By Swing Completo / contacto@swingcompleto.com
In a matter of a few weeks Eriel Sanchez He has become one of the most controversial Cuban baseball characters and, why not, even hated. All due to certain statements in which he has shown arrogance, servility and even a bit of contradiction.
“The patriot” went down in history as the director who has received the most athletes in an international event with the twelve escapes at the U-23 World Cup. The worst of the case is that what happened in the Mexican appointment was after his famous phrase in which he justified the absences of the pitchers Yunior Tur and Yosimar Cousín for lack of discipline and patriotism.
But that is what most have seen, read or heard from Eriel on social media and the official press. The most unknown thing is that the natural man of Fomento, Olympic champion in Athens 2004, has a quite strong personality that is being added more and more people against among those who have passed through his direction as athletes and even as coaches.
One of them has been his countryman Pedro Álvarez, marksmen for Los Gallos, who manifested to the journalist Elsa Ramos who not only had left the team due to differences with the management, but would not wear the suit of her province of origin again as long as certain things did not change and it is not necessary to delve further into which is one of the main .
And it is precisely Sánchez who has been blocking the departure of the talented monticulista to the Cuban capital after receiving the invitation to join the ranks of Industriales. A matter that at the moment seems impossible in the next two years according to the province itself.
Three different sources, one directly linked to the INDER of Havana, another close to the pitcher himself and a third arrival from a respected colleague within the Spiritus press, agree that the controversial strategist is putting strong pressure on the Sports Directorate of his territory so that they do not allow this handover.
Right now Eriel is completely closed to allowing his ex-disciple to go elsewhere than Sancti Spíritus and that position has been defended tooth and nail with the officials who run sports and baseball in the central territory. It was taken very personally, especially by what Pedro said where he left for granted his differences with the leadership body of the Gallos headed by him.
The capital authorities continue to manage by all possible means that do not block Álvarez’s departure. Doing so would practically force him to lose two years of his sports career because of the law that they want to apply against all of them.
Here there is a reality and it is that he had been approved for the discharge for months after they did not allow him a temporary license to finish fixing his house. As he was disconnected as an active athlete, they had not noticed his figure until the interest of the capital’s directors came to return to the National Series.
That is how the interest in Pedrito suddenly returned within the spirits managers and the manager of the Gallos, who right now do not care if the boy plays or not. In this minute it is a matter of not doing it with anyone else, because if you are not able to adapt to the direction of your original team, it is better that you retire prematurely than that you are not on the opposite side. Something like that, if you are not with me, even if it is forced, you already express a problem of internal discipline, you will not be with anyone else. As if Eriel and the rest were the lords and masters of the players from Spiritus.
The position of the former Yayabero receiver is completely criticizable and shameful, and only contributes to worsen even more an image that was already deteriorated with his statements and some passages that have been gradually filtered in which his bad form comes to light and lack of professionalism.
In the midst of the serious situation that Cuban baseball faces with the brutal number of casualties facing the next National Series, the National Directorate of discipline cannot ignore this problem. Pedro Alvarez He is one of the few pitchers left with talent and allowing his desire to play for another team to be deprived due to disagreements with the management, rather than creating a precedent because there have already been so many, would be adding fuel to the fire. A fire that has been fueling this year with all kinds of ingredients, with Cousín being the most recent. Of course, many will say that the tiger is not interested in being pointed one more line.
The provincial commissions and the INDER of each territory have the right to certain freedoms, but they also have the duty to respect their athletes because they are not merchandise or their slaves. And when things are about to overreach and bring worse consequences, it is then up to the national authorities to play the leading, fair and impartial role.
Hopefully and the origin of FCB Vice President Yovani Aragón from Spiritus, together with his ties with Eriel Sánchez, does not allow the rope to break on the most fragile side, as usual, and finally reverse the refusal to leave Sancti Spíritus to Pedro Álvarez so that he does not have to stop doing what he likes the most and what he has always dedicated himself to.
Now the rights and freedoms of a person are at stake with arguments that go beyond the whim and spite of resentful and insensitive bosses. And with these thunders and those of the U-23 World Cup they still ratified Eriel as manager of the Cali Youth Pan American Games. No wonder we are as we are … and what is missing.