Why I don't bet...

When you bet, you have to make up your mind and stick to it...

My original impression was that the finals of the of the WBC would be the Dominican Republic against Korea. After the first game I then changed my mind to a Puerto Rico vs USA game. Boy was I dead wrong. Cuba beats Puerto Rico 4-3 and advances to the semi-finals, and Mexico beats the US 2-1 moving Japan up (and the US out) of semi-final status.

Whah?

I am suprised. I KNOW the Caribbean passion for Baseball, and I always knew that Japan and Korea have a very high baseball culture. BUT MEXICO? Boy I didn't see that one coming. You say sports and Mexico in the same sentence and I think futbol (soccer) or boxing, and definitely not Beisbol. Most definitely not beating the USA in Baseball.

Mexico stopped the US advance, and Cuba stopped Puerto Rico. Yet, that's the beauty of this game: there is no dictatorship of any given team. It's anyone's game, everyone has a chance, and it's not over till it's over.

Beisbol is the American dream realized in sports. And so long as Cuba continues to have a part in it, then all the better. And if Cuba has it on US terms then I say excellent.

Freedom is infectous. I'd rather have Cuba dream on the field, then to despair on the island. I can only hope that the more this team glimpses freedom, and success, then the more they become inspired to live it day to day. If this freedom means defection from Cuba to the US, then I say mission accomplished.

With that said, I change my position once again:

Do I hope Cuba moves on to the finals? Absolutely.

Will I bet on it? Nope.