Cuban Baseball Players Arrive in Osaka

HAVANA TIMES — The Cuban team soon to participate in the Third World Baseball Classic arrived in the Japanese city of Osaka, from Chinese Taipei, to play a preparatory game against the Anshan Tigers on Wednesday.

Thus far in their WBC prep games in various Taipei stadiums, the Cubans won two and lost two. They beat Taipei China 20-11 and the Australians 5-3, while losing to Chinese Taipei 6-5, and 5-0 to Holland, the world cup champions.

The athletes were greeted at the Miyako Hotel by Marcos Rodriguez, the Cuban ambassador in Japan, who had an emotional meeting with them.

According to the Jit website, the Anshan Tigers, their upcoming opponent in the Kyocera Dome Osaka field, are a five-time winner of the central professional league there.

On Friday, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, who won the Japan Series in 2011, will be the last game for the Caribbean team in their preparation for the third edition of the WBC, where Cuba will debut on March 3 against Brazil.