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8/16/2006
USA BASEBALL NATIONAL TEAM
BLOG FROM HAVANA, CUBA
The USA Baseball National Team, coached by Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin, competed at the FISU World University Championships in Havana, Cuba in August 2006. They completed an undefeated run in the tournament and captured its second straight FISU World Championship with an 18-9 win over Chinese Taipei in the title game.
The National Team finished its summer campaign with a 28-2-1 mark. The .919 win percentage is the best ever by a USA Baseball collegiate team and the tournament win was the first ever for a USA Baseball National Team in Cuba.
Team USA was represented by Head Coach Tim Corbin and three current Commodore student-athletes: third baseman Pedro Alvarez, starting pitcher David Price, and reliever Casey Weathers.
Read about the trip to Cuba in the following blog:
Aug. 3
We arrived in Cuba at 9:30 p.m. ET and went through customs. You really couldn’t see much outside as lights were pretty sporadic (Cuba has power shortages at times). One of the more interesting things on the bus ride to the hotel was that the bus driver put in a DVD of Michael Jackson’s History, a compilation of his music videos. It was certainly strange watching the beginning of that DVD with Jackson marching like a dictator in a military procession with a huge statue of himself that was unveiled to an adoring crowd. Along the route to the hotel we noticed people standing outside their homes around 11 p.m. just talking and hanging out.
We didn’t know really what to expect when we arrived at the hotel, but I think everyone was pleased upon seeing the Occidental Miramar Hotel sign in neon lights. It is a resort type of hotel that is on par with what you would see in tropical destinations. The pool is first class and someplace the players will be throughout the stay. We got to our rooms and pretty much went to bed after a long day of traveling that began at 8 a.m.
Aug. 4
There were no signs of any discord or unrest about Fidel Castro and his health situation. Everything was business as usual on the island. We practiced at an International Sports Complex about an hour away from the hotel and the city of Havana. The field was in decent condition, except for the grass in the outfield that had not been cut and was about 8-10 inches deep. They also did not have an L-screen (used to protect the coach throwing in batting practice), so the team made a makeshift barrier using their bat bags and any kind of equipment bag that was lying around.
The one thing we found out immediately was that things in the country happen on the fly. We flew down early expecting to play Cuba today (Friday) prior to the start of the tournament on Sunday, but the lines of communication seem to go just one way. They said they knew nothing of this and could not play. We hoped that wouldn’t be the signs of things to come.
Aug. 5
The food at the hotel has been great. Breakfast is OK, Lunch is good and Dinner has been excellent according to the coaches and players. It is an all you can eat buffet with several items to choose from. One thing you notice is that nothing goes to waste. Several items are on the buffet for all three meals and some things are mixed together to make another dish.
This afternoon we found out that the FISU World University Championships schedule had to be changed due to China dropping out and two new teams (Mexico and Nicaragua) added to the mix. This caused our opening game against Chinese Taipei to be changed, along with the rest of our tourney slate. There would be no game on Sunday (Aug. 6) and our first game was scheduled to be against the Czech Republic at 2 p.m. on Monday (Aug. 7).
The team practiced at a Psychiatric Hospital that had a baseball field and also an L-screen. The Cuban people have been great to the team. They enjoy baseball here and the kids are always asking for a pelota (ball).
Aug. 6
Today we practiced at Mederos Stadium, one of the three places we will play in the tourney. When we got to the field, the Cuban Olympic Team was practicing. This is the team made up of professionals that finished second to Japan in the World Classic. Omar Linares, known as the Cuban Babe Ruth, was there and after practice he, along with several of the other Cuban players stayed around to take pictures with the players and coaches.
After the practice the team went to the Latino Stadium, a 55,000 seat park that was the site of the Opening Ceremonies. All 11 teams were lined up and brought into the stadium in a procession with the US getting a smattering of boos. The program had to be cut short however as the skies grew very dark and lightning began to strike around the stadium. Rain started to fall before the cultural program (song and dance show) could begin and the teams ran off of the field looking for shelter. The team went back to the hotel and continued their daily routine of eat, practice, eat and stay at the pool.
