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Cuba national baseball team
National sports team
National sports team
| Field | Value | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | [[File:Cuba baseball logo.svg | 220px]] | |||||||||||
| Name | Cuba national baseball team | ||||||||||||
| Country | Cuba | ||||||||||||
| Federation | Baseball Federation of Cuba | ||||||||||||
| Confederation | WBSC Americas | ||||||||||||
| WBSC Rank | |||||||||||||
| WBSC max | 1 | ||||||||||||
| WBSC max date | December 2012 | ||||||||||||
| WBSC min | 11 | ||||||||||||
| WBSC min date | 2 times; latest in August 2021 | ||||||||||||
| WBC apps | 6 | ||||||||||||
| WBC first | 2006 | ||||||||||||
| WBC 2nd times | 1 | ||||||||||||
| WBC 2nd most recent | 2006 | ||||||||||||
| Olympic apps | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Olympic first | 1992 | ||||||||||||
| Olympic 1st times | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Olympic 1st most recent | 2004 | ||||||||||||
| WC apps | 35 | ||||||||||||
| WC first | 1939 | ||||||||||||
| WC 1st times | 25 | ||||||||||||
| WC 1st most recent | 2005 | ||||||||||||
| IC apps | 13 | ||||||||||||
| IC first | 1979 | ||||||||||||
| IC 1st times | 10 | ||||||||||||
| IC 1st most recent | 2006 | ||||||||||||
| PAG apps | 16 | ||||||||||||
| PAG first | 1951 | ||||||||||||
| PAG 1st times | 12 | ||||||||||||
| PAG 1st most recent | 2007 | ||||||||||||
| Premier12 apps | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Premier12 best result | 4 (first in 2015) | ||||||||||||
| Premier12 1st best result | 2015 | ||||||||||||
| Captain | Alfredo Despaigne | ||||||||||||
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|WBC 2nd most recent = 2006 |Olympic 1st most recent = 2004 |WC 1st most recent = 2005 |IC 1st most recent = 2006 |PAG 1st most recent = 2007 |Premier12 1st best result=2015
The Cuba national baseball team () represents Cuba in baseball at regional and international levels. The team is generally made up of players from the domestic Cuban national baseball system, though it has at times included professional players who defected to the United States. Cuba was described in 2009 as a baseball powerhouse and currently ranks 12th in World Baseball Softball Confederation's world rankings.
For much of the 20th century, Cuba dominated tournaments such as the Baseball World Cup (originally, the Amateur World Series), where it won 26 titles (22 more than the next-closest nation) between 1939 and 2005. Its success stemmed, in part, from the amateur status of its domestic league, as professional players from other leagues were largely excluded from international competition. During this period, it enjoyed similar dominance at the Pan American Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Cuba has been the most successful national team at the Olympics, medaling in five of the six Olympics in which baseball was played, with three gold medals and two silver medals. It has the distinction of being one of two nations to compete in the first five baseball contests at the Summer Olympic Games.
Team Cuba will compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic in March 2026.
History
World Baseball Classic era
Cuba competed in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament, despite the controversy of Cuban involvement and the United States embargo against Cuba. In the final, Cuba lost the gold medal to Japan, 10–6.
Cuba was originally slated to host the 2009 Baseball World Cup, however, they willingly gave up the honor to Europe.
The 2009 WBC was the second time Cuba competed at the 2009 WBC Pool B stage, at Foro Sol in Mexico City. Cuba continued to advance to the second round with wins over South Africa and Australia. Cuba lost to Japan twice in the 2nd round, and were eliminated.
They last were eliminated before the start of the final stage of any international tournament in 1951.
At the 2013 WBC, Cuba competed in Pool A at the Fukuoka Dome in Fukuoka, Japan. Cuba advanced in the tournament against: China, Japan, and newcomers Brazil. Cuba moved on to the second round in Pool 1 to defeat the Netherlands, losing 6–2. Cuba defeated Chinese Taipei, 14–0. They played a face off game with previous competitors, the Netherlands, and lost 7–6. Just as in 2009, Cuba was eliminated in the path to competing in the finals.
At the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Cuban hitters Frederich Cepeda and Alfredo Despaigne had the distinction in WBC history to be the only players that each hit six home runs in their careers in the WBC.
The team had a 2–1 record in the first round. It was led by slugger Despaigne, who took over as the all-time WBC home-run leader.
Cuba advanced into the second round, where it lost its first game to undefeated Pool A winner Team Israel. Former Major League starting pitcher Jason Marquis (in 5.2 innings) and three Team Israel relief pitchers (including Brad Goldberg and Josh Zeid, who both threw 96 mph fastballs) kept Cuba to five hits and one run, a homer by Despaigne, who became the all-time World Baseball Classic home run leader. Pool A MVP catcher Ryan Lavarnway had two hits for Israel. Cuba went on to lose all 3 games they played and failed to advance to the championship round.
