Alvarez and Holguín Stalwarts Pace Cuban All-Stars
Fresh off an early season no-hitter (the campaign’s only pitching masterpiece to date), Villa Clara ace right-hander Freddy Asiel Alvarez stands near the top of the polling among pitchers for this year’s league All-Star contest. The showcase game (number 27 in league annals) will be played this coming Sunday afternoon at Nueva Gerona’s Cristobal Labra Stadium (home to the Isla de la Juventud Pirates) and can be viewed worldwide via the internet feed from Cubavision International. The winning squad will be rewarded with an international tournament appearance later in the year, most likely at this summer’s Haarlem Honkbal Tournament in The Netherlands.
Alvarez picked up 12,659 fan ballots to trail only a pair of Holguín stalwarts (reliever Pablo M. Fernández, (14,879) and shortstop Yordan Manduley (14,249) in the overall internet and print press polling. Other popular stars at the ballot box were veteran catcher Yulexis LaRosa (Villa Clara, 11,946), Pinar del Río righty Yosvani Torres (first half league leader with 7 victories, 10,151), and batting pacesetter Maikel Cáceres (Holguín, 10,586). Heavy fan voting in Holguín Province also pushed infielder Yunior Paumier (10,079) into the 10,000-plus leaders grouping. More than 20,000 fans cast ballots during the open selection process which is distinguished from MLB polling by its one fan/one ballot policy. In addition to the leading vote getters, league officials also named two invited “wild card” selections: Isla hurler Héctor Manuel Mendoza (Occidentales) and promising second-year Camagüey mound phenom Norge Luis Ruiz. The complete All-Star rosters announced yesterday (21 players on each team) are as follows:
OCCIDENTALES
Lorenzo Quinata, Catcher (Pinar del Río) 7,431
Luis A. Castro, Catcher (Isla de la Juventud) 4,003
William Saavedra, Infield/1B (Pinar del Río) 6,874
Alexander Mayeta, Infield/1B (Industriales) 6,086
José Miguel Fernández, Infield (Matanzas) 7,602
Dainer Moreira, Infield (Matanzas) 7,758
Yulieski Gourriel, Infield (Industriales) 6,376
Michel Enríquez, Infield (Isla de la Juventud) 6,301
Yasmani Tomás, Outfield (Industriales) 7,132
Reinier León, Outfield (Pinar del Río) 6,206
Yadiel Hernández, Outfield (Matanzas) 5,697
Frederich Cepeda, Outfield (Sancti Spíritus) 5,644
Yosvani Pereza, Designated Hitter (Pinar del Río) 8,288
Yosvani Torres, RHP (Pinar del Río) 10,151
Julio A. Martínez, LHP (Pinar del Río) 9,245
Ariel Miranda, LHP (Mayabeque), 8,467
Frank Montieth, RHP (Industriales) 7,768
Wilber Pérez, LHP (Isla de la Juventud) 6,719
José Angel García, RHP/Relief (Artemisa) 9,391
Leinier Rodríguez, RHP/Relief (Mayabeque) 5,746
Héctor Manuel Mendoza, RHP (Isla de la Juventud), Invited
Coaching Staff
Lázaro Vargas, Manager (Industriales)
Alexander Ramos, First Base Coach (Isla de la Juventud)
Primitivo Díaz, Third Base Coach (Matanzas)
Raciel Sánchez, Pitching Coach (Pinar del Río)
ORIENTALES
Yulexis LaRosa, Catcher (Villa Clara) 11,946
Franklin Aballe, Catcher (Holguín) 6,788
Ariel Borrero, Infield/1B (Villa Clara) 9,422
Lerys Aguilera, Infield (Holguín) 5,453
Yunior Paumier, Infield (Holguín) 10,079
Yordan Manduley, Infield/SS (Holguín) 14,249
Luis Y. La O, Infield (Santiago de Cuba) 4,901
Maikel Cáceres, Outfield (Holguín) 10,587
Andy Zamora, Outfield (Villa Clara) 8,631
Alfredo Despaigne, Outfield (Granma) 5,118
Reutilio Hurtado, Outfield (Santiago de Cuba) 4,627
Ramón Lunar, Designated Hitter (Villa Clara) 9,099
Freddy Asiel Alvarez, RHP (Villa Clara) 12,659
Danny Betancourt, RHP (Santiago de Cuba) 9,942
Oriolbis Cobas, RHP (Guantánamo) 6,002
Vicyohandri Odelín, RHP (Camagüey) 5,710
Vladimir García, RHP (Ciego de Avila) 5,695
Pablo M. Fernández, RHP/Relief (Holguín) 14,879
Carlos Viera, RHP/Relief (La Tunas) 8,563
Norge Luis Ruiz, RHP (Camagüey) Invited
Coaching Staff
Ramón More, Manager (Villa Clara)
Ernest Gainza , First Base Coach (Santiago de Cuba)
Leonardo Paris Jonhson, Third Base Coach (Holguín)
Roidel Enríquez, Pitching Coach (Villa Clara)
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