Pitcher Aroldis Chapman also joins the Cuba exile team

the cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman showed its support for the project promoted by the Association of Professional Cuban Players (ACPBP) with the aim of participating in the World Baseball Classic that will take place next year with a team of Cuban athletes residing outside the Islandaccording he stated in a video posted by Full Swing on their social networks.

“The Association of Professional Cuban Baseball Players is a great project for us Cubans who want to represent Cuba in the World Classic, We want to lead a great team and be able to represent our people and our flag”affirmed the Cuban athlete.

“To the Cubans who are in Cuba and those who are outside of Cuba, we only ask you to support us so that we can take a great team to the World Classicwhich is one of the great dreams of Cubans inside and outside of Cuba,” added the New York Yankees pitcher.

One day before, in statements to ESPNthe Cuban pitcher said that, in case it is not possible to carry out the independent Cuba team project, would be willing to represent the USA in the contestbut not to the Dominican Republic, since he does not have the nationality of that country.

Last week it was José Abreu who stated that he would agree to join to the independent Cuban team, joining Major League stars such as Randy Arozarena, Guillermo Heredia, Yulieski Gurriel and Chapman himself.

The Association will seek to send a petition to the Big leagues to analyze the inclusion of a team of independent Cuban players in the next World Baseball Classic.

In the last days A letter was also sent to both 40-player roster players and MLB stars.as well as prospects from Minor Leagues and other players from circuits in Asia, Mexico and Winter Leagues, to extend the invitation to join the project.

The ACPBP is led by Cuban Mario Fernándezas well as former MLB players such as Luis Tiant, Edilberto Oropesa, René Arocha, Euclides Rojas and Orlando “El Duque” Hernández, among others.

At the beginning of last January “El Duque” Hernández also suggested the creation of an independent team to participate in the Clásicogiven the reluctance of the Cuban government to allow the island’s baseball players who play in the Major Leagues to represent their country in the tournament.

“If (the Government of) Cuba does not want them to play with Cuba, they have every right in the world to play with Cuba, then they should make a team and play as independents. Why not?” she questioned.

According to data recently offered by the Cuban journalist Francys Romero, andn these moments there are more than 150 Cubans inserted in Major League organizationsso there are enough players from the Island to form an independent team.