Cuba and the World Baseball Classic

Team Asere wins the affection of the Cuban people

Alfredo Despaigne—Professional player in Japan, member of numerous Cuban teams, and captain of the 2023 Cuban team—is welcomed home in Cuba.  “I will always be proud of being on Team Asere.”

Team Asere

     The Cuban team at the World Baseball Classic was composed of Cuban players from American major leagues, the national leagues of Japan and Mexico, and the Cuban national league.  The Cuban players, regardless of where they presently are earning their living as professional athletes, arrived to play on behalf of their country, their flag, their people.

      They formed a collective, a team unified in pursuit of a common goal, itself an achievement, given the differences in the circumstances of their lives.  Cuban manager Armando Johnson called it a tremendous experience.  Pitching coach Pedro Lazo stressed that the MLB players possessed a desire to incorporate themselves into the group.  The President of the Cuban national sports organization emphasized the mutual respect among the pla…