Cubano

QUOTE (ChiSox35 @ Jun 14, 2008 -> 07:04 PM) Alexei has been a breath of fresh air lately, and I agree one day off was enough. However, his .287 batting average has happened in the span of an average Uribe hot streak. Play em while they're hot, I agree, but Ramirez, like Quentin, still has much to prove. Uribe is the one that has to prove he belongs. He is hitting 202 after 7 or 8 MLB season. Alexei is in his first and he is hitting 287. I am sure Uribe will recieve an extension because he belongs.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 14, 2008 -> 05:41 PM) Alexei played for 2 weeks straight and Uribe had a game winning hit last night. And? Are we going to play Uribe from now on? Quentin has not done anything in 2 weeks. Are we going to bench him? Korneko is hitting 218 and Swisher is hitting 220 finally. Let's keep them in the lineup for the entire season. They got their names so it is understandable. Let's keep the third highest average in the bench for Uribe if you count Hall 56 AB who is hitting a meager 202 and was placed in waivers in ST. As I watch MLB, I get more disappointed. Everything is a big lie. MLB and the media manipulates the public opinion. This is surreal. This team has no speed and Alexei can provide you with some speed. Uribe is like a cat who has 7 lives.

I guess Uribe is the regular 2B on this team. Incredible! When you are a veteran, you can suck and still play in MLB.

This guy is around 22 years old. He is special. 97 MPH heater, lefty and tall with long arms. His name is Aroldis Chapman and he plays for the Holguin Hounds. This took place last year in a warmup game ahead of the Intercontinental Cup in Chinese Taipei. He pitched against professional players from the Taipei league. You may have to stop the "We will rock you video". Then, wait for the mini clips to appear and click on them. http://blog.xuite.net/weijunlin/blogbrother/14208394

You can see some cuban ball here. Industriales Lions vs Santiago de Cuba Wasps

QUOTE (southsidehawkeye @ Jun 10, 2008 -> 10:11 PM) *Edit* On another note, Cubano... Is there anywhere that I can listen/read the press conference that those pictures in your above post are from? I'd be really interested to see it. I don't have it. A forumer in another forum posted it like that without the link. You may try to do a search to see if you find something. I did not find the transcripts.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Jun 11, 2008 -> 07:20 AM) Why would people who come into the country get any different treatment than people that were already here? He should have to go through the draft. But again, another player will try to work around the system so that they can pick their own team. Sorry this is a sore subject for me, I feel that every player should have to pass through the draft in order to sign with a team regardless of their country of origin, otherwise it becomes a bidding game that excludes too many teams that need the talent the most. I agree with partially. Either everybody goes to a draft or everybody is a free agent. However, cubans are treated differently than other foreigners. Either you go to the draft or go to a third country. Why? MLB has a special treatment for japanese players.

The Pirates are interested in outfielder Dayan Viciedo http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib...s/s_571847.html Note: Viciedo was in the cuban roster for the first WBC. He was being groomed back then. There is a rumor that Isla de la Juventud Grapefruit Growers SS Juan Carlos Moreno is in Mexico. He was an utility for Cuba during the first WBC. He is good with the glove and hit some doubles. I do not know if he will be able to make it at this stage in his career.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 9, 2008 -> 12:59 PM) In the Sun-Times article on this, it says his picture included him wearing a Cubs hat...LOL That's is another U.S. media blunder! He is wearing a team CUBA hat. LOL I do not have the links guys. I am stealing info from another forum. Dayan Viciedo, left, one of Cuba's top baseball prospects, and his agent Jaime Torres, talks to the media during a news conference in Hialeah, Fla. Monday, June 9, 2008. Viciedo defected from the island and settled in South Florida nearly a month ago. He is now training in Miami in hopes of joining other successful Cuban baseball players who have defected and signed with major league teams in the U.S. Cuban baseball player Dayan Viciedo talks to the media during a press conference in Miami, Florida June 9, 2008. Viciedo, a top Cuban baseball player, has defected to the United States in the latest move by a promising young athlete to abandon the communist-ruled island. The 19-year-old third baseman from Cuba's central Villa Clara province, left his homeland late last month and has settled in south Florida, local media said on Sunday.

