Photo: Yuhki Ohboshi
The Cuban team that will participate in the upcoming Premier 12, with some subs, will hold a new exhibition this Friday against the Korean national team with which they will share group B in the tournament. After practice Thursday, the team’s management revealed the lineup for the upcoming game.
The battle between the too squads will begin at 05:30 AM (Cuba time). The game will be played at the Gocheok Sky Dome, the Kiwoom Heroes stadium that has a capacity for approximately 17,000 fans. Left-hander Yoennis Yera was announced as the starter for Cuba in the contest.
Jean Walters, the only Cuban team player with an active contract with a major league organization (Arizona Diamondbacks), will not start this game. Yoelkis Guibert will hit first and center fielder. The new arrived Yoan Moncada, who practiced with the team this Thursday and will make his first appearance in the lineup as a third baseman and hit second.
Erisbel Arruebarrena will hit third in the order and be the shortstop, while Alfredo Despaigne will be his usual cleanup spot and be the designated hitter. Rafael Viñales will occupy fifth hole in the lineup and will play right field. Lázaro Armenteros will remain as left fielder, while sixth and Roberto Baldoquín will bat seventh and play first base.
Andrys Pérez will once again catch and Yadil Mujica will be the second baseman and ninth. After the last game in Ulsan, the Cuban manager stated that these two games would be key to making the final decisions on who will make the final cut, which will be made official on November 8th by the team’s higher-ups.
Then they will play a second game against the Koreans at 01:00 AM (Cuba time) on Saturday, November 2. The Cuban team has so far suffered two losses in the pitching staff (Ronald Bolaños and Yoan López). It is the first time in the last nine years and the third time in general that Korea invites Cuba to play an exhibition series.
KBO President Heo Heo-yeon met with Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, president of the Cuban Baseball Federation last June to discuss ways to promote exchanges between the two countries, such as promoting friendly games.
On November 3, the Cuban team will travel to Taichung, Taiwan where they will train in country and will then be facing teams from the Industrial League on the 5th, 6th and 7th of that month. A day later they will move to Taipei, on the 10th and 11th they will be playing exhibition games officially scheduled by the WBSC for the event.
Line-up or tonight’s exhibition game vs Korea:
1.Yoelkis Guibert (CF)
2.Yoan Moncada (3B)
3.Erisbel Arruebarruena (SS)
4.Alfredo Despaigne (DH)
5.Rafael Viñales (RF)
6.Lázaro Armenteros (LF)
7.Roberto Baldoquín (1B)
8.Andrys Pérez (C)
9.Yadil Mujica (2B)
Yoenni Yera (LHP)