Yadir Drake will wear the colors of the Algodoneros de Guasave for the fourth consecutive winter league season. The slugger from Matanzas,Cuba has become one of the key men in the team’s offensive in recent campaigns and this year he will have the company of his countrymen Yoelkis Guibert and Cuban-American JC Escarra who will be with the team until he joins the Leones de Ponce in November.
Drake appeared yesterday at team training after having participated with the Leones de Yucatán in the WBSC’s inaugural Baseball Champions League tournament. Upon his arrival, the slugger was interviewed by the press that covers the team. His first words were of gratitude to the team management for having the confidence to request his services again.
#LMP | El cubano YADIR DRAKE ya está en el campo de entrenamiento de los @AlgodonerosGsv ..
📷 Club Algodoneros pic.twitter.com/xbtVDG4BPr
— Strikeout (@Rev_Strikeout) October 4, 2023
“First of all, I am very grateful to be back,” Drake stressed. To the fans who always asked about me and were waiting for my return, I thank them because they opened the doors of their home to me, and that, without them, this would not have been possible, so I am happy for this new opportunity.”
The Cuban comes focused on winning a Mexican Winter League title and he let it be known. “We all have a one goal. We have been seeing the team progress year after year, and if things go as planned, we will be in the hunt for a championship, but we have to take things slowly, because in baseball the ball is round and comes in a square box, so you have to take it step by step. The first objective is for the team to be healthy to enter the playoffs on the right foot,” declared the several-time member of the Cuba team.
Yadir Drake’s talent as well as his dedication on the field is one of the reasons why he has been coveted by several teams season after season. Regarding this he commented: “As for the expectations this year, it is to go out and give 100 percent, just as I have always done, leaving aside the personal numbers, that eventually will take care of itself, because my main objective is to help the team win.”