It might have been a brief keep for Team Cuba within the World Baseball Classic after dropping the primary two video games in pool play.
“It’s fair to say we had doubts after the start of the tournament at 0-2,” Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada mentioned Thursday via an interpreter. “But we stored working and grinding and we had been in a position to advance and go into the semifinals.
“We kept working. We never put our heads down.”
Cuba strung collectively three straight victories, with Moncada’s scorching hitting main the best way, to succeed in the semifinals earlier than shedding to Team USA. Moncada was again at Camelback Ranch on Thursday.
“It was a great experience,” he mentioned of the WBC. “It was one of my goals, and I will never forget that.”
Moncada excelled within the occasion, incomes All-Tournament Team honors.
“I’m happy for that recognition, especially in a tournament like that with all the superstars,” Moncada mentioned.
He slashed .435/.519/.739 with 4 doubles, one residence run and 5 RBIs in six video games.
“I definitely knew he could do this because I’ve been in this division for the last 10 years (coaching with the Kansas City Royals), and in ‘19, he was a really tough guy to game plan against from both sides of the plate,” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned Wednesday. “He would take a stroll with the perfect of them. He’d present some energy when it was given to him or errors had been made on him. He was a very onerous man to pitch to, simply because the chases weren’t obtainable for anyone who’s sport planning. He’s not chasing.
“He might run, play protection. He made some unimaginable performs. I’ve seen him do all these items. So it’s my job to maintain him motivated and maintain him taking part in baseball the best way it must be performed.
“He’s effectively conscious of the participant he has been and could be. He’s locked in, man. I’m not saying he’s going to go on the market 162 video games and be good. Nobody is. We are all going to have our lapses. But our conversations have been actually good.
“He understands who he has been, who he needs to be. He understands the urgency.”
Moncada in contrast the event’s setting to his postseason experiences.
“In those moments, the feeling of representing your country, those four letters you have on your chest, it means a lot,” Moncada mentioned. “Those letters meant so much. Just feelings of you might be taking part in there and each sport counts. Every second counts. Just pleasure. You know that it’s vital as a result of it’s your nation.
“In those moments, when I showed my emotions, it’s because I couldn’t control it. It’s just the moment was so big and the stage was so big that it was just like a playoff-game atmosphere. You just let your emotions go.”
His favourite reminiscence got here within the quarterfinal victory towards Australia.
“The last out of the quarterfinals was a special moment because it was when we were able to advance to the semifinals,” Moncada mentioned.
Moncada exited the semifinal loss within the sixth inning with a bruised rib after colliding with a teammate whereas going after a fly ball in shallow left subject.
“I feel good,” he mentioned. “It wasn’t anything serious. It was just a bruise from the hit. I felt good right away.”
Moncada is scheduled to be within the lineup for Friday’s Cactus League sport towards the Oakland Athletics.
“Now, you put all your focus on the season and the things you need to do every day in order to stay healthy and perform every day and have a successful season,” Moncada mentioned.
He’ll carry with him classes from the World Baseball Classic.
“I learned that no matter what, you have to keep your head up,” Moncada mentioned. “There will be games where you are going to feel overwhelmed or things aren’t going well. But you have to keep your head up.”
Andrew Vaughn scheduled to play in minor-league sport Friday
Vaughn is slated to play in a minor-league sport Friday as the primary baseman makes his means again from decrease again soreness, Grifol mentioned.
“He’ll take as many bats as he wants,” Grifol mentioned. “And he’s on pace. He’s on track.”
Vaughn final appeared in a Cactus League sport March 12
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Source: www.bostonherald.com