The Cuban coaching staff and several athletes who will compete in the upcoming World Baseball Classic completed the administrative process for their visas today at the U.S. embassy in Havana. All documents remain under administrative review by the State Department. The following Cuban baseball players also went to the U.S. Embassy in Havana today and applied for their visas for the upcoming World Baseball Classic:
Pavel Hernández RHP
Dario Sarduy LHP
Christian Rodríguez IF
Luis Vicente Mateo IF
Yuniesky García RHP
Roel Santos OF
Alfredo Despaigne DH
Andy Cosme C
Their visas are also under administrative review by the State Department.
On a further note with the coaching staff Jesús Manso due to his contractual obligations with the Mexican Baseball League, Jwill not be the pitching coach for Cuba in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Pedro Luis Lazo and Jesús Bosmenier will now share that role during the tournament.
The last two days have been very eventful for Cuba in reference to the World Baseball Classic. Cuba is scheduled to begin its training for the World Baseball Classic this month in Havana. They will then hold a training camp in Nicaragua, where they will play several exhibition games against the Nicaraguan national team, presumably between February 20 and 24.
The schedule continues with a trip to Arizona, where, if there are no visa issues, they will face the Kansas City Royals (March 3, Surprise Stadium) and the Cincinnati Reds (March 4, Goodyear Stadium). All of this will take place before their official debut against Panama on March 6 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Players from the MLB/MiLB system will join the team five days before the start of the tournament, so they will be available for the exhibition games in Arizona.