Aug. 7
The team was anxious and ready to play today against the Czech Republic. When we arrived at the stadium around 12:15 p.m., Mexico and the Virgin Islands were playing their game. Rain began to pour and the teams had to be called off of the field. The grounds crew lacked one essential item that most places in the US have and that is a tarp. Puddles of water formed on the infield and after a 45 minute delay, the game restarted with the Virgin Islands holding on to a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth. Mexico scored five runs to take a 9-6 lead. Rain then came back and the teams tried to play through before the umpires called them off of the field. This time they called the game and said no other games would be played at that stadium today. It was 4:15 and we were told the lights at the stadium did not work, leading for our game to be postponed. So the players went back to their normal routine and went back to the hotel and ate and swam.
Aug. 8
The best way to describe Cuba would be a tropical paradise with a massive need for an extreme makeover. Several areas of the city are rundown, but you could definitely see the potential in this country if the resources were there or made available. Most of the guests at the hotel we are staying at are from countries in Europe and South America. They come in by the busloads and stay for a few days before getting back on the bus and going to other places in Cuba.
Today we finally played and David Price picked up the win against the Virgin Islands. He continued his dominance over the summer, moving to 4-1 with the win in six starts. Price has struck out 52 batters and walked just five in 34.1 innings with a 0.26 ERA. Casey Weathers also fared well with two innings of scoreless relief and five strikeouts. It was good to get a game in as the bats had some rust to shake off. They will need to get back on track as a doubleheader was added for Wednesday to make up the postponed game against the Czechs.
Aug. 9
It was a long day as the team left the hotel for a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. against Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico blanked the Czech Republic the previous day, 6-0, so we were expecting a tough matchup. That wasn’t the case as the team wrapped out 15 hits in a 15-0 win. The offense and pitching remained in tact against the Czechs in the 4 p.m. second game, as the US pounded out 12 hits in a 16-0 win. The second game was played at Latino Stadium, a 55,000 seat facility that compares to Yankee Stadium according to assistant coach Jim Schlossnagle (TCU Head Coach). The field was immaculate and we are told that it will be sold out if we play Cuba in the championship game next Tuesday. That is getting ahead though, as we played in front of about 120 people this afternoon.
One of the players that had a great day was catcher J.P. Arencibia of Tennessee. This is his second tour of duty with Team USA and he went 5-for-10 on the day with eight RBI. Arencibia is a jovial fellow whose family is originally from Cuba, so he has become kind of the star on the team to the Cubans. He was able to meet some of his distant relatives over the last few days and the following are some of his thoughts on the trip so far:
“My experience in Cuba has been pretty good. My only knowledge of the country came through pictures from my family so it has been great to see the island first hand. It has been an eye opener to see the poverty first hand and it just gives us a picture of how lucky we are. I was able to see some family members from my dad’s side and they were nice people and it was cool to meet people with the same last name as mine.”
On the tournament so far:
“The parks are nice and the fans have been great. Hopefully we can get to the championships. Obviously it would be nice to play Cuba in the finals, but that is getting ahead of us and we need to take it day by day.”
On coming to Vanderbilt next year
“I am going to smile a lot when we meet because I get to meet some of my boys. I was able to make great relationships with the guys so it is going to be fun.”
Aug. 10
After yesterday’s twinbill, a night game today was what the doctor ordered. The team was able to get some rest as the game against Mexico wasn’t until 8:45 p.m. Most guys slept in and ate a late lunch and then the team headed to Latin America Stadium at 6 p.m.
The pitching staff finally gave up a run, albeit an unearned one in the top of the first inning. They tied the game in the bottom of the first then took a 4-1 lead with a three-run third.
