OFF SEASON BASEBALL

Coming up this week we'll have some international baseball action.  A Group of MLB players managed by John Farrell of the Boston Red Sox, will tour Japan for a 7 game series ( 2 exhibitions and 5 games against Samurai Japan).  The formerly called, Japan All Stars are now National Team "Samurai Japan".  This 2014 edition, after an 8 year pause, will feature All Stars like Robinson Cano, Evan Longoria and batting champs Jose Altuve, Justin Morneau and some solid Japanese talent like fireballer Shohei Otani, Seiichi Uchikawa, Yuki Yanagita, Sho Nakata, Kenta Maeda and Hayato Sakamoto. Most of these Japanese players have WBC experience.  The Americans have dominated these series and 2014 should be no different.  Japan has an edge in its meticulous preparation and we'll see how this translates into wins.  All in all, a good series with some nice talent on display. There is a Latin flavor on the MLB team with 10 of 29 players (34%).  Four Dominicans and four Venezuelans lead this group.  Overall, this is a team with pretty good position players and very questionable pitching.  Matt Shoemaker and Hisashi Iwakuma are the best starting pitchers with Mark Melancon and Tommy Hunter the 2 best relievers.

20 year old Shohei Otani, the next Japan pitching star?  (stripealley.com)

Starting Saturday in Veracruz, Mexico, the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games will include a baseball tournament with 8 teams (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico and Guatemala?).  Didn't really know they played baseball in Guatemala.  Teams like Dominican, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Mexico that have Winter Leagues will be sending low level squads to compete.  Cuba on the other hand, is sending their "A" team with WBC and Japan League experience.  Seems like a little overkill or trying to kill a mosquito with a cannon.  It could have been a great opportunity for the Cuban Baseball Federation to send a young manager with mostly good young players to cut their teeth in low level international competition.  Wins for Cuba have been few and far between recently, so this could be the motivation.  The Cuban players have nothing to do with the present debacle.  The sole fault rests with this sport governing body.  They took them from the top of the amateur baseball world to the present situation in a jiffy. Changes at the international level and limited vision caused the Cuban baseball bubble to burst and put them in the box they are now trying to crawl out.  The talent of the Cuban player is undeniable despite some rough edges.  Exposure to better baseball always results in better players.


MLB Network, the baseball channel, has done a good job of promoting baseball.  They can improve programming, especially this time of year, with some live games from the Dominican Republic.  This top echelon winter league offers very good games with a peek at young foreign and native prospects and minor leaguers trying to sharpen their skills for an opportunity at the "Big Show".  Later in the season some established Major Leaguers can be seen helping teams classify for the play-offs.  This baseball hotbed offers a ready made product for MLB Network.

Padres C Yasmani Grandal displaying power with Toros del Este in DR