The team tried but failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics at the eight-team Americas Qualifying Event on May 31 through June 5, 2021. On June 1, 2021, Cuba was eliminated from the qualifiers, marking their first failure to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Current squad
(pitching) (first base) (coach) (hitting) (pitching) (bench) (third base) (bullpen)
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of professional baseball match results currently active in the latest version of the WBSC World Rankings, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled. ;Legend
2019
2021
2022
2023
International tournament results
World Baseball Classic
| [](world-baseball-classic) | [](world-baseball-classic-qualification) | Year | Round | Position | W | L | RS | RA | W | L | RS | RA | Total | Runners-up | 6/6 | 18 | 14 | 179 | 157 | — | — | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico United States 2006 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 44 | 43 | No qualifiers held | ||||||||||||||||
| Mexico United States 2009 | Quarterfinals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 36 | 24 | No qualifiers held | ||||||||||||||||
| Japan 2013 | Quarterfinals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 45 | 18 | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||
| Japan 2017 | Quarterfinals | 7th | 2 | 4 | 23 | 40 | |||||||||||||||||
| Taiwan Japan United States 2023 | Semifinals | 4th | 3 | 3 | 31 | 32 | Automatically qualified | ||||||||||||||||
| Puerto Rico 2026 | To be determined | Automatically qualified |
Olympics
| [](baseball-at-the-summer-olympics) | Qualification record | Year | Round | Position | W | L | % | RS | RA | Method | Total | 3 Titles | 5/6 | 40 | 5 | 385 | 151 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESP 1992 | Gold medal | **[[File:Gold medal olympic.svg | 15px | alt= | link=]] 1st** | 9 | 0 | **** | 95 | 16 | [[File:Gold medal america.svg | 18px | alt= | link=]] 1991 Pan American Games | |||||||||
| USA 1996 | Gold medal | **[[File:Gold medal olympic.svg | 15px | alt= | link=]] 1st** | 9 | 0 | **** | 118 | 59 | [[File:Gold medal america.svg | 18px | alt= | link=]] 1995 Pan American Games | |||||||||
| AUS 2000 | Silver medal | **[[File:Silver medal olympic.svg | 15px | alt= | link=]] 2nd** | 7 | 2 | **** | 53 | 21 | [[File:Gold medal america.svg | 18px | alt= | link=]] 1999 Pan American Games | |||||||||
| GRE 2004 | Gold medal | **[[File:Gold medal olympic.svg | 15px | alt= | link=]] 1st** | 8 | 1 | **** | 55 | 27 | Americas Qualifying Tournament | ||||||||||||
| PRC 2008 | Silver medal | **[[File:Silver medal olympic.svg | 15px | alt= | link=]] 2nd** | 7 | 2 | **** | 64 | 28 | Americas Qualifying Tournament | ||||||||||||
| Japan 2020 | Did not qualify | Americas Qualifying Event | |||||||||||||||||||||
| USA 2028 | To be determined | To be determined |
Baseball World Cup
- Gold: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
- Silver: 1941, 2007, 2009, 2011
- Bronze: 1944, 1951
Intercontinental Cup
- Gold: 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2006
- Silver: 1981, 1997, 1999
Pan American Games
- Gold: 1951, 1963, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007
- Silver: 1967
- Bronze: 2011, 2015
Central American & Caribbean Games
- Gold: 1926, 1930, 1935, 1938, 1950, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2006, 2014
- Silver: 1982, 2018
- Bronze: 1946
Minor tournaments
References
References
- (2009-09-28). "Baseball World Cup big news in Cuba, no matter the outcome". CNN.
- (27 November 2016). "Under Fidel Castro, Sport Symbolized Cuba’s Strength and Vulnerability".
- (June 1984). "Cuban Baseball".
- [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/sports/1.776644 "World Baseball Classic: Israel continues to shock the world, beats Cuba 4-1,"] ''Haaretz''.
- [https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sports/Blue-and-white-takes-on-Cuba-in-Tokyo-483922 "Blue-and-white takes on Cuba in Tokyo,"] ''The Jerusalem Post''.
- [https://en.escambray.cu/2017/cuba-qualifies-for-second-round-in-wbc/ Cuba Qualifies for Second Round in WBC. Escambray]
- [https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/03/10/cuba-australia-world-baseball-classic/98997130/ Cuba tops Australia, reaches second round of World Baseball Classic]
- [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/03/10/baseball/despaignes-grand-slam-sends-cuba-second-round-wbc/#.WMMDb6Ldnx8 "Despaigne's grand slam sends Cuba to second round of WBC,"] ''The Japan Times''.
- [https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/03/10/world-baseball-classic-day-5-roundup-dominican-republic-cuba-italy "World Baseball Classic roundup: Dominican Republic cruises". SI.com]
- 03/11/17. World Baseball Classic]
- "Israel beats Cuba to stay unbeaten in WBC '17".
- "Jason Marquis on dominant run in WBC '17".
- "Josh Zeid leading Israel's strong bullpen".
- (June 2, 2021). "Cuba fails to qualify for Olympic baseball for first time". [[NBC Sports]].
- "Cuba in the WBSC Ranking (Men's baseball)". [[World Baseball Softball Confederation]].
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