The Dominican Republic, the Netherlands and Venezuela will contest their last ticket to the Olympic Games baseball tournament from Tuesday, in a sudden death playoff at the Hermanos Serdán stadium in Puebla, in the central highlands of Mexico.
The five-day tournament will feature a head-to-head first round, followed by a semi-final between second and third place (Friday) for the right to face first place in a grand final (Saturday) to define the team that will join. to the United States, South Korea, Japan, Israel and Mexico in the first Olympic baseball tournament since Beijing 2008.
In the original schedule, Australia, China and Taiwan were also scheduled to participate in the final playoffs of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC), but all three declined as a result of the measures taken in those countries by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Dominican Republic and Venezuela, which advanced to this instance by finishing second and third, respectively, in the Americas Pre-Olympic Games, will collide in the opening match on Tuesday. On Wednesday the Netherlands and Venezuela will meet and on Thursday the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands.
Right-handers Raynel Espinal (6-1, 3.60 in the Boston Red Sox Triple-A) and Erick Leal (2-1, 3.38 with Aguascalientes in the Mexican League) will be the starting pitchers in the opening game, managers Héctor reported Monday Borg, from the Dominican Republic, and José Alguacil, from Venezuela.
Highlights from our exhibition match yesterday at the Alfredo Harp Helú stadium. #UpRD🇩🇴 #RoadToTokyo pic.twitter.com/szcPp6ti0m
– ProbeisbolRD (@probeisbolrd) June 20, 2021
“It will be a difficult tournament, Venezuela and the Netherlands are tough opponents, but our goal is to get to Tokyo. We have players with experience in the majors, in the minor leagues and different places. I feel comfortable with what I have,” Borg said Monday.
“We started with the Dominican Republic, a team that we already saw in the Florida pre-Olympic. It is a privilege to be in this position and raising our flag in a tournament of such importance is a privilege,” added Sheriff.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is ranked number nine in the WBSC ranking, advanced to the Puebla playoff by finishing second in the Africa-Europe Pre-Olympic in September 2019. Venezuela is number eight and Dominican Republic # 10 on the WBSC list.
The Netherlands, which is led by Hensley Muelens, has participated in four of the five baseball tournaments at the Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008). The Dominican Republic attended the Barcelona 1992 event, while Venezuela seeks its first appearance on that great stage.
“For me it is an honor to be here, defending the mother country. I was a player in Sydney 2000 and a coach in Athens 2004. I think that the highest prestige, representing the country and being on the same stage as the best athletes in all sports. It is the greatest honor, “said Muelens.
Muelens’ roster is filled with domestic league players and a number of free agents, but there are also some with experience in the US Major Leagues, including pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Shairon Martis and infielder and outfielder Yurendell De Caster.
“We do not have many professionals and some players have not played in foreign leagues, but we have the pitching to maneuver in the tournament. We have had problems finding players, but we have always found a way to compete,” said Muelens, who played with several teams. before beginning an 11-year career as a major league coach, mostly with the San Francisco Giants, where he was part of the staff that won three World Series trophies in a five-year stretch, between 2010 and 2014.
Alguacil will not have the stellar starting pitcher Aníbal Sánchez, who started two games in the Americas Pre-Olympic three weeks ago, but added to the Puebla roster receiver Wilson Ramos, who was released by the Detroit Tigers, and second baseman Alexi Amarista, both very experienced at the highest level.
“It has been difficult with all the adjustments to get players. Everyone is playing right now. We were able to get some pieces of experience in Mexico, but we feel confident with the team we put together,” said Alguacil.
Possibly the roster that suffered the most changes in recent weeks was the Dominican, who will not have outfielder José Bautista, shortstop Jeison Guzmán and veteran left-handed starter Raúl Valdés this time, all of outstanding performance in the Florida Pre-Olympic.
Those who did remain on Borg’s payroll are veterans Emilio Bonifacio, Melky Cabrera, Juan Francisco and Jairo Asencio and the sensational Seattle Mariners prospect Julio Rodríguez, who led the team’s offense in the previous event.
“I am happy with the replacements, we are ready to play nine innings every day, knowing that each inning will be decisive in the tournament,” said Borg.
MANAGERS WITH STRONG TIES
The three managers have strong professional ties, having long coincided within the San Francisco organization. Muelens and Sheriff played together and later were on Bruce Bochy’s successful MLB coaching staff.
Meulens, 53, was added to Bochy’s staff as a hitting coach prior to the 2010 season and spent the next 10 years at the club in varying capacities, helping to win the franchise’s first titles since moving from New York. to San Francisco in 1957. When Bochy retired, Muelens took a job with the New York Mets before the 2020 season.
Bailiff, 48, is the manager of the Giants’ AA branch in Richmond. The one in 2021 is his 15th. season as a coach in the San Francisco organization, including three years as a 1B coach in the Major Leagues (2017-19).
The 36-year-old Borg spent four seasons as a player in the Giants’ minor leagues, before beginning a coaching career at the lower levels in 2008. Since last year he has been the organization’s Latin American development coordinator, based in the Dominican Republic.
“They are my little brothers,” Muelens said. “I spent 11 years with San Francisco, for the last three with José, while Borgie was in charge of minor league development. Latinos are a fundamental base in that organization, there are many opportunities for Latinos,” he added.
“I wish my brothers luck and that we put a lot of passion in the games,” said Muelens.
“It’s a family competition,” Sheriff said. “Bam Bam has been my father, Borg is my son,” he added.
“I am very happy to be competing in this tournament with Alguacil, my older brother in baseball, and Muelens is like the godfather of the two of us,” Borg said. “Let’s enjoy it,” he pointed out.
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