CAMAGÜEY.- After weeks of waiting this Wednesday it was confirmed that the pitchers from Camagüey José Ramón Rodríguez and Yariel Rodríguez are part of the roster of the national team that will participate in the 5th World Baseball Classic, agreed to start next March.

The list of the Cuba's team was announced in a special television program attended by the entire coaching staff led by Armando Johnson and the players who train at the Latin American stadium in Havana.

Subject to controversy due to the absence of players like Guillermo Avilés or Yosvani Alarcón, the list is made up of two catchers, eight infielders, six outfielders and 14 pitchers.

In the cases of Pepe and Yariel, both are included in the plans of pitching coach Pedro Luis Lazo as possible starters or long relievers in a staff that is seen as the main weapon of the group.

"Today I want to thank, first of all, everyone who one day told me not to give up, that everything in life requires a sacrifice. My family, friends, my wife and all the coaches who have been part of my career since that I was a child, I won't have how to repay them for all the support they gave me.

"The happiest moment in my sports life has arrived: I am on the team for the 5th World Baseball Classic. Today I remember that before entering the operating room for my Tommy Johns surgery, I asked God to let me participate in the next Classic. At times I thought I would not reach it, but the damn Covid-19 delayed the start date, giving me the possibility to bend my efforts to be able to achieve the goal, "wrote José Ramón on his Facebook profile after the announcement.

The other athlete from Camagüey who was in the preselection, the left-handed pitcher Dariel Góngora, remained in the active reserve, so he could wear the four-letter uniform if any of those selected drop in the previous event.

Below are the 30 names of Cuba:

Receivers: Lorenzo Quintana and Andrys Pérez.

Infielders: Ariel Martínez, Andy Ibáñez, Yadil Mujica, Erisbel Arruebarruena, Luis Vicente Mateo, Yadir Drake, Dayán García and Yoan Moncada.

Outfielders: Roel Santos, Alfredo Despaigne, Yoelquis Guibert, Yurisbel Gracial, Luis Robert Moirán and Yoenis Céspedes.

Pitchers: Yariel Rodríguez, Liván Moinelo, Raidel Martínez, Elián Leyva, Frank Abel Álvarez, Roenis Elías, José Ramón Rodríguez, Ronald Bolaños, Yeudis Reyes, Naykel Cruz, Carlos Juan Viera, Luis Miguel Romero, Yoenni Yera and Onelkis García.