Oscar Sánchez Serra

ALL of Cuba is enjoying the country’s most important sports celebration. Western and Eastern Division champions for the 51st National Series are being determined as this edition goes to press, to set the stage for the finals.

Ciego de Avila, 450 kilometers east of Havana, and Granma, the eastern province approximately 800 km from the capital, are repeating last year’s semi-final match-up, competing for the Eastern Division title. On that occasion, Ciego de Avila came out on top, winning the series, four games to two.

In the West, Industriales, which has won the most championships, with 12, will face the sensation of the season, Matanzas – a team which went from 14th place last year to being the first team to qualify for the playoffs. This is an unprecedented semifinal series.

Favorites? Ciego de Avila has the most complete team, excellent defense, a versatile offense and capable pitchers. This last element is where the match-up is most even, since Granma has the most powerful batting in the league, but a defense which has frustrated their hopes of reaching the top.

Industriales, with its mythical status as the perennial team to beat, is a notch above its opponent and has begun the play-offs at its best. They are, however, facing a Matanzas led by one of the most aggressive players in the history of Cuban baseball, Victor Mesa, who doesn’t give, or ask for, any margin of error.