Baseball: Germán Mesa Reflects on Tuneup Series Against Nicaragua

True to a philosophy he has championed since taking over as manager of Cuba's national baseball team, Germán Mesa believes that team cohesion stands out as one of the key takeaways from the recently concluded preparatory series against host Nicaragua.

Beyond the favorable overall record of two wins, a tie, and a loss, the skipper highlighted "the collective game, which will always be a fundamental weapon," and added "the attitude of the players in different situations, which will also prove critically important."

In that regard, he singled out the contributions of young players such as Christian Rodríguez and Leonel Moas as examples of talents who have developed through dedication and belief in their own abilities, praising the winning mentality that prevailed throughout the series.

Mesa also addressed the performance of the pitching staff — which posted a 1.50 ERA — and stressed that performance will always drive his decisions regarding each player's role.

However, the veteran manager acknowledges there is still work to be done ahead of the VI World Baseball Classic. Although the current roster did not include several players expected to compete in that tournament, he noted that the number of runners left on base was among the areas flagged on the negative side of the ledger.

His remarks came at the close of a strong offensive outing — 12 hits and a 6–0 victory — in which shortstop Christian Rodríguez shone with three hits, capping a day made even more special by the announcement of his inclusion on Cuba's Classic roster.

"Very happy and grateful to the coaches, to everyone who believed in me, and especially to my family, who always encouraged me — because this is the result of hard work and a dream come true," said the young infielder, who currently plays in Japan's professional league.

"An important step in my career, given the significance of this event, which I always identified as a goal," added the Villa Clara native, who also paid tribute to players who inspired him, including Ariel Pestano and Eduardo Paret.

The other newly confirmed addition to Cuba's Classic roster is Matanzas-born pitcher Armando Dueñas, who took the mound for one inning on Friday — just hours after pitching coach Pedro Luis Lazo delivered the news.

"I was asleep, and the news caught me completely off guard — it left me stunned, but happy at the same time," said the hard-throwing right-hander, who described himself as focused "on continuing to prepare."

When asked about the commitment he showed even while part of the reserve squad, Dueñas stated that "I am always focused, training hard to improve every day, so now the goal is to push myself even further."

Their additions to the official roster were announced by the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation "due to the inability to count on pitchers Daviel Hurtado (injured) and Naykel Cruz (visa denied)," in a message that also expressed gratitude for the willingness and professionalism of both players.