Mexico then rallied for a four-spot in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead. That was the most pressure the squad had been under in the tourney, and they responded with a five-run fifth to take a 9-5 lead and then ran away with it by a 12-5 score. The game ended at nearly midnight and the team arrived back at the hotel at around 12:45 a.m.
A question that we got during the entire summer tour, was what is the team playing for. An organization called FISU (French for International University Sports Federation) began a college tournament in 2002 with teams from across the world participating. The first event was in Italy, which the Cubans won. The US captured the biannual event in 2004 in Taiwan, but Cuba did not attend. Obviously not all of the good baseball countries are in attendance and that is due to a poor university structure. Countries like Canada don’t support a university division because most kids don’t play baseball in college. The Netherlands also have a good program, but are not in attendance along with several of the Latin American countries. Those players usually sign professional contracts early in their careers and are not eligible for this tourney. I forgot to mention one of the big upsets of the tourney that happened on Tuesday. The Bahamas, where former Vanderbilt outfielder Antwan Richardson came from, upended Cuba 2-1 in their first game of the tourney. They have a pitcher named Neil Forsythe that pitched a complete game against the Cubans. You would expect some sort of outcry from the general public, but for the most part this tournament is under the public’s radar. They have a love affair with the professional team, but most of the kids on their University team are not household names.
Aug. 11
The schedule couldn’t have worked out better, as the US got to sleep in for most of the day in preparation for their toughest test of the championships, a showdown with 4-0 Chinese Taipei. The US swept a seven game series to start the summer schedule in early July, but it was a close set that had some games that could have gone either way.
Ole Miss’ Zack Cozart hit a grand-slam in the second and that pretty much sealed the deal as the team went on to totally dominate Taipei 12-1 in seven innings. It was one of the more complete team efforts of the summer, as the bottom half of the order accounted for nearly all of the offense with nine RBI. Army’s Nick Hill, one of only two juniors on the team along with Casey Weathers, had a no-hitter through four innings before giving up a hit in the fifth.
It was interesting to see how this team has come together in Cuba as they pretty much have themselves and no one else to hang out with it. One thing that has happened is that many of the people involved with Cuban baseball have been impressed with the way the US plays and the enthusiasm they bring to the game. Some have said they have wished the Cuban team played with the same intensity and heart.
A quick note on the Bahamas, they had the upset of the tourney with the opening round win over Cuba, but they should have gone home after that as they lost their next three games and are out of the championship round.
Aug. 12
This was a much needed off day for the guys as they played five games in four days and most of them spent the day recharging for the stretch run of the tournament. A group of the guys spent the afternoon at a market buying trinkets and shirts for souvenirs for folks back in the US.
The hot item to bring back is, of course, cigars. In the 90’s, people traveling to Cuba were able to bring back one or two boxes, but that hasn’t been the case this decade. We have been told all cigars will be confiscated upon arrival into the US by customs. Also included in the ban is Cuban Rum which is supposedly some of the best in the world. At the market people were trying to get the players to come to their homes where they sold cigars out of their bedrooms. We were told previously that these were counterfeit so the players stayed away,
The guys spent the rest of the day at the pool and some went out on the town to see some of Havana on the last off time of the trip.
Aug. 13
Now that pool play has been completed, tournament time has now arrived. First up is Nicaragua. They went 1-3 in Pool A and finished in fourth place. David Price concluded his summer with a complete game shutout over Nicaragua. He pitched against them last year and did the same. This time around he gave up five hits while striking out eight. The Murfreesboro native concluded the season with a team best 5-1 record to go with a 0.20 ERA and 61 strikeouts and only seven walks in 44.0 innings.
Next up is the team’s toughest stretch of the summer with Japan and Cuba likely ahead in the finals. Japan will throw their ace Kishi who struck out 17 in 11 innings against the US earlier in their five game series.
