Havana Competitions Highly Entertaining Despite an Imbalanced Field

by Peter C. Bjarkman

June 10, 2008

There have been few surprises throughout the first half of the José Huelga Memorial tournament, where just about everything has unfolded exactly as expected—plenty of Cuban slugging, some sub par but spirited opposition from the visiting Puerto Rico and Venezuela ball clubs, and a tense competition for final roster spots on this summer’s Cuban Olympic team. Several conclusions are already possible. Michel Enríquez has definitely returned to his pre-suspension hitting brilliance and seems assured of the starting third base slot in Beijing. The powerful Yosvany Peraza will provide plenty of Olympic Games backup for Ariel Pestano, but the latter hardly appears ready to yield his starting backstop assignment. The stiffest competition is for outfield slots—especially between Granma teammates Alfredo Despaigne and Yoennis Céspedes, as well as Yoandry Urgellés (Industriales) and Leonis Martin (Villa Clara).

Ariel Pestano
Ariel Pestano of Cuba Azul is leading the IX José Antonio Huelga Tournament with a .833 (6-5) batting average.
Freddie Cepeda is penciled in on the Cuba Red roster but is nursing a leg injury and will not see action until the reduced squad heads to Haarlem in early July. I now have reliable information that Cepeda has already been guaranteed a roster slot, which leaves the status of Osmani Urrutia open to considerable question. The lifetime Cuban League batting leader continues to hit like a relentless machine, yet he is limited by his restriction to the DH role in any prospective Cuban national team lineup. While Urrutia’s reliable bat would be an obvious plus in Beijing, it certainly may not be a necessity in a lineup that features the top-to-bottom power of Bell, Gourriel, Cepeda, Malleta, Michel Enriquez, and even infield backup Héctor Olivera.

Huelga Tournament Standings (Five Days)

Team Standings: Cuba Blue (4-0), Cuba Red (2-1), Puerto Rico (1-3), Venezuela (0-3)

Batting Leaders: BA: Ariel Pestano (Cuba Blue) .833 (6-5); HR: Michel Enríquez (Cuba Blue) and Alexei Bell (Cuba Red), César Crespo (PR) 2; RBI: Ariel Pestano (Cuba Blue), Yovany Peraza (Cuba Blue), Osmani Urrutia (Cuba Blue) 6.

The biggest story in Havana so far has undoubtedly been the Cuban batting onslaught, which is perhaps somewhat difficult to assess given the diminished pitching opposition. While Venezuela boasts one WBC veteran in its stable, Victor Moreno is no longer the pitcher he was a few years back. José Santiago and Melvin Pizarro, a pair of former pros, have impressed at times for Puerto Rico, but neither is of the quality to be faced in Beijing, or even in Haarlem. Another subplot here this week has been the less-than-ideal weather conditions, with heavy early-summer rains washing out a pair of games in San José and delaying another here in Havana. Originally slated for eight first-round games apiece, the teams have now seen their appearances reduced to six each in the first round. And one unexpected result of the first weekend’s rainouts in San José was an unusual morning-afternoon doubleheader here in Havana on Sunday.

Most of the Cuban team headline performances have fallen on the offensive side of the ledger, with the slugging of Pestano, Urrutia and Bell being the most obvious plusses. But there has been some eye-catching Cuban mound work as well. Norge Vera (Blue) and Yunieski Maya (Red) have impressed with solid four-inning opening stints. Maya seemingly recovered quickly from his inaugural night relief failures against the rival Blues, in which he self-destructed with only three pitches. Yet the top story clearly has been the impressive long-ball slugging of Bell, Enríquez and Pestano (who has one homer and three doubles in only six trips to the plate), as well as the consistent offense provided by Malleta (four singles and three doubles) and Urrutia (six clutch RBI). It is only the latter whose spot on the final roster seems to still hang in the balance.

Huelga Tournament First-Half Game Summaries

Game 1: Puerto Rico 7, Venezuela 5 (10 innings) (Thursday, June 5 in San José)

The only match so far not featuring one or both Cuban squads (also the only one staged in San José) went to extra innings and involved an official protest lodged by Venezuela’s contingent (team officials questioned the technicalities of a crucial Puerto Rican hidden-ball maneuver). Pitcher José Santiago picked up the victory with a single inning of relief work, and Carlos Pagan and César Crespo cracked homers for the winners.

Game 2: Cuba Blue 8, Cuba Red 5 (Thursday, June 5 in Havana)

The most exciting match of the opening round was the head-to-head lid lifter between the two Cuban lineups—a see-saw affair decided by Ariel Pestano’s walk-off three-run blast to deep left-center in the bottom of the ninth. Michel Enríquez also homered for the Blue squad and Ismel Jiménez earned the pitching victory from the bull pen. Yunieski Maya faced the final two Blue team batters and yielded an opposite field single to Alex Mayeta before surrendering the dramatic homer to Pestano.

Game 3: Cuba Blue 13, Puerto Rico 0 (7 innings) (Friday, June 6 in Havana)

Aroldis Chapman (the starter) was granted the pitching victory under revised tournament rules, despite hurling only 2.2 innings (Cuban hurlers are limited in this event to 45 pitches). Adiel Palma and Jonder Martínez also saw service for the winners versus a Puerto Rico line-up that collected only two harmless singles. Michel Enríquez (for the second straight day) and Alfredo Despaigne stroked homers during the one-sided match.

