Looking Beyond the Baseball Setback

BEIJING. - It's not easy to write about a painful loss in a sport that is the nation's passion that provokes the hottest controversies and is the object of a detailed analysis by very demanding fans. The gold medals around the necks of the South Koreans were much deserved. This Asian nation -converted into a world sports power that finished seventh in the 29th Olympics' medals standing-, brought to Beijing the best team in the tournament, with an impenetrable defense, excellent pitching and an offense capable of rising at key moments. Hats off to lefthander Hyun-jin Ryu, who threw a masterful game with enviable control using three pitches, a fastball (that didn't reach 90 MPH), curve and slider and who at one point retired 12 batters in order. It's not by chance that the Asian teams have gained superiority over the Americas. Cuba's players went out on the field seeking to win and fought hard during the nine innings. They were on the verge of tying and winning the game in an unforgettable ninth inning. The debate over whether the manager should have sent up a left-handed pinch hitter against the right-handed relief pitcher will go on for some time. With the best level of Olympic baseball ever, no team could make it to the finals playing poorly. Cuba defeated the US team twice and upended Japan which fielded the tournament's best pitching staff. South Korea, the new title holder, had a hard time beating the weakest team, China as well as Canada, winning both games by a 1-0 score. They also were hard pressed to defeat Chinese Taipei, winning that game by a score of 9-8. The Cuban team trained hard, playing in preparation tournaments in Havana, Haarlem, and South Korea. Manager Antonio Pacheco made adjustments in the lineup when he thought they were necessary and that's how they made it to the final game, with their hearts and minds fixated on winning. They lost by one run, the same margin of victory as Cuba's win over the US in their qualifying round game. This time the victory went the other way, to the team that played best. There's no justification; that's sports. Looking to the future and next year's second World Baseball Classic, Cuban baseball must make assessments. Losing the World Cup in Taipei was notice; this latest reverse was a severe warning: the quality of the Cuban Baseball League must improve. We must revise our methods of selecting the roster and training, starting those who are playing best. Another suggestion is reducing the pressure put on our players and coaches, questioning every movement, each decision. As much as it hurts, we must draw conclusions that help improve, let's all look beyond the setback.

Cuba News Agency News posted on 8/27/2008 1:39:25 PM

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