(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & FeBeKo)
    Curaçao defeats Cuba to win Copa de Béisbol del Caribe
Nederlands
 WILLEMSTAD (Curaçao, Kingdom of the Netherlands) -
Curaçao wrote baseball-history on Saturday (July 3) with a surprise 4-3 win against Cuba in the Final of the third edition of the Copa de Béisbol del Caribe.
With that, Curaçao won the event, which was played in front of a home-audience at Tio Daou Ballpark in Curaçao capital Willemstad.
Earlier in the tournament, Curaçao had lost twice against Cuba.
The third Copa de Béisbol del Caribe initially was scheduled for April, but then was postponed to May due to a surge in the cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the island of Curaçao.
It was then postponed again for a second time, but the tournament opened on Saturday, June 26.
In April, nine countries planned to participate in the tournament, which then had two Groups.
To play in the Grupo Elite (Elite Group) were host Curaçao, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Puerto Rico.
Four countries were to play in the Grupo Desarollo (Development Group): Chile, Haiti, Peru and the US Virgin Islands.
When the tournament was re-scheduled for June, only four countries confirmed their participation: Curaçao, Cuba, Peru and the US Virgin Islands.
In the new format, all teams would play twice against each other in the preliminary round.
The two best teams then would meet in the Final, while the other were to play for the Bronze Medal.
The tournament was dedicated to Higinio Vélez Carrión, the President of the Federación Cubana de Béisbol and former coaching-legend, who passed away on May 12 at age 74 due to complications related to the coronavirus.
The National Team of Curaçao was led as Manager by former professional infielder Hainley Statia.
Earlier this year, new uniforms for the team were donated by former Curaçao-born Major Leaguer Andruw Jones.
Statia played professionally in 2005-2014 in the organizations of Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.
In his ten seasons, the second baseman/short stop played in Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A, but never played in the Major League.
Jones played seventeen seasons in the Major League, including twelve with Atlanta Braves.
He also played in Japan.
...Hainley Statia playing for the...
...Netherlands National Team in...
...the 2014 European Championship...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Statia and Jones were teammates while playing for the Netherlands National Team in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2013 and the Premier12 in 2015.
Statia also played for the Orange Team in the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and three European Championships.
The National Team of Curaçao opened the tournament on Saturday, June 26 with a 14-7 loss against Cuba.
Santiago Torres Baena was 5-for-5 for Cuba and hit for-the-cycle.
He batted in two runs and scored three.
Andrys Pérez García homered and batted in five runs for Cuba.
Darren Seferina batted in two runs for Curaçao which had Ruderly Manuel was the starting and losing pitcher.
Peru recorded a 13-3 win against the US Virgin Islands on the first day of the tournament.
On Day 2, Curaçao recorded a big 19-0 shutout-victory against the US Virgin Islands.
Roderick Bernadina hit a grand slam homerun in the first inning when Curaçao scored seven runs.
Johnny Gregorius batted in three runs, while Jowenrick Daantji was 3-for-4, scored twice and batted in two runs.
Jordan Lucas was the winning pitcher.
Cuba won 9-1 against Peru.
Pavel Rafael Quesada Pedroso homered and batted in four runs.
On Day 3 (Monday), Curaçao recorded another big score, this time winning 17-2 against Peru.
Riordan Windster hit a 2-run and a 3-run homerun, while Aldair Daal hit a triple and homerun for Curaçao.
Nelmerson Angela was the winning pitcher.
The highlight for Peru was a homerun by Roberto Ayarza.
This was the lone game that was played on the third day.
The game between Cuba and the US Virgin Islands was postponed due to six positive cases of the coronavirus in the team of Cuba (three players, one coach, two staff).
It was announced that Cuba would play a double-header against the Virgin Islands on Thursday, but in the meantime, the entire team went into isolation.
After an day off on Tuesday, the tournament continued on Wednesday.
After the team had been in isolation, Cuba got permission to play.
However, the six persons that were tested positive had to stay in isolation.
Cuba recorded a 7-0 shutout against Curaçao for whom Temesh Lourens was the starting pitcher.
The US Virgin Islands outscored Peru 10-5 to win its first game.
Thursday was Day 5 of the tournament and then there was another problem, as the team of the US Virgin Islands didn't show up.
It was reported that the team was incomplete due to injuries and players who had to leave because of commitments as players in other leagues.
With that, the two scheduled games against Cuba were cancelled and were declared forfeit-wins for the Cuban squad, who therefore qualified for the Final.
Curaçao shutout Peru 18-0 to also advance to the Final.
Stephan Vidal and Phildrick Llewellyn homered for Curaçao.
Peru got only one basehit.
On Friday, the preliminary round ended with a 13-0 win for Cuba against Peru.
Curaçao got a forfeit-win, due to the no showing of the team of the Virgin Islands.
As the Virgin Islands didn't play anymore, the Bronze-Medal game against Peru also was not played on Saturday.
In the Final on Saturday, Ruderly Manuel started for Curaçao and had a good outing against Cuba, which was the big favorite.
However, Curaçao surprised and stunted by winning 4-3.
Stephan Vidal and Ulrich Snijders played an important role for Curaçao.
Vidal had two doubles and scored twice.
Snijders also doubled and batted in two runs.
Cuban Pavel Rafael Quesada Pedroso was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
For Cuba, this is the second disappointing tournament in a short period.
Early June, the team was eliminated for the Olympic Games during the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualfier in Florida (USA).
There, the team also failed to finish in second or third place and therefore was also eliminated for the WBSC Baseball Final Qualfier, which was recently played in Mexico.
Two players on the Curaçao roster currently play in the Dutch big league, being lefthanded pitcher Nelmerson Angela (Silicon Storks) and outfielder Arthur Bonevacia (HCAW).
Due to their participation in the tournament, Angela and Bonevacia were not with their teams when the season in the Dutch big league resumed last Thursday.
Three other players have played in the highest league in the Netherlands in the past: Pitchers Temesh Lourens (2020, Quick Amersfoort) and Ruderly Manuel (2011, Sparta-Feyenoord) and infielder Johnny Gregorius (2007, ADO), who is the brother of Major Leaguer Didi Gregorius (Philadelphia Phillies).
...The successful National Team of Curaçao...
...#20 is pitcher Nelmerson Angela, #33 is outfielder Arhur Bonevacia...
(© Photo: FeBeKo) |
The roster of Curaçao looked as follows:
Pitchers:
Nelmerson Angela, Jerryson Beaumont, Hershelon Juliana, Christopher Koeiman, Shair Lacrus, Frensly Leito, Jeandrick Lourens, Temesh Lourens, Jordan Lucas, Ruderly Manuel, Risandro Pastor.
Catchers:
Ildion Martina, Ulrich Snijders, Stephan Vidal.
Infielders:
Johnny Gregorius, Phildrick Llewellyn, Alexander Rodriguez, Darren Seferina, Riordan Windster.
Outfielders:
Arthur Bonevacia, Sherman Lacrus.
Utility Players:
Roderick Bernadina, Aldair Daal, Jowenrick Daantji.
Coaching & Supporting Staff:
Hainley Statia (Manager), Carlos Pineda, Dennis Neuman, Quincy Martina, Quincy Ascencion, Gustavo de Jongh, Ghionelo Jansen, Richenel Eleonora, Franklin Confesor, Bradley Stuart.
The first and second edition of the Copa de Béisbol del Caribe were both organized in the Dominican Republic in respectively December 2018 and December 2019.
(July 3)
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