DISMISSED: Raico Santos never ADAPTED to Venezuelan baseball

By José Alejandro Rodríguez Zas

Just a few hours ago, we inform on this website, that two Cuban players had been fired from the Tigres de Aragua team, a team belonging to the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP). We refer to the cases of Camagüey right-hander Frank Madan and Granma outfielder Raico Santos, for whom their stay in that league was very short.

In the case of Raico, the reason for his dismissal was due to poor performance, lower than what the team expected of him, with an offensive average of only .143 (21-3) in six games played, while the pitcher Madan, could not even perform an official launch, as he arrived from Cuba injured and could never recover, so the team management decided to send him back home, on the same trip as Raico.

⚾️🇨🇺🇻🇪 Frank Madam and Raico Santos DISMISSED from the @TigersOficiales #LVBP #SwingComplete pic.twitter.com/xkBky12JMY

– Swing Completo LLC (@SwingCompletoBB) November 2, 2021

Raico, 27, was the protagonist of the national title obtained by Granma in the last National Series campaign, averaging for .350 (246-86) in the regular season and an even more impressive playoff stage, with an average of .409 ( 66-27), with six doubles and a home run, plus 18 RBIs and 14 scored in just 17 games played.

All these numbers are an excellent letter of introduction for any player and enough for any winter baseball team to notice him and require his services, in addition to having experience in the Cuba team that participated in the Florida Pre-Olympic qualifier. Tokyo 2020, in which he hit 9-5 (.556) with a triple and a home run, plus three runs scored and four RBIs.

We make our first two imports official for the 2021-22 season🤩

✅Logan Duran who returns after his successful 2020-21 campaign with Tigres de Aragua.

✅Raico Santos, outfielder with extensive experience in the Cuban Baseball League. #Uptigers🐯#TigersEsAragua pic.twitter.com/dLLKx3l3BA

– Tigres de Aragua (@TigresOficiales) October 19, 2021

However, despite the expectations created, the results at the moment of truth were not as expected.

Days before his departure, the young gardener from Granma gave statements to the official website of the league, LBVP.com, in which I talk about his performance so far, his adaptation to the Venezuelan professional circuit and the main differences he had with respect to Cuban baseball.

“Things have not turned out the way I wanted, but I am giving 100% on the field. It is what they expect from me and I work hard to improve ”, expressed Raico.

«There is a notable difference in pitching between the LVBP and the Cuban National Series. It’s not about the speed of the deliveries, rather it’s about the way the pitches are mixed. Pitchers in this league have a wide repertoire. But ultimately it is the same baseball and you have to adapt. When you are a good player you trust yourself and you must have a positive mind ».

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Unfortunately for him, that level of adaptation never came and therefore he was fired from the Tigres de Aragua team, in a decision that could not wait, taking into account the existence of other players who were doing better.

«He couldn’t hit and in this league you have to make quick decisions. Raico’s performance could not be higher than that of other good gardeners that we have at the club, ”explained the team’s sports advisor, Jorge Urribarrí.

Now Raico must join the training sessions of the Alazanes de Granma preselection with a view to the upcoming 61st edition of the National Series, which should be planned to start this November.

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