Cuba and Japan To Square Off In Round 2 Grudge Match

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Cuba and Japan Get Introduced, WBC Finals

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Zoltan Black reporting from The World Baseball Classic...

A less than stellar Cuban National Squad routed the home-side Mexico on their way to claiming first place in Group B and securing a blockbuster second round match-up against 06' Classic winners’ Japan.

Revenge

Revenge will certainly be on the minds of the men from the tiny Carribean island of Cuba when they face Group A runners-up Japan at PETCO Park in San Diego, California. The site of one of Cuban baseballs harshest moments, PETCO Park in San Diego played host to the finals of 2006 World Baseball Classic where Cuba was dispatched 10-6 by a superior Japanese Squad lead by Major League All-Star Ichiro Suzuki.

This time things are a little bit different . . . The first and most striking difference between the 2006 edition of team Japan and the current 08' assembly is the fact that the team now has, thanks to the teams 06' WBC performance; multiple Major Leaguers yet are still struggling to find first gear in this year’s edition of the Classic.

The Cuba squad for their part has been an exhibit in excellence throughout both World Baseball Classics and has reminded me this time around of a steam engine. Sometimes the technology of the past, although appearing inferior to the quality workmanship of the present is in fact the better operation.

Cubanditos

All-Star Cuban DH Yosvani Peraza who sent a moon-shot into the night in the dying embers of the game against Australia started today’s game at DH going 3-4 with 2 runs and adding 1 RBI to improving his 08' WBC base total to seven in just four plate appearances.

Cuban Superstar Frederich Cepeda hit a walk-off three run home-run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Cubans the short innings victory.

{During the World Baseball Classic a game is ended by MERCY or GONG rule when a team leads by fifteen runs or more after five innings or ten runs or more after seven.}