Yoan Moncada (28) and Luis Robert (26, Chicago White Sox), who were selected for the Cuban national team for the first time as active major leaguers, said, “Players born in Cuba will continue to play Cuba in international competitions.” I want to represent you,” he said.
In an interview with MLB.com on the 2nd (Korean time), Moncada and Robert explained the significance of selecting the Cuban national team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
The WBC set the ‘standards for participating in the national team’ more flexibly than the competitions organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), such as the Olympics.
Athletes who hold a valid passport of a specific country, are legal permanent residents of that country, and can document that one of their parents is a national of that country or was born in that country are eligible to compete in the WBC.
According to this rule, there is no problem with Cuban players playing in the major leagues of American professional baseball joining the Cuban national team.
However, due to diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba, which actually host the WBC, and the Cuban government’s cold gaze toward exiled players, big leaguers were not able to join the Cuban national team at the 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2017 WBC tournaments.
In the 2023 WBC, Cuban exiles were allowed to join the national team, and for the first time, an active big leaguer was named in the final entry.
‘Big names’ such as Jordan Alvarez and Yulieski Gurriel (above Houston Astros) did not board.
However, two big leaguers joined: infielder Moncada and outfielder Robert.
The two situations are slightly different. 나르샤 토토
Moncada, who immigrated to Guatemala with permission from the Cuban government in 2014, obtained permanent residency and signed a contract with an American club, so he is not classified as an “exiled player.”
On the other hand, Robert is an exiled player who escaped Cuba in November 2016 to play in the major leagues.
Robert is recorded as the first exile to compete in an international competition since the 1959 Cuban Revolution.