Article in English: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/c...ory/562497.html The baseball union has done nothing for cuban defectors. I literally mean nothing. The MLB is in bed with the cuban government since the Orioles went to Cuba.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Jun 8, 2008 -> 12:18 PM) Okay. But in that case, I'm sure the scouts you were questioning have watched the same games you have. Dollars to donuts every single MLB scouting department has tapes of every one of those games. I'm not saying you can't disagree with their opinions or dismissing your take. Just that you can't write off their opinions because they haven't seen enough of him, if they're seeing everything that you've seen. As for the Nats, it depends on how Pena and Dukes turn out. Figure Milledge will stick, but I doubt both of those two work out long term. Either Pena'll hit .200 or Dukes'll beat the living crap out of an umpire who gave him a bad look. So I imagine they'll have at least one spot open. Jackie you may be right. However, MLB keeps recycling the same guys. How much longer do we wait for Willy Mo Pena? Milledge has been in all best prospect list since 1900. Ha, ha, ha. We are still waiting for him to realize his potential. The same thing can be said about Felix Pie. To be honest with you guys. I do not care who you are name wise. Show me in the field with numbers what you are all about. Then, we talk and label you the next big thing. Those prospect list are meaningless to me.

QUOTE (DBAH0 @ Jun 9, 2008 -> 09:58 AM) How does this guy compare to say Kendry Morales at the same age Cubano? Because Morales just hasn't really put it together at the majors yet, although he's been blocked by the likes of Kotchman, Anderson etc., so he probably needs to get out of that organization for his own benefit. Morales had a very good month in August 2007 but somehow the Angles skipper stopped using him. He was hitting 500 and nobody could get him out. I do not think the Angels manager likes him for sure. Viciedo is more athletic. Both has been ragarded as special talent by the cuban media and have been compare to cuban great 3B Omar Linares. Linares is regarded as the best post-1959 player in Cuba. Linares is retired now and back in the days there was a rumor the Blue Jays want him to play for them if the cuban government would have accepted. I do not know wether or not this is true.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 9, 2008 -> 10:09 AM) Looks like he will have to wait a year for the MLB Draft. Na, he is going to a third country for sure. He wants to be able to negotiate with all teams. He has the name to get his legal papers soon.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 9, 2008 -> 09:51 AM) Playing professional ball at the age of 15 is one key indication that you are very talented. This is a problem in Japan and Cuba where you have some teens playing in the main league. Obviouslly, these teens are special. Viciedo has more experience than most 19 years old.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 9, 2008 -> 09:51 AM) Playing professional ball at the age of 15 is one key indication that you are very talented. There is no denying that this guy is one of the premiere players in all of Cuba and considering his age he will be a legitimate asset to any organization (ie, he'll be yet another talent that could pan into something very good, and in terms of a system, it should be an organizations goal to hand as much talent as possible over to the player development people). Let's say you sign him. If you do not want to rush him like Alexei, you send him to the minors to get acclimated and learn English. He buys his first corvette or porshe and gets his driver license. In September 2009, you bring him to the big league club for his first taste of the big leagues. Remember, he will have to go to a third country to become a free agent because Selig won't grant him free agency. His agent knows the way in the Dominican R. and he may play winter league but he will miss this year. He will be a kid with a lot of money he did not have before. He did not have anything in Cuba even his freedom.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jun 8, 2008 -> 06:23 PM) I don't know how old you are but Zoilo Versalles signed with the then Washington Senators in 1958 and led the Twins to their 1st World Series win in 1965 and was named A.L. MVP. I know he was Cuban ( he passed away in 1995) Who else have the Nats/Senator signed out of Cuba ? I am not that old but I do not want to think about aging man. I get depressed when I do that. After I turned 15, time seemed to go very fast and I am now in my 30's. Good piece about the Senators: http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/2002/0311/1349361.html This guy lives in Miami and he is from the same province in Cuba where I was born, Camaguey. He has a lot of good info in English. http://www.cubanball.com/

QUOTE (Brian @ Jun 8, 2008 -> 05:16 PM) Cubano, ANy chance Dayan is actually older than 19? I mean even if he is like 22, no biggie. I say get him! Brian, He is really 19. He has been playing in IBAF international tournaments (AA) and (AAA) such as world cups and panamerican championships.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Jun 8, 2008 -> 01:18 PM) Okay. But in that case, I'm sure the scouts you were questioning have watched the same games you have. Dollars to donuts every single MLB scouting department has tapes of every one of those games. I'm not saying you can't disagree with their opinions or dismissing your take. Just that you can't write off their opinions because they haven't seen enough of him, if they're seeing everything that you've seen. As for the Nats, it depends on how Pena and Dukes turn out. Figure Milledge will stick, but I doubt both of those two work out long term. Either Pena'll hit .200 or Dukes'll beat the living crap out of an umpire who gave him a bad look. So I imagine they'll have at least one spot open. Those scouts were saying that Alexei was projected to have Julio Lugo type power numbers. Scouts do not see cuban players often. They only see them 5 o 6 games in a year during an international tournament.

