Cubano

The Bronze Titan needs to pitch well today.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Apr 25, 2009 -> 07:35 PM) Dude,relax...this game is a laugher. Is Elisa Najera related to Eduardo Najera?

Thank you, Balta and LostFan.

What is the record for most bases loaded HR? Also, I have read a lot about the Medoza line? Is that a player's last name that hit 200? Is 200 de mark? Thanks

QUOTE (lostfan @ Apr 25, 2009 -> 06:19 PM) "I saw a home run from the Cuban Missile?" Yes

I saw el jonronazo del Misil cubano. Alexei is back!

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 25, 2009 -> 01:17 PM) that looks fantastic! I like how many of those guys in the park believe Contreras is the greatest Cuban pitcher of all time. I'm going with Tiant, then the duke, then Jose. Isn't it wild how they keep all those old cars in such great shape? Will the lifting of travel restrictions allow Cuban defectors like Duque and Contreras to go back for visits? My people do not know much about MLB. They do not have the info available. They only go by what other Cubans in the USA tell them or send them magazines, etc. Young Cubans do not know much about older Cuuban players in MLB such as Mike Cuellar, Camilo Pascual, Pedro Ramos, Dolf Luque, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Tony Perez, etc. Obama can lift all he wants, there will be some Cubans that will not allowed to return. This is all about the Cuban nitwits in power deciding who can go back who can not. See what Livan said in this interview with ESPN Deportes about this thing: http://cubanballplayers.blogspot.com/2009/...n-deportes.html

As a Cuban, I know how it is. I left in 1994 and I have never comeback. http://cubanballplayers.blogspot.com/

QUOTE (lostfan @ Apr 24, 2009 -> 08:15 AM) If so, who has cooking tips? Argentinian and Spanish (Spain) chorizos are good ones.

The only thing I can tell you is that my boy from my hometown Camaguey is leading the league in hitting, Ricardo Sosa. I just found out he was from Camaguey and he is a 3B. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/st...11&sid=l111

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Apr 23, 2009 -> 02:05 PM) Urinating on Brian Anderson's lawn. Ha, ha, ha. Mr. caulfield12 has good manners. In some countries, people do that kind of stuff.

Where is caulfield12? http://msnlatino.telemundo.com/especiales/...o_Gallery/Fuego

Speaking of Kendry, I saw a very good at bat just now vs Verlander. Two breaking balls for ball. Two swinging fastballs 95-96 MPH for strike. Five more pitches until Kendry homered to right with 2 on.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 03:08 PM) Alexei would have to be hitting about .550 at the AS Break to have a legit shot. He's up against the legendary Yankee captain at that position. The best he could possibly hope for is 2nd. Jeter would have to be sucking and every single press report would have to lead off with how good the guy in 2nd place is doing for Jeter to lose that vote. That is true. The legendary captain has been handed some awards he did not deserve. I give Jeter that he plays hard and he conducts himself very well. Other than that, he is an slighty above average player in my view.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 07:55 PM) He was facing a line-up without Jones and Mora, on the other hand. Still, they're a pretty strong left-hand dominated line-up, not a good match-up for Contreras. I agree 100 %. Some teams are a bad match up for you.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 03:32 PM) If you get behind in the count with an "average" major league fastball and you leave it out over the plate, which he did consistently last night, you'll get killed. And he did, especially by Markakis, Huff and Scott. He also hung a couple of non-moving forkballs. As Cubano mentioned, sometimes he's very tentative about pitching inside, almost like he's afraid to hit someone. The other problem is that he wasn't showing a variety of pitches from the "drop down" mode and he was throwing inside backing-up fastballs to RH batters that were getting walloped all over the park. If he can throw the fastball, a cutter/fast slider and the forkball, he'll be fine. If not, he probably will end up in the bullpen with another 2-3 starts like the 3 he's had so far in 2009. I have read that an average MLB fastball is 88-89 MPH. I also read is 91 MPH. Does anybody have a good article about this? As for pitching inside, in the WBC I saw Chapman throw a pitch to the head of Japan third hitter Aoki (I believe). He did not try it to go that far because in Cuba they do not teach to harm anybody and you do not see fights between teams or retaliation. The very next pitch, Chapman threw a fastball in the middle of the plate that Aoki swung like a girl. Strikeout!

Some cubans started well others pretty bad. Viciedo has an K/AB ratio of 4.27. Many Barons players are not doing as well now as a few days ago. I am sure Magallanes will give Viciedo a day off to regroup. As long as he can hit the fast ball, I do not worry about him. He needs to start pulling the ball to to increase his power numbers. It is nice to hit to the opposing field, but also he needs to pull the ball. He has not made any more errors. Kendry unlike Alexei is a patient hitter. He usually takes 2 pitches before swinging. He has been behind the counts unlike ST where he found himself ahead. I think he will be alright. Jose Julio Ruiz played some LF this season. He is a good fielder in 1B. His face reminds me Big Papi.

The slow start for the Missile will cost him a chance to be at least in the fight to be an all star.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 06:47 AM) LOL, "he needs to step up or else." He's back from a long time off and is our 5th starter, give me a break. Last night he faced a lineup of almost entirely lefties. As all of us experts know, his out pitch to lefties is his forkball, which hasnt come around yet this season. He will come around and go on a hot streak, I have no doubt about it. The good signs are the life on his fastball and his early ability to at least control his 2-seamer to righties. I saw a good cutter from him against lefties. He needs to use that more. His velocity was OK for his age. El Duque with not as good stuff as El Titan knew how to pitch. Maybe, Contreras needs to start brushing some lefties with some high gas. He won't do it. He has a good heart and would not try to come close of hurting anybody even though brushing somebody does not mean hitting a batter.

I know this is a White Sox forum, but I do not know why the Nats are not showing any interest. They should be taking a look at some of these guys. They are cheap for the most part and the Nats are horrible.

I guess he has developed his body already and the scout does not like his swing. His swing is not very smooth. I have an old video from the 46th Cuban Season between Isla vs Industriales. I have a few defectors there. Yadel Marti, Israel Soto, Felix Perez, Luis Fonseca, veteran Juan Carlos Moreno. Perez seems to have a decent arm. I was not impress with his body. I found suspicious some leveled him a 5 tool player. My ranking among free agents would be like this more or less. This is base on the following criteria: age and talent, stats in that order. The younger you are with some talent, the highest my ranking. The most accomplished on these group are Marti, Gomez and Suarez. Suarez needs to regain his fastball speed. The closest to the Majors would be Marti if healthy and Jose Julio. Gomez will hit for average but many in the minors could do that too. 1. Noel Arguelles 2. Jose Julio Ruiz 3. Israel Soto 4. Juan Serrano 5. Jose Iglesias 5. Yadel Marti 6. Yasser Gomez 7. Luis Fonseca 8. Deynis Suarez 9. Reinier Roll 10. Felix Perez

http://cubanballplayers.blogspot.com/2009/...es-on-hold.html

QUOTE (BearSox @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 01:12 PM) any one of them any good? Soto has some upside. He needs to work on his control. He was suspended this season. He has not play in a while. Fonseca probably will sign a minor league contract. I have not seen the catcher play.

We may run out of players soon. http://cubanballplayers.blogspot.com/

QUOTE (scenario @ Apr 14, 2009 -> 04:40 PM) He would be one large shortstop, wouldn't he? The Kirby Puckett of shortstops. In the juniors anything is possible. I am sure he was not that big then.