Game 4: Cuba Blue 10, Venezuela 0 (8 innings) (Saturday, June 7 in Havana)

Cuba Blue posted a second straight knockout win on the strength of a six-run uprising in the top of the eighth frame. Yosvany Peraza unloaded a mammoth three-run homer in the fifth that reached the distant third tier of left-field bleachers. Starter Norge Luis Vera (3.2 frames) gained the victory and Alex Malleta registered three base hits, including a ringing double. Venezuela posted only a single base hit against the combined hurling of Vera, Ismel Jiménez and Alberto Bicet.

Game 5: Cuba Blue 5, Puerto Rico 0 (Sunday, June 8 in Havana)

The rain-interrupted, revised schedule found Cuba Blue playing a fourth straight contest Sunday morning while Cuba Red continued to sit on the sidelines. A second win over Puerto Rico was this time a closer affair, although the outcome was never much in doubt. Dropped to the third slot in the batting order, Giorvis Duvergel homered in the third. Ariel Pestano continued his hitting onslaught with two doubles in two plate appearances. Miguel Luis Rodríguez (Holguin) hurled four effective opening innings to earn the win.

Game 6: Cuba Red 7, Venezuela 1 (Sunday, June 8 in Havana)

Cuba Red finally returned to the field on Sunday afternoon in Havana and coasted against Venezuela, salting the game away at the outset with five markers in the top of the first. Eriel Sánchez started (2.2 innings) and earned the victory, with Pedro Luis Lazo, Yulieski González and Miguel Lahera toiling in relief. The hitting onslaught for the winners was lead by Yulieski Gourriel and Eduardo Paret, who both stroked timely doubles. Yoandry Urgellés continued to struggle, however, with a disappointing zero-for-four outing.

Game 7: Cuba Red 6, Puerto Rico 5 (10 innings) (Monday, June 9 in Havana)

Rain delayed Monday’s announced 6 pm start in Latin American Stadium by more than two hours, but those who stuck around were treated to the tightest and most entertaining contest of the first week. Heavy air did little to silence bats on either side, with the fast-improving Puerto Ricans arising for three sixth-inning homers against an ineffective Vicyohandri Odelín. The onslaught was launched by César Crespo, who had three hits on the night. But a first homer by Alexei Bell tied the thrilling match in the bottom of the same frame, and a second round tripper by Bell decided matters in the tenth. Yoelkis Cruz was the pitching victor in relief while Yulieski Gourriel also homered for the winners. Local Industriales favorite Yoandry Urgellés finally broke out of his early-tournament slump with three singles in five trips to the plate.

Tonight’s renewed action features a final first-round clash between two Cuban squads, with little more than bragging rights and crucial roster spots now at stake. A Red Team victory will clinch the top two slots for the Cuban squads and thus guarantee that they will not have to square off again before an expected rematch during the Sunday finals in Havana. So far unbeaten, Cuba Blue paced by Pestano, Urrutia and Peraza has been the more impressive unit. But with the bats of Bell and Gourriel now coming to life—as well as with Lazo, Maya, Yulieski González and Norberto González ready for mound duty—the so-far disappointing Red squad may soon again enjoy a championship advantage. With all four squads guaranteed slots in the semifinals, nothing in first-round action will weigh heavily this coming weekend and thus any unexpected turn is a distinct possibility.

Huelga Tournament Revised Schedule and Results

Thursday, June 5 (Opening Day)

Puerto Rico 7, Venezuela 5 (10 innings) (Nelson Fernández Stadium, 2 pm)

Cuba Blue 8, Cuba Red 5 (Latin American Stadium, 8 pm)

Friday, June 6 (First Round)

Cuba Blue 13, Puerto Rico 0 (7 innings) (Latin American Stadium, 8 pm)

Saturday, June 7 (First Round)

Cuba Blue 10, Venezuela 0 (8 innings) (Latin American Stadium, 8 pm)

Sunday, June 8 (First Round)

Cuba Blue 5, Puerto Rico 0 (Latin American Stadium, 10 am)

Cuba Red 7, Venezuela 1 (Latin American Stadium, 2 pm)

Monday, June 9 (First Round)

Cuba Red 6, Puerto Rico 5 (10 innings) (Latin American Stadium, 8:30 pm)

Tuesday, June 10 (First Round)

Puerto Rico vs. Venezuela (Nelson Fernández Stadium, 2 pm)

Cuba Blue vs. Cuba Red (Latin American Stadium, 8 pm)

Wednesday, June 11 (First Round)

Cuba Red vs. Puerto Rico (Nelson Fernández Stadium, 2 pm)

Cuba Blue vs. Venezuela (Latin American Stadium, 8 pm)

Thursday, June 12

Rest Day

Friday, June 13 (First Round)

Cuba Red vs. Venezuela (Latin American Stadium, 6 pm)

Saturday, June 14 (Semifinals)

Second Place vs. Third Place (Nelson Fernández Stadium, 2 pm)

First Place vs. Fourth Place (Latin American Stadium, 8 pm)

Sunday, June 15 (Finals)

Third Place Game (two Saturday losers) (Nelson Fernández Stadium, 11 am)

Championship Game (two Saturday winners) (Latin American Stadium, 3 pm)

Havana, Cuba

June 8, 2008

Peter C. Bjarkman’s analyses of Cuban baseball can also be followed on his website at www.bjarkman.com, on his personal blog at www.bjarkmanlatinobaseball.mlblogs.com, and on the Cuban League site found at www.radiococo.cu (English-language page). His new book entitled Who’s Who in Cuban Baseball, 1962-2007 will be published by McFarland at the end of the coming year.