Hours after the cancellation of the Baseball America Cup, the mentor of the Cuba team, Germán Mesa Fresneda, was faithful to his promise. He agreed to answer the audience of the programme Haciendo Radio, from the radio station Radio Rebelde, a group of questions about his objectives, working methods and aspirations in a post that will include managing in the next 2026 World Classic and that could conclude with the 2028 Olympic Games.

He did not refuse to enter the controversy that always accompanies the preparation of the national rosters and reiterated that his three titles in the professional league of Nicaragua, the championship with Industriales in our National Series and the crown in a Latin American Series are more than convincing calling cards for the work he is already carrying out together with a group of coaches that he chose to cover this Olympic cycle.

–Was managing the Cuba team a dream for Germán Mesa?

I must clarify that more than managing, I love baseball. And if I accepted this post it is to fulfil a task to which I am putting from the start soul, intelligence and heart. After retiring from baseball I dedicated myself to training and teaching the lads. That is what I like. It was the late Higinio Vélez, back around the year 2007, who proposed me to fulfil a contract in Nicaragua as manager. And that’s where this career started then, no longer at shortstop, but from the bench.

–How do you characterise your management style?, how do you achieve that necessary communication with the players?

I always start with discipline, on and off the field. With respect for the ballplayer because that is how I was educated by each of the mentors I had. Then comes the organisation of the work, for which I rely on coaches who know me and know what I am pursuing in each stage. I listen to all opinions and I also share mine. I do not impose it nor manage by whims. That said, with me you have to give your all on the field as I used to do.

–For this new work period you already explained why you called Noelvis González as bench coach and Omar Linares as batting coach, however, many did not understand the metrics taken into account for the preparation of the team that was going to the America Cup. Could you expand a bit on that topic, given that some players were left out with an outstanding performance in the current National Series?

If we want different results we have to do different things. And different does not mean improvising, but updating ourselves on parameters and metrics that are used in world baseball and that sometimes in Cuba we are unaware of, hence we only used to take into account many times for making a Cuba team the traditional statistics of average, OBP, earned run average, among others.

And it’s not that those numbers are not important, but we now seek, from science, many more options to value the integrality of a player’s contribution to the playing scheme we intend to use. I’m not saying it’s a magic formula, far from it. It’s just different, based on some parameters that I am sure we will enrich along the way.

–Will it be used equally for the preparation of the team that will represent us in the next World Classic?

We will use it, but we must start from a key concept. To be able to go to the World Classic on equal terms with other teams, we must have players who have experience in higher-level professional leagues, whether in the United States, Japan or America.

That does not mean that those who are playing in the National Series do not have options. The best, those who fulfil and excel in the metrics we will apply will surely be on the team. But it would be naive to think of a selection composed entirely of those who only play in Cuba. The experience of the previous Classic was the correct one and it is the one we will follow.

Of course, we already have a list of possible names and with some of them we have spoken. Many have expressed that they will compete for Cuba if we call them and we will do so at the precise moment. That is what I can say for the moment.

–Is Germán Mesa reluctant to have veteran players in his national team? Are Yosvani Alarcón, Yordanis Samón and Frederich Cepeda, to cite three examples that were in the pre-roster for the Caribbean Cup, completely eliminated with your management or if they earned it could they integrate a Cuba team again?

I do not close the door to anyone. It is a new cycle that I would like to walk with those who could finish the cycle with me. But if there is one of those veterans or others who fulfils the metrics we are working with (because this is something that had not been done before), why can’t he be on the team. I am not against any name. I only seek players who are useful to our objectives. Sometimes people judge persons without having reason or knowledge of things. I am not reluctant to anything, to answer your question clearly.

–There was not a natural third baseman or a natural catcher in this team for the America Cup. Will it be a philosophy as management to seek polyvalent players or if a natural player appears would he be in the plans?

Many times we made teams by names and not by necessity. For example, when speaking of a natural second baseman I would tell you that this year Luis Vicente Mateo played the entire season in that position, therefore, he is already a natural second baseman. And when we apply the metrics to him, he surpasses those who traditionally play that position. Mateo does not just stand at second, he plays it and plays it well. Furthermore, he also plays shortstop and third.

Who wouldn’t like to have a natural third baseman? But we are playing with the real possibilities we have in our baseball today. If I have a player who is polyvalent and plays the three positions well and surpasses in quality the natural of the position then that one is the most useful. Sometimes there are players who settle into one position and do not leave it.

Furthermore, a national selection has a limited number of players (between 24 and 27). Therefore, our management seeks a fast ballplayer, who has good touch, who defends well. I like when I manage to bet on pitching and defence, runs have to be manufactured.

But they have to be manufactured by running. We do not have power hitters, natural home run hitters like before today. How many home runs do we hit today in international events? Look for them to see. Very few. Almost none. Hence we then have to prefer players with whom you can manufacture runs and then defend them. That is the real playing philosophy we are going to develop.

–You have explained that you are going to use starters, intermediate relievers, closer and finisher. Won’t that change later as we have seen in other Cuba teams when they arrive at the event in question?

For that one must be brave and we must create among the fans and the people that culture of handling pitching like that. When I managed Industriales I did it like that until unfortunately I started losing some pitchers.

Today I am at the stadiums seeing what is the effectiveness volume of the pitchers. For example, an ideal starter is one who has effectiveness up to 75 or 80 pitches, which would be four or five innings. Why do I have to take him to 120 deliveries? Who could be the best intermediate reliever? The one who is effective with 45 or 50 pitches, which are 2 or 3 innings. Then we have the specialist who is almost unbeatable with 20 throws and that one you then use for one inning. And afterwards the finisher or closer.

In Nicaragua I won three championships of the professional league and a Latin American Series with that working method. And I never changed it, no matter how badly it might turn out once or twice. That is modern baseball today.

–Everything explained seems very good in theory, but what is going to define if that design is correct or not is the final result. In this Olympic cycle there cannot be another option for Cuban baseball than to win. The fan wants victories. Is Germán’s aspiration then to win the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Pan American Games and achieve the Olympic qualification, in addition to improving the fourth place of the past World Classic?

I am 100 percent in agreement with you. Many times we have settled for qualification. I do not. I go for the championship with whichever team goes and against the strongest rival. I go for the triumph, even if we speak of a struggle of a David against a Goliath.

I go for first place. I am a warrior who always goes out to win, even if they label me as crazy. I only ask the people to trust in the work, that we are working hard for that result that the people expect to come out. (Author Joel García)

(Taken from the author’s Facebook profile)