Mark Spector, Journal Sports Columnist
The Edmonton Journal, Canada. Friday 30 July 1999
When they last defeated Cuba in 1981, behind pitcher Perry Lychak's out-of-body experience at an Intercontinental Cup in Edmonton's old Renfrew Park, Team Canada's players celebrated like they had just won the World Series.
Thursday in Winnipeg, after an 8-1 drubbing of the mighty Cubans, it was simple handshakes all around. They'll save the dog pile for Sunday, when a likely rematch will be played with a berth in the 2000 Olympics at stake.
First, Canada must face Guatemala in a must-win quarter-final game on Saturday. But after Thursday's victory the big question was whether Cuba had played to win.
"It didn't look like they wanted to be out there," admitted Canadian catcher Andy Stewart, after a dominant victory in front of a sold out CanWest Global Park. "But I wouldn't think anyone would want to go out and lose two in a row. They lost to the U.S. (Wednesday)."
It was a stunning victory for Canada, leaving it atop its pool with a perfect 4-0 record, ahead of the U.S. (3-1), Cuba (2-2), Mexico (1-3) and winless Brazil. But it doesn't mean much if Cuba threw the game.
"It's just a round-robin game," said assistant coach Gord Gerlach, a swift outfielder for the last Canadian team to beat Cuba in 1981.
"The important games are yet to come. Second place was the most favourable position for them to finish in. If you can't get that, then third is best."
A Canadian loss by the same 8-1 score would have left Canada third, Cuba first and the semifinal meeting would be there. Second place was not an option.
With the most important games in the pool being Sunday's semifinal match ups -- because the two winners will advance to next summer's Olympics first and the Pan Am gold medal game second -- it is possible the Cubans assured themselves of a Sunday meeting with Canada by intentionally losing
Thursday. Despite going 4-0, many experts here would still rank the Canadians behind Cuba, the U.S. and the Dominican Republic in strength.
"I can't tell you if their hearts were in it or not," said Canadian second baseman Stubby Clapp. "Everything is questionable. It's questionable when the U.S. beat them and questionable when we beat them. But I've seen more corrupt things."
Either way, Canada will take pride in its perfect start to the Pan Am Games and not get too high over a win over Cuba. Even if it happens only once every 18 years.
"In '81 there was no trophy or gold medal on the line," Gerlach pointed out. "And there was no medal on the line today. We needed one more win to get into the medal round in 1981. We couldn't do it."
Starter Steve Green, a 21-year-old Longueuil, Que., native, stymied the Cubans on three hits over seven innings, while St. Albert's Dave Ross pitched a perfect inning in relief. The usually long-ball hitting Cubans made 16 ground ball outs over the first six innings, a sign of either fantastic
pitching or disinterested batters.
Which brings us to a separate school of thought that is making the rounds here among the many scouts and baseball people who have descended upon Winnipeg to view Team Cuba. Perhaps, the theory goes, Omar Linares and Orestes Kindelan, who have grown used to playing vastly inferior amateur teams
while swinging aluminum bats, are struggling with the changes.
Now, as Linares and Kindelan approach ages 32 and 35 respectively, they are troubled by the switch to the comparatively dead wooden bats being used here. Not to mention facing superior, Double- and Triple-A pitchers backed by professional glove men.
Numbers don't lie and through four games Linares is hitting .133 while Kindelan is at .188. The meat of the Cuban power has one home run and seven RBIs between them, while unknown Oshawa, Ont., product Stewart has two homers and a tournament-leading 11 RBIs all by himself.
Stewart had an RBI single Thursday, while Jeremy Ware and Todd Betts each had three RBIs, as Canada rapped out 11 singles among its 14 hits.
And remember this, also. The Baltimore Orioles beat this Cuban team once this summer, but when they tried again a few days later, they couldn't pull it off, losing at Camden Yards.
Now, Team Canada will try. |