Cuban baseballer wants to be in professional leagues

Cuban baseballer wants to be in professional leagues
Xinhua | 2013-8-13 9:30:21

Cuban baseball player Alfredo Despaigne expressed his desire to
re-engage in foreign professional leagues after his recent experience
this season with the Mexican Pirates of Campeche, official sports
website Jit reported on Monday.

"It is the chance of being able to measure ourselves in another baseball
and get the benefits of learning from them. I think it was great. I just
hope this experience to be continued and expanded," Despaigne was quoted
as saying.

Despaigne, 26, the outstanding outfielder and silver medalist at the
Beijing Olympic Games, played this season for the Pirates at the Mexican
Baseball League, along with his countrymen Yordanis Samon and Michel
Enriquez, after being authorized by the local federation of the
discipline, an unprecedented event in Cuba for the last half century.

Noting that pitching is the most outstanding characteristic of the
Mexican professional league, Despaigne said "Pitching has major
differences related to ours, the most of their pitchers rely on bends
and breaks."

During his contract in Mexico, Despaigne played 33 games and equaled the
record of six hits in a game, held by his compatriot Martin Dihigo.

Due to his opinion on the home runs, the Cuban player was also nominated
for the award as "the Recruitment of the Year."

In his own country, Despaigne plays for the team representing his
province Granma in the east during the National Series of Cuba.

Cuban authorities announced last month the lifting of the 50-year ban
prohibiting local players to sign contracts with international
professional clubs.

According to Cuban Baseball Federation President Higinio Velez, allowing
the most excellent players playing for foreign clubs is now a policy of
the country, fulfilling an old wish of the local players and fans as a
way to insert the national baseball in the world, but not affecting the
National Series.


Source: "Cuban baseballer wants to be in professional leagues - SPORTS -
Globaltimes.cn" - http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/803499.shtml