I am so happy about my cuban compatriot. What a deceiving power he has! That was a shot to right.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 8, 2008 -> 11:00 AM) The emergence of Ramirez has certainly been interesting. He was given a chace to play everyday when Uribe was injured and now Juan can't get back in the lineup. Do you think we will be looking back on the Alexei signing and compare it to the Quentin trade? Both have done very well, but Alexei needs more time to prove himself. Rookie of the Year consideration possible though? These are the rookie of the year candidates so far and Alexei has a lot of catching to do for sure. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/battin...mp;endDate=null

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jun 8, 2008 -> 09:30 AM) Not to mention the fact that Uribe can't hit anymore and is only under contract for this season. I've been pleasantly surprised with Alexei defensively. I imagine that he'll be our Opening Day SS next year. I'd like to see him get more time over there when Cabrera gets a day off. You are right. If the Sox wants Ramirez at SS next season, they better send him out there this season more regularly so next year he is acclimated to that position. How many guys are moved here and there and do well? Sometimes, we are expecting too much from him playing everywhere at MLB level with short notice.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Jun 8, 2008 -> 08:29 AM) So, I don't mean to call you out or anything, I mean this as a legit question. Given that you live in WV, when's the last time you saw him play? Why didn't he just go to DR, like all the other Cuban defectors? Seems silly to risk being ineligible for fa by going to the US. Also, third base with the Nats is probably not gonna happen any time soon... Oh, and his wikipedia page hasn't been updated since April. Who wants everylasting fame? I watch cuban TV in the USA. Anybody can watch foreign TV in the USA. Just buy an FTA dish, receiver, LNB and install it. The cuban season just ended in the spring. Ask for the Nats and Viciedo, how about the outfield?

My bets are than Ramirez will keep playing well. He is getting more acclimated to MLB as the days go by. If you have noticed, he has been hitting the inside fastballs first. I guess teams see him so skinny they think he will be victimized. Then, they began working him outside and with offspeed stuff. He has been directing the ball to CF and RF. Other teams have been making adjustments but Ramirez have been handling them well. Ramirez es super fast. Therefore, he will have a lot of cheap hits and he will convert hits into doubles and so forth. This team has zero speed. You have to keep throwing Ramirez out there for this reason too. If the defense follow sleep, Ramirez will lay down a bunt in any situation.

QUOTE (Chet Lemon @ Jun 7, 2008 -> 11:17 PM) Is there anyway we could trade Uribe to Baltimore? I looked at Baltimore's depth chart, and their starting SS is Freddie Bynum. This idea seems to make perfect sense b/c Uribe will be happy starting every day and the Sox will be happy to move him. Baltimore is rebuilding. The new GM would not trade for Uribe for sure. He wants young players.

QUOTE (southsidehawkeye @ Jun 7, 2008 -> 09:11 PM) Are scouts banned in Cuba only because of the US laws? or is it a rule on the Cuban baseball league side as well? I guess the question would be could a team that wants to look at Cuban talent hire someone from Canada (or anywhere else for that matter) to go down and take a look at the players down there? I'm just curious what the specific rules are on this. Scouts are banned in Cuba mainly because the cuban government. They risks going to jail. The first time they probably confiscate the equipment such as spped guns, etc. They put the scouts in the next airplane to leave Cuba. MLB also warn scouts about not going to Cuba. Going back to Viciedo. I think he may be best suited to play 3B or a courner outfield. He may be good to play 1B. He is only 19 and he should grow more. He has played SS in his first years but last season he was used in 3B and RF for the Villa Clara Oranges. Scouts generally does not say good things about potential clients because they will drive the price up. Obviouslly, scouts want to avoid that. Once they sign a player, then they talk good things.