Road to Premier12: Rey Vicente Anglada named new manager of Cuban National Baseball Team

Rey Vicente Anglada is the new manager of the Cuban National Baseball Team. During the 2019 international campaign, Cuba will play in the Pan American Games and WBSC Premier12

Born in 1953, nicknamed El Rey Azul (The Blue King), Anglada played second base. He performed in the Serie Nacional (1972-1982) and in the Serie Selectiva for the Industriales and other teams of the Capital City Habana. He represented Cuba in two Baseball World Cups: 1976, 1978.
As a manager, he led the Industriales to back to back National Championships in 2003 and 2004. He won a third pennant in 2006 as the manager of Santiago de Cuba.
He managed the National Team in 2006 and 2007. He won the Pan American Games 2007 and lost the final of the IBAF World Cup 2007 against the USA.

Rey Vicente Anglada at the 2007 Baseball World Cup

Anglada will work on a pre-selection of 63 players in April and May and then will lead the National Team to 15 games of the Canadian American League in June. After that, Cuba will travel to North America for the International Friendship Series against the USA Collegiate National Team, to be played from 2 to 7 July. More games will be scheduled in preparation for the Pan American Games.
These are the players included in the pre selection:

PITCHERS: (25): Lazaro Blanco, Yoanni Yera, Vladimir Garcia, Vladimir Baños, Freddy Álvarez, Alain Sanchez, Yariel Rodriguez, Frank Medina, Yadian Martínez, Andy Rodriguez, Ulfrido Garcia, Yosimar Cousin, Wilson Paredes, Yandy Molina, Misael Villa, Yudiel Rodríguez, Livan Moinelo, Raidel Martinez, Pedro Alvarez, Rafael Sanchez, Dariel Gongora, Pablo Guillen, Norge Vera, Yoen Socarras, Yanieski Duardo.
CATCHERS: (8): Yosvani Alarcon, Oscar Valdez, Frank Morejón, Andy Cosme, Ariel Martinez, Yendry Tellez, Alfredo Fadraga, Yunior Ibarra
INFIELDERS: (18): Yordanis Samon, Oscar Colas, Yurien Vizcaino, Norel Gonzalez, Wilfredo Aroche, Sergio Barthelemi, Raul Gonzalez, Carlos Benitez, Maikel Caceres, Cesar Prieto, Yurisbel Gracial, Yordan Manduley, Alexander Ayala, Orlando Acebey, Ricardo Ramos, Andres Hernandez, William Saavedra, Jorge Aloma
OUTFIELDERS: (12): Ariel Sanchez, Frederich Cepeda, Yoelquis Guibert, Alfredo Despaigne, Roel Santos, Geyser Cepeda, Jorge Johnson, Yoelquis Cespedes, Joasan Guillen, Yunieski Larduet, Stayler Hernandez, Robert Luis Delgado

The availability of Despaigne for the Pan American Games is still unclear, due to contractual matters with his team, NPB’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.