Yesterday the news was announced that a team of players independent from the Cuban Baseball Players will be invited to the Intercontinental Series that will be played in Colombia between January 25 and February 1, 2024, according to the organizing committee of the event.
As per the management of the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (FEPCUBE), the team made of Cuban players will be able to participate in this event with players who belong to the MLB system. It would be something unprecedented because for the first time since Cuban dictator Fidel Castro closed off Cuban baseball to the world a team of players not associated with the FCB will participate in an international event.
The Intercontinental Series aims to replace the Latin American Series tournament and has the countries of Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama (founders) and as guests Curacao, South Korea, the FEPCUBE team , the United States, Indonesia and Japan. Our sister page Pelota Cubana spoke with Mandy Llanes the Federation’s founder about the topic at hand and the organization’s future goals.
Equipo Cuba de beisbolistas emigrados fue invitado a la Serie Intercontinental que se disputará en Colombia entre el 25 de enero y 1 de febrero de 2024.
Tras la gestión realizada por la Federación Profesional Cubana de Béisbol @fepcube el equipo Cuba podrá participar en este… pic.twitter.com/jit2ze7BSn
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) September 18, 2023
What can you tell us about the event in Colombia?
We are going to participate for the first time, a team of Cubans, but free Cubans, in the Intercontinental Tournament in Colombia between January 25 to 31, 2024. We are going to be participating in the event on behalf of the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation, of which I have the honor of being the president. It is a historic event, because it is the first time that we are going to participate in an international tournament.
How will these team be made up and by whom?
On our board of directors are Orlando “El Duque” Hernández, Brayan Peña, Edilberto Oropeza. They are going to work on the baseball part. Until now we have not communicated with any player, some players who are in the Major Leagues and do know us, though. I believe there is enough Cuban talent in the United States to form a team that represents us with pride.
A previous attempt to for a Federation failed, what makes you think that now they will succeed?
Honestly, I wasn’t involved or aware. I was the last president of the Federation of Cuban Professional Baseball Players founded in 1980 and which lasted until 2008, which held the Havana vs Almendares games. After all came to a halt in March of this year, Hansel Izquierdo, the Duke, and Peña approached me to see how we could work together and after many meetings they asked me to be the president.
What would you do differently?
I don’t know what happened before. It’s not that I’m not interested, but we have to turn the page and move on. We have this opportunity, we have to do a good job together, the Cuban baseball community and the Cuban-American community that were eager to have this. I ask people to support us and be aware. We are going to work transparently, we are going to let people know what we are doing. We have to earn their respect and trust.
Explain how the process of approaching the Colombians came about?
We have very good relations with the Rentería brothers and for this I give credit to Bryan Peña who is very close to them. This tournament has been going on since 2013. When we got permission from the State of Florida to resume Federation’s activity, we spoke to them and they invited us to the tournament and we have signed an agreement participate for the next five years.
What is the final objective of the Federation, a Caribbean Series, a World Baseball Classic?
The Classic is more difficult, because that is at the national federation level. We are not a country. You have to be honest and realistic. That’s going to be impossible. The Caribbean Series is a possibility in the future. There will attend with the champions of our future league. In Florida there is talk of a winter league and it is not far from being reality. You have to participate in that league and win it to go to a Caribbean Series. The objective is to attend the tournament with a team of free Cubans.
Free Cubans, please explain this to the rest of the world?
We Cubans can do what we want, when we want and because we are in a country where we have that right. In Cuba we would not have that right. We are not going to approach the Cuban Baseball Federation. “We live in the United States and we are governed by its laws.
How can the event be seen? Will packages be sold in Miami?
Team Renteria has total control. Yes, they have plans that we have not shared and not because it has been difficult. The difficult thing was keeping this secret quiet. The games are going to be in Barranquilla and fans from here will be able to go. We are going to work so that people want to go. Everyone will like to travel to Colombia.
What is the main message behind all this?
A message of unity, some Cubans here and others there. This sport can unify the baseball community and the Cuban people in general.