The Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (FEPCUBE) announced that the independent Cuban baseball team that will compete in the next Intercontinental Baseball Series will be renamed Dream Team.
The announcement was made by FEPCUBE on its networks and then, at a press conference, the team’s manager, former big leaguer Brayan Peña, said that “the change means that we are all for a dream.”
The new name replaces the previous name, the phrase “Patria y Vida”, which had been announced by Mandy Llanes Jr., president of FEPCUBE, during a meeting held last week with the press and fans in Miami.
Other proposed names were Cuba, Cubanos, Cubans, Cuba Sugar Kings, among others.
Many fans have wondered about the reason for the name change, an issue that the team’s management has not clarified.
Last Tuesday, the Colombian government declared that it does not support the Barranquilla 2024 Intercontinental Professional Baseball Series, and that it does not recognize the FEPCUBE)in a clear show of support for the authorities of the Cuban regime.
“The Intercontinental Professional Baseball Series, organized in the City of Barranquilla starting January 26, 2024, by Team Rentería USA, is a private and invitational event. That is, it is not organized by the Colombian Baseball Federation, nor is it part of the events on the calendar of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation, the only organization endorsed by the International Olympic Committee,” the Colombian Ministry of Sports indicated this Tuesday. (Mindeporte).
In its statementthe institution stated that it had rejected a collaboration proposal from the organizers of the event, Team Rentería, which is defined as a “(private) entity in charge of organizing, promoting, and enhancing the development of baseball in Colombia.”
“For the above, we inform that this event does not have, to date, funding from resources from the Ministry of Sports, nor with the endorsement of the COC, nor from the Colombian Baseball Federation, reiterating that, for the realization of this event “The requirements established in current Colombian sports legislation must be met,” said the Colombian sports authorities.
In addition to disassociating itself from the event, the leftist government Gustavo Petro took the opportunity to show support and sympathy towards the authorities of the Cuban regime, who do not recognize and condemn the emergence of FEPCUBE.
“In addition to the above, the Ministry of Sports rejects the actions and demonstrations of the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation, which intends to use the name, representation and national symbols of the Republic of Cuba, without the respective authorization of the competent body of the country of origin and without having the recognition of the Colombian government or the sports authorities of our country,” indicated the Mindeporte statement.
After that, Edison Rentería, president of Team Rentería USA, the entity that organizes the tournament, announced that the FEPCUBE players will not use the anthem or the Cuban flag.
