Velez believes umpires could have been better

By Bill Center
STAFF WRITER

Officially, Japan won the first World Baseball Classic.

But Cuban manager Higinio Velez believes the real winner was the game itself.

“It seems to me, who won was baseball did,” said Velez. “Forget about all the problems and concentrate on the game. We have to do this more frequently. We have to bring the best players in the world to baseball.”

And maybe the best umpires.

If Velez thought there was one thing that needed improving in the first WBC, it was the umpires – specifically the work of home plate ump Ed Hallion and first base ump Bob Davidson last night.

“I never like to talk about umpires, but tonight, you saw what happened,” Velez said. “The umpire at home and the first base umpire left much to be desired. I don't think they do it with ill intention. I leave it up to you to draw your own conclusion.”

Velez and the Cuban bench took exception with Hallion from almost the first pitch of the game as starter Ormari Romero struggled with his control. Romero faced only four hitters. He walked one and fell behind the two hitters who singled.

By the time the first inning ended, Cuban pitchers had issued two walks and hit a batter as Japan jumped to a 4-0 lead that it never relinquished.

In its semifinal win over the Dominican Republic, Cuba got exceptional production from the offspeed offerings of starter Yadel Marti and the much harder fastballs thrown by Pedro Lazo.

Neither, however, was available last night. And Romero and the seven successors Velez sent out were not up to the task.

“Romero is my main starting pitcher,” said Velez of the 38-year-old veteran of 17 Cuban League seasons and more than a decade of international play.

“This was not his game. Today he didn't do that well with his control and speed. This is what happens in baseball.”

Japan had 10 hits and six walks off the Cuban staff, plus a hit batter.

In terms of pitching, Japan actually did to Cuba what the Cubans did to the Dominican Republic on Saturday in the semifinals – kept the opposition off balance with two pitchers with extremely different styles and pitches.

Tournament MVP Daisuke Matsuzaka held the Cubans to one run – a leadoff homer by shortstop Eduardo Paret in the bottom of the first after Japan had jumped out to its four-run lead – on four hits over four innings with a straight overhand delivery that included a high fastball.

Then followed the submarining Shunsuke Watanabe.

“When you have a top-quality pitcher of Matsuzaka followed by a different style, it makes it difficult,” said Velez, whose club has lost two straight games started by Matsuzaka.

One game, however, does not end a dynasty. Last night's loss was only Cuba's fifth in its last 37 championship games of international tournaments dating to 1951.

“This was not a gift given to Cuba,” said Velez of Cuba's trek to the championship game. “We came through the group called the death group and we are here. We have already shown what Cuba can do.”

“What Cuba has proved is that we can play up to other levels,” said outfielder Frederich Cepeda, who joined major league All-Star Ichiro Suzuki as the only players to hit safely in every game of the tournament.

“Cuba has shown the world that we have our heart in baseball,” said Cepeda. “This classic is a historic event. We are not professionals. We don't get paid to play. But we ranked second, well deserved. I don't like losing. But I think we have shown a lot.”