By: David Colón
After seeing the roster of all the countries participating in this 5th Edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), I can say it is a great challenge that awaits Puerto Rico’s National Team (“Team Rubio”) next month.
The Coaching Staff is good with great faith and trusting that as “The sporting event of the year” approaches, the cohesion in practices, poise, focus, breeding, courage, unity, serve and help to compensate and forget the absence of star players like Seth Lugo. Christian Arroyo and especially Carlos Correa who with his surprise announcement of not being able to fulfill the commitment to represent PR, due to “family situations.”
This surprising news for many, according to part of the federation, was in the first instance “a drop in hope and discouragement for the team,” but as the event approaches, and the Puerto Rican team emerges, encouragement, commitment, and faith, bring the waters back to their normal level”.
In 2017, “Team Rubio” with Correa, Francisco Lindor, Javy Báez, Yadier Molina (today the team’s leader) were runner-up, losing only to the host country, losing undefeated in the final match. The federal entity and the staff pinned hope “on the great dynamics and technical direction of Yadier”, who was captain of “Team Rubio” in 2017 who has vast experience and “knows the boys very well”.
Image Credit: 2023 World Baseball Classic/Puerto Rico National Team
The Coaching Staff recalled that it will not be the first time that “the Puerto Rican team has faced challenges, before and during the events, and that they have been able to overcome them, playing in a dignified manner” and reaching the finals on two occasions.
Puerto Rico knows how to face great battles, and we have emerged unsuccessful in many of them, they just have to play as a team, calm, humility with group effort and courage. There is no ego that is worth, and in victory, be elegant, gentlemanly athletes and even with a human sense, without exaggerating with words that do not build and in turn, be a channel of blessing, and an example, a model of admiration and improvement.
History has taught that Puerto Rico has known how to overcome competing in any situation, when it competes in a fair fight and from the heart, despite the circumstances.
The famous phrase of the narrator Al Michael, in the 1980 Olympics (when the U.S. hockey team defeated the powerful Russian team) in Lake Placid that said “Did you believe in miracles? Yes”, reminds part of Puerto Rico that without being favored and with forecasts and circumstances not favoring them, they will overcome themselves, making the impossible possible.
Among all the five editions of the WBC, this is perhaps the one that has the fewest famous names on its rosters. In addition, it is in the category “group of death”, along with Dominican Republic, Venezuela, both favorites to advance, Israel, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico.
Let’s see if history can favor us…
August 1995, Pre-Olympic Las Américas, in Neuquén, Argentina. The National Basketball Team with Carlos Morales as leader, after the nightmare of Mar de Plata, left without much chance of qualifying for the Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games, and they won Gold.
September 1999, Las Vegas: Tito Trinidad vs. “Golden Boy” De la Hoya,
With all odds against him, we remember Tito’s phrase:
“I WON OK, I WON.”
2016 Olympics, Rio, Brazil: Mónica Puig, “the surprise and miracle of the century and the first Olympic Gold medal.
And let’s go to 1971, how can we forget! The World Series with Astro Boricua Roberto Clemente and the Pirates against the top pitching aces of the Orioles, four pitchers with winning more than 20 games each. That was a memorable series, where the Puerto Rican from San Anton changed the course of history.
None of these cited historical examples and cases were favorites to win.
Moral:
Puerto Rico can win; it is possible of course that it can be done!
There is a saying that say’s: “Christ gives me strength to face whatever the situation!”
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