BY ANNE-MARIE GARCIA —Special for Granma International—

CUBA has a "tremendous" challenge in the Baseball World Classic and the first game against Panama is critical, affirmed the legendary shortstop Germán Mesa.

"The first game with Panama (March 8) must be met with full force; in a short tournament you have to start off winning, there’s no other option," Mesa said in an interview with Granma International.

Mesa, who was a regular Cuban shortstop for more than 15 years, added that for Cuba, the Classic is "a tremendous challenge because it is our first time playing in this type of competition."

The World Classic begins on March 3 in Japan, while group C, made up of Cuba, Holland, Panama, and Puerto Rico kicks off March 7 in San Juan.

Mesa retired in 2001 and went on to play for three years in a semi-professional league in Japan, together with fellow countrymen Omar Linares, Antonio Pacheco and Orestes Kindelán. This experience is currently very useful for his participation on the Cuban training staff for the Classic.

The former shortstop and Industriales team captain explained that the Cuban team has "a hermetic defense, a sure catcher, an experienced young pitcher and an offensive that is their trump card."

In addition he expressed confidence because he believes that "Cubans like this type of challenge; when things are difficult we rise to the occasion and respond to the difficulty, and so far the team has always had magnificent results."

The Cuban players are led by Mesa’s successor in the shortstop position, Eduardo Paret, a man " very strong on defense, an aggressive batter known for hitting homeruns or driving in runs with a hit or stealing bases; in addition he’s lively and leads the group like a master," commented Mesa.

Mesa rejected the commentary of some regarding the "slowness" of the power hitters in the field.

"The problem of slow or fast is relative, what is important is to be well placed in the field and anticipate the play; in this aspect we have no problems and neither do we have problems covering the baselines."

He was full of praise for centerfielder Carlos Tabares, "he has experience, is intelligent, timely, fast, makes few errors, and is also essential for his way of guiding the rest and for the area he covers because of his speed."

Mesa feels that the synthetic turf of the Hiram Bithorn stadium in San Juan is not a concern, "the bounce is different, the players have to position themselves a bit further back, the ball spins more but the Cubans are fast and at least won’t be surprised by a bad bounce. In addition, we train on synthetic field hockey turf in Havana, and have already played on this type of surface in international tournaments, so there are no worries."

Mesa commented that Cuba has Ariel Pestano, the most experienced catcher available, "he guides pitchers, he’s sure in defense and is an opportune batter who knows how to decide a game." In the Athens Olympic Games Pestano was the offensive leader with .514 and the highest number of hits and runs.

The offensive is not limited to power hitters: "We have fast and multifaceted players who can score runs utilizing this speed."

But, for the experienced shortstop, the most important thing is "the desire to play, which is evident in the entire team."

In Japan, Mesa accumulated experience that he is now passing on to the players: "It’s all in the psyche; I tell them that the professionals who are going to stand on the mound and in the batters box are men of flesh and blood just like us; if they throw a ball normally, or faster or covering a greater area, it’s not important, because we know how to do that too."

In the final analysis, the ability to confront all kinds of pressure will be a key factor, according to Mesa. "If the players are concentrating on the game, people can scream or do whatever they like in the stands, nothing can distract our attention from our function in the stadium, from our ideas and from our principals, the Cuban players are very clear on that."

Germán smiled when asked if he would have liked to play in a tournament such as this: "Sure, with the players of my day; but it didn’t happen in my time" he exclaimed.

Yulieski Gourriel, one of the aces on Cuba’s team for the World Classic, has dynamite in his bat. A versatile player, the third- or fourth-best batter on the island, the young Cuban is said to be just like any other "relaxed" young guy.

"This tournament is going to be something unprecedented. I feel calm and relaxed, even though it is not easy to think about facing pitches of 95 miles-plus," Gourriel told the AP with a mischievous smile.

The top batter in the current Cuban series, with 17 homeruns, explained: "I change at the plate; I go out ready to hit the ball. I’m a slugger, but I like being third batter."

He is 21 years old and was born to be a batter. His father and brothers are ballplayers. A little provocatively, Gourriel asked me: "Are you going to ask me about my father?"

First-baseman Lourdes Gourriel is a Cuban baseball legend. During the World Cup final of 1988 he connected a homerun that made it possible for Cuba to tie with the United States, and opened the way to a 4-3 victory after a hit by Lázaro Vargas.

"I’m proud of him. He helps me, but I don’t like it when they compare us. I want to make my own name, be Yulieski," the young player explained.

He is a third baseman for Sanctí Spíritus, the team that his father manages, but for the Classic selections, he says he may "alternate" between second and third bases.

"Whatever the team needs," he added, to cut any controversy with the selection’s other third basemen, Michel Enríquez – another explosive hitter, with a .448 average, the best in the series – and Rudy Reyes (.331).

At his young age, Gourriel is a World Olympic and Pan-American champion. At the World Championship in Holland 2005, he hit eight homeruns in 11 games.

"I’ve gained experience, but I have to polish up a few things in my defense," said the 1.84-meter, 81-kilo champ.

The World Classic takes place March 3-20 in Japan, Puerto Rico and the United States. Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama and Holland will face off during the first round in San Juan beginning March 7.

Cuban pitchers Yadel Martí and Yadier Pedroso want to make history and fulfill the "dream" that the World Baseball Classic signifies for the island’s ballplayers.

The tournament, which begins on March 3 in Japan, "is something great, like a dream, but not just for me; this is going down in history for everybody, and I want to go down in history," Martí affirmed during a conversation with AP.

The Havana right-hander was the winner of the first friendly game between Cuba and Nicaragua (8-3). After relieving opening pitcher Vicyohandri Odelín in the third inning, Martí struck out five batters and allowed five hits without any runs in five innings.

"I like being relief pitcher, but you’re here to do the function you’re charged with – what’s important is to go," said the 26 year old, who has not been part of the selection since the 2003 Classic.

The Cuban pitching line-up does not worry Martí: "If we play as a team, there is no weak spot in the selection," he affirmed, adding, "I think that the pitching is an unknown for all the teams. Cuba has always risen to the occasion, and this time won’t be any different."

Martí, who has a 7-4 average in the Cuban series, throws pitches of 88-90 miles per hour, with good control and a low break that is hard to hit, and admits that he doesn’t like left-handed batters.

He began as a shortstop when he was eight years old, but doesn’t have the biotype – now he’s 1.78 meters tall and weighs 74 kilos – but "in a tournament for 11 and 12 year olds, there was no pitcher, so I offered myself and the coaches saw that I had a good arm."

Yadier Pedroso didn’t make it to the mound by accident: since he was five years old, he has been taught by his father, José Manuel, a player on the Industriales team.

Today he is 19 years old, was part of the team that won the World Championship in Holland in 2005, and isn’t bothered about age: "I’m young, but I feel ready and confident."

And he adds: "They say that professionals play better than we do. We’re going to face off, and the field will have the last word."

In the national series, Pedroso holds a 7-3 average. His fastballs have been clocked at up to 94 mph, and he prefers to be relief pitcher because "it’s more intense."

Both players believe that a short tournament is advantageous to Cuba, and Martí commented: "We like to be challenged. We improve with the adrenaline of competition, even more so in baseball, a sport that we have in our blood." (A.M.G/AP) •