The start of the series between Villa Clara and Ciego de Ávila in the National Baseball Series from this Tuesday in the Cepero is a reminder of how cyclical sport can be.
What was once a clash of titans, with players who wrote glorious pages in Cuban Baseball, has now been transformed into an emotive reflection of the phase of transformation and renewal being experienced by the national pastime and these two squads.
The numbers for «The Oranges» in the series are, quite simply, alarming.
Being the worst team on defence (with 42 errors) and having an offence that barely produces any power (only 10 home runs) is a lethal combination.
This, added to a pitching staff in 11th place, paints the picture of a team without a solid department on which to rely.
The management of Ramón Moré faces a monumental challenge to find solutions and raise the morale of a team that seems to be at the bottom of the table.
For its part, Ciego de Ávila, slightly better but equally far from its best moments, The «Tigers» of Danni Miranda, although also at the bottom of the table, show a slightly more balanced profile.
Their pitching (9th) 5.19 ERA is their most respectable department, and offensively they have hit more than double the home runs of Villa Clara. However, their defence (11th) and their batting average (264) do not allow them to take off.
Ciego de Ávila is a team that, unlike its rival, has slightly more positive elements, but for various factors that we have already explained, it still lacks the consistency to be competitive.
This duel is no longer being played for a spot in the postseason, but for honour, to improve a step in the table and, above all, for the vital need to inject confidence into their young squads.
It is the crossing of two historic teams that evidence the growing pains of a baseball league in reconstruction.
More than a clash of ambitions, it will be a lesson in perseverance for these players who carry the weight of a glorious legacy that, for now, seems very distant.
The series will not define a champion, but it will be crucial to see which team shows more character on the field.
