Still smelling of Cuba, this pitcher came to Miami looking for support and found it in the 100-mile man

Dairon Alpízar Duke still smells of Cuba. He arrived in Miami just a few months but wasted no time and looked for a hand to guide him in his first days in this country and, above all, to prepare him as well as possible before embarking on his professional journey.

Pitcher for Artemisa in three National Series, Alpízar is already training at the 100 Miles per Hour Academy of coach Maels Rodríguez, of whom he had heard so much on the island about his time as a pitcher and who had been recommended as a pitching teacher.

At only 24 years old, he is characterized by having a good curve or slider and has no history of injuries. He has clocked 89-90 miles on his fastball, and still has plenty of physical condition to show off his talents on the ball field. His teacher, Rodríguez, thinks that if he does his part, he will be able to get there.

Why do you decide to come here?

“I decided to come to this country in search of opportunities, to pursue my dream and to be able to play with a team, mainly with a Major League organization”

Was the trip complicated, was it difficult for you?

Yes, the truth is that the trip was somewhat complicated, but hey, I’m here, which is the important thing. Now I am working with Maels Rodríguez. I looked for him and he gave me a test, he accepted me in the academy. Here the work is too much, more than in Cuba, you work much more and with the desire to improve day by day”.

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Dairon Alpízar Duke still smells of Cuba. He arrived in Miami just a few months but wasted no time and looked for a hand to guide him in his first days in this country and, above all, to prepare him as well as possible. JORGE EBRO

What is the first goal you have when you get here?

“The first goal is to prepare myself physically and be at my best. Later I will seek to sign and take the first steps to enter professional baseball, which is the ultimate goal.”

When you left Cuba, what references did you have to Maels Rodríguez?

“I knew about the history he made in Cuba. A great pitcher, in fact he was one of the first pitchers for the Cuba team, he threw 100 miles. Very good”.

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Dairon Alpízar Duke (right) and his trainer Maels Rodríguez. JORGE EBRO

For those who don’t know you, what kind of pitcher are you?

“I am a person who wants to get ahead and improve every day. I feel like I have the possibility of reaching the Major Leagues.”

How do you compare the training here with what you had there in Artemisa?

“Much better, the truth is much better; more preparation, everything. Here I have all the tools. I want to follow in the footsteps of those guys I’ve trained with. They have given me a lot of advice, especially in the mechanics of throwing, how to improve it.”

How do you remember your time in Cuban baseball, in the National Series?

“It was short but good, I think satisfying. You know, what I had to do, I did quite well”.

This story was originally published on March 11, 2022 8:20 a.m.

Jorge Ebro is a prominent journalist with more than 30 years of experience reporting on Sports. He is a baseball lover and a lost lover of boxing.

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Still smelling of Cuba, this pitcher came to Miami looking for support and found it in the 100-mile man