Photo: Calixto N. Llanes (JIT)
Havana, February 21 (RHC)-- The National Baseball Commission (CNB) reiterated Monday that the next National Series will begin on March 22 with official inauguration at the Mártires de Barbados stadium (Granma versus Matanzas) and activity in seven other parks in the country.
Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, national commissioner of this sport, insisted that it will be an atypical event, since its regular stage must be framed between the V World Baseball Classic (March 8 to 21) and the Central Caribbean Games of San Salvador 2023 (June 23 to July 8).
The series will also be crossed by the V Alba Games (April) and a tournament of the Americas (May) qualifying for the Pan American Games of Santiago 2023 (November), which will require extra players for the national team without stopping the actions.
As for the calendar, Perez Pardo said that it is practically ready and will be approved at the beginning of March during a CNB tour of the provinces.
The proposed solution implies 15 sub-series of five games each, but played in four (8) or five days (7).
This implies that in each four-day subseries there will be a seven-inning doubleheader, exactly on its second day.
The championship will then be held with changes of venue after four or five days of play, and without round-robin confrontations between teams. That is to say, for example, that in the 62nd National Baseball Series, Matanzas will play its five games against Granma in Bayamo: three as visitor and two as home club.
Perez Pardo explained that this variant seeks to reduce travel and optimize resources and time; that they try that the teams do not make long changes of venue, although some will happen; and that they do not celebrate more than three consecutive sub-series away from home.
After the cancellation of the U-23 event, which was scheduled to be held at the same time as the Series, the rosters will again have 40 players available for each game. He admitted that work is being done to provide some stadiums with artificial lighting.
Regarding the rules, the methodologist Carlos Martín pointed out that there should not be substantial changes, although issues related to pitching are being evaluated to guarantee an adequate work-rest relationship.
THE CRITICAL ROUTE
The CNB will make a first tour of all the provinces of the country from February 23 to March 2.
During this period, it will evaluate the stadiums, offer seminars to technical commissioners, umpires and their supervisors, and review the proposed rules and calendar.
From March 6 to 11, the teams will be put together and from March 10 to 20, an online preparation course will be offered, which includes among its topics, game scoring and coding, the use of the strike zone, the psychology of the athlete and physical, offensive and pitching preparation, among others.
A classroom course for directors is scheduled for March 13 and 14; on March 15 there will be a technical congress and from March 16 to 20 the flag ceremony, the signing of the code of ethics and the declaration of ready stadiums.
On March 21, coinciding with the final of the V Clasico, the teams will move for the first sub-series, which will start one day later.
ON CONTRACTS ABROAD
Pérez Pardo, also head of the Cuban Baseball Federation, commented that this entity manages the contracts of more than 20 Cuban players.
He detailed that those present in the Japanese league will not be available for San Salvador 2023, but they will be available for the Pan American Games in Santiago.
As for those contracted in Mexico and Canada, they are working on clauses that will allow them to attend both events, including the aforementioned tournament of the Americas.