The team went back to the hotel after the game and relaxed by the pool. The daily routine has been playing volleyball in the swimming pool and it was no different today. One thing we have noticed is the obvious increase of people at the hotel on the weekends. Saturday and Sunday have been the two busiest days at the pool and at dinner time.
Casey Weathers take on the Cuba and USA Experience
It was pretty exciting to be added to the team. It was an honor to get added and to help out on the top team in college baseball. I thought the tournament has been run pretty well. The fields we have played at have been nice and the staff has done a great job of taking care of us. The umpires have not been as bad as we originally thought, they have done a good job in my opinion. Cuba was an unknown thing at first, but coming here has definitely been a good life experience. The hotel is pretty nice, we get to stay at a resort and spend time hanging out at the huge pool. Other than baseball, I guess the No. 2 goal has been getting some sun in Cuba. It has been fun getting to know some guys you play against during the year like Zack Cozart (Ole Miss). You get a totally different personality perception. You don’t have a chance to know them when you play during the regular so season so it has been cool to get to know them a bit.
On coming back to Vanderbilt:
I want to improve on what I did last season. I thought I kind of came into my own at the end of the year and this will be my last chance to do what I need to do in college.
Aug. 14
Here is David Price’s experience of Cuba:
The experience in Cuba will be one that will be hard to forget. Everything from the food, people, and interesting site seeing will be remembered for a long time. At first I had to make an adjustment to the food because it is different than Cuban food back home. I have never ate this much rice and noodles before. Everywhere we go there are people cheering Team USA on. The fans here like us because we play the game at a different level. The competition thus far has been fair but now we are about to play Japan for the sixth time and they are the best team we have played all summer. The other day we were able to take a bus to the market so we could do some shopping for family and friends. If the price started at 15 pesos you probably would get it for 7 with a couple more things added into the deal. The market was a bunch of tables under tents outside in the heat really close together. Being here in Cuba has been a change for everyone, mainly because we have no cell phone service. Keeping in touch with family and friends back home has been hard and a 50 second phone call costs us 5.10 pesos. So a five minute call costs around 25 pesos which is about 35 US dollars. Despite changing our ways of life for the last two weeks this has been an incredible experience that we will all cherish forever.
The team played its best opponent of the summer in the semis and the game lived up to expectations as the USA came away with a 5-1 win. The game was pretty close throughout before the US added three late runs to ice it. Next up will be the winner of Chinese Taipei and Japan that will be played at 8:45 p.m. tonight at Latino Stadium.
Aug. 15
In kind of a letdown, Taipei upset Cuba 2-1 in 15 innings late last night, meaning we will have to play them for the ninth time (8-0 previously) to win the gold medal. Every man to a tee would rather have faced Cuba in their homeland, but it wasn’t meant to be. Got to go out and take care of business tonight against a salty squad. Follow the link below to see somewhat live stats of the contest. It is updated after every half inning.
http://www.inder.co.cu/indernet/competencias/sinfo/BeiMundialUniv2006/MundialUniv.htm
Aug. 16 (the morning after winning the gold medal)
The team spent the morning sleeping and then packing up for the flight back to Miami and then the flight back to their homes. Sometimes when you have a collection of all-star talent, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will have the best team or the most success (witness the USA Basketball teams of the recent past and the recent USA Baseball squad at the World Classic). This group of guys were able to come together and put aside individual goals and fight for a gold medal. It was obvious to see that the USA was the best team in the tournament and they proved that by running through with an 8-0 mark. Under head coach Tim Corbin and his staff of Mark Machtolf (Gonzaga), Jim Schlossnagle (TCU) and Tom Slater (Auburn), this USA Baseball National Team recorded the best winning percentage of any collegiate team (28-2-1, .919) and also won a tournament for the first time ever in Cuba.
Not a bad summer, and to think the best hitter and best pitcher on this team along with the man who ran the show will all be at Vanderbilt next season.
Stay tuned for a summer wrap up by Tim Corbin later in the week…
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