The Cuban team was courteously received by the almost 8,000 spectators gathered at the Volunteer Stadium, a typical show of appreciation for international teams in this tournament. However, there were not many followers actually coming from Cuba.
In front of an area of the stands full of Japanese families, the fans who supported Cuba occupied just a couple of rows on the side of the initial, decorated in red, white and blue.
While the Japanese players hugged their parents after the victory, the Cuban boys had to support each other. No family of the players made the trip directly from Cuba to South Williamsport for the game, manager Vladimir Vargas said after the game.
“The boys are very proud of what they have done here, knowing that their parents were watching the game on television,” Vargas said. “So the parents are very proud and happy that the boys are playing here.”
Roberto Martinez resides in Las Vegas and was one of only two Cuban parents who turned out Wednesday, Vargas said. Martínez said that he had not seen his namesake son in “several months.”
Martínez Jr. was Cuba’s leadoff hitter and center fielder, while Sr. watched from the stands, surrounded by many unfamiliar faces.
“I would have liked the opportunity to have more relatives here, but there is no way for that to happen,” Martínez said.
Little League and the Cuban Baseball Federation began to discuss the possible participation of the island in the tournament during the administration of former President Barack Obama.
In order for Bayamo, the Cuban national champion, to attend this tournament, Little League worked with the Federal Office of Foreign Assets Control and the State Department. In this way, they obtained 20 visas for the Cuban team, as well as coaches and leaders.
Martínez said that visas for the families of the players are very difficult to obtain, due to the cost and the necessary paperwork.
“I know they are expensive, but it’s not just for the money,” he said.
On the field, Japanese starter HInata Uchikagi struck out 13 and walked just three in five innings before reaching his pitching limit. Akito Masuda painted the Cubans white in the sixth.
Hinata also scored the go-ahead run, on Yohei Yamaguchi’s power grounder to right field in the first inning. He later moved to shortstop and got the last out of the game, retiring Jonathan Lopez on the trails.
Although they could not be at the match, several Cuban baseball players from the majors wished the team luck and said that they will be attentive to their performance.
The group received gifts from Adrián Morejón, pitcher for the San Diego Padres. Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves and Yuli Gurriel of the Miami Marlins sent them video messages.
“We’ve never played in a tournament that big,” Pittsburgh pitcher Johan Oviedo said. “It’s really a good thing for them, for these guys to have the experience and play at that level.” “In Cuba, everything you play is to win. All you learn is winning. That is the goal”.
José Abreu, of Houston, said that no matter what happens in South Williamsport, “one piece of advice would be for these guys to do things with conviction and with love.”
“If they do, they’ll be fine.”
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AP writers Kristie Rieken in Houston and Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.
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Seth Engle is a student at the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
