this board but saying that it makes you mad because Ozzie won't give him a shot in RF really proves your obvious pro-Cuban player bias. I have never written bench Dye or Quentin to play Viciedo. Have I? If so, please point cite where I posted such thing. I am saying if the Sox decides he is not the starting 3B then play him as a bench player resting Fields and Dye. He played 3B and RF in Cuba. He can DH and provide rest to the regular. Do not send him to the minors because he will adjust better with Contreras and Alexei. That is what I have written many times. Guys you are killing me!

Well, my boy responded to Fields's two doubles with a bomb. I am dissapointed he made an error. The kid is holding his ground so far.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 11:36 PM) Hey Cubano, I have a question for you: If you personally watched Viciedo play 3rd base in Cuba, how good is his defense compared to Edwin Encarnacion of the Reds? I think Viciedo will hit very good, but I wonder about his defense sometimes and whether his defense will make him the AL-version of Encarnacion. Tele Rebelde, the channel that broadcast cuban season baseball games, only shows a game per day except Mondays which is the day off. There are 8 games going on but only one gets televised. Therefore, I have seen Viciedo, but not as often as I wish. Remember, he was very young playing among grown men. The cuban ball varies from season to season. Now, they are playing with the japanese Mizuno. In the past, they have played with a cuban made ball (piece of crap) and a chinese made ball (we know most things from China are not good). Unlike the Rawling ball which travels longer and faster, these balls are not that great in that respect. Viciedo played a good portion with the cuban and chinese ball. Also, the MLB hitters should be stronger than cubans as a general rule. Cubans are not 6-4 usually. We are 6-0 in average. Therefore, connections should get to Viciedo at 3B quicker in MLB. He should be alright because he is maturing as a baseball player. Once I posted his stats in Cuba. I am at work now and I do not have the stats with me. He has done fine the few games I have seen him. I have a coulpe of old games of Villa Clara. I have to watch them to see.