Cuba Wins Olympic Qualifier

Complete Coverage of the Americas Olympic Qualifier

By Eric Edwards
November 11, 2003

With only pride to play for Monday after both teams pounded their way into the 2004 Olympics the day before, the Cuban national team once again got the getter of Team Canada as lefthander Adiel Palma was even more impressive the second time around against the Canadians.

Palma allowed just two hits over eight innings and struck out 11 as Cuba rolled to a 5-0 victory. In the team's first matchup in pool play, Palma allowed three hits and a run over seven innings in Cuba's 7-2 victory.

Cuba finished the tournament undefeated (6-0) and ran its record in international play to 89-8 since the International Baseball Federation allowed professionals into international play in 1996. Cuba has not lost a game in an international tournament since falling to Team USA in the gold-medal game in Sydney three years ago.

"This championship was important to us. They all are," said Cuban manager Higinio Velez. "We play to win."

With a 1-2 punch of righthanders Norge Vera and Vichoandry Odelin, the Cubans showed they have another star in Palma, a lanky lefthander with a three quarters release and very deceptive delivery.

"That guy could pitch in the big leagues right now. He's tough," said Canadian cleanup hitter Justin Morneau (Twins), whose five home runs in six games led the tournament.

Canada (4-2) has along history of frustration against the Cubans. The Canadians beat them in pool play in the 1999 Pan Am Games, which also served as the qualifier for the 2000 Olympics, but lost to them 3-2 in the semifinals with an Olympic berth on the line. The Cubans beat them 1-0 in the 20001 World Cup, helping make sure Canada wouldn't move on to the playoffs in that competition, and twice more here.

The two teams played as if something more was at stake as Canadian starter Shaun Hill (Expos) and Palma were locked in a scoreless battle until the seventh, when Juan Pedroso crushed a two-run home. Pedroso was starting at first base for Cuba in the absence of Kendry Morales, who was sent home early in the tournament out of fear he would defect.

The Cubans added three more runs in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Eriel Sanchez and a two-run triple by Ariel Pestano.

Cuba and Canada join an eight-country field at the 2004 Games. Greece gets an automatic berth as the host country, Italy and the Netherlands qualified from Europe and Japan and China-Taipei from Asia. South Africa and Australia will meet early in 2004 to determine the Oceania/Africa representative. Mexico won the meaningless consolation game, beating Puerto Rico 10-1 for its second win of the tournament. Mexico scored three runs in five innings off righthander Jonathan Albaladejo (Pirates), before breaking the game open with seven runs in the eighth inning.