Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-8-13 9:30:21
Cuban baseball player Alfredo Despaigne expressed his desire to re-engage in foreign professional leagues after his recent experience this season with the Mexican Pirates of Campeche, official sports website Jit reported on Monday.
"It is the chance of being able to measure ourselves in another baseball and get the benefits of learning from them. I think it was great. I just hope this experience to be continued and expanded," Despaigne was quoted as saying.
Despaigne, 26, the outstanding outfielder and silver medalist at the Beijing Olympic Games, played this season for the Pirates at the Mexican Baseball League, along with his countrymen Yordanis Samon and Michel Enriquez, after being authorized by the local federation of the discipline, an unprecedented event in Cuba for the last half century.
Noting that pitching is the most outstanding characteristic of the Mexican professional league, Despaigne said "Pitching has major differences related to ours, the most of their pitchers rely on bends and breaks."
During his contract in Mexico, Despaigne played 33 games and equaled the record of six hits in a game, held by his compatriot Martin Dihigo.
Due to his opinion on the home runs, the Cuban player was also nominated for the award as "the Recruitment of the Year."
In his own country, Despaigne plays for the team representing his province Granma in the east during the National Series of Cuba.
Cuban authorities announced last month the lifting of the 50-year ban prohibiting local players to sign contracts with international professional clubs.
According to Cuban Baseball Federation President Higinio Velez, allowing the most excellent players playing for foreign clubs is now a policy of the country, fulfilling an old wish of the local players and fans as a way to insert the national baseball in the world, but not affecting the National Series.