Fidel Castro, Main Cuba Manager at WBC
Cuban President Fidel Castro congratulated the Cuban baseball team because of the work done up to now, and having classified for the semifinals in the 1st World Baseball Classic.

Fidel Castro sent a message to the national baseball team, as told by Cuban team manager Higinio Velez, who said that Fidel Castro is "the team's main manager."

Velez remembered the team was received by Fidel Castro before departing to Puerto Rico, the host of the first two classificatory stages of the tournament.

"The President did not demand us to win the tournament, but he told us that we should play well, and teach the world how baseball is played in Cuba," said Velez in San Diego.

Velez was sorry for the elimination of the US team from the competition, and added that any team could be out of it, because of the quality of the remaining teams from other countries of the world.

He was grateful for the good welcome given to him and his players, and the rest of the Cuban delegation in Puerto Rico and US, with kindness and politeness.

He said his team is easy, happy and grateful to the fans, the press and the organizers of the tournament because of the efforts that let them get up to here.

He referred to the relevance of WBC and advocated for holding it every two years, eliminating the amateur World Championship and Intercontinental Cups, since WBC has showed it can do a lot for world baseball.