Higinio Velez Quotes (38 Quotes)

This team is the world champion and the Olympic champion. We didn't get that for free.

The fans should be happy. That was a great show. They got to watch what baseball is in Cuba.

This wasn't a gift. We won this. The Cuban team simply had to come and show the quality of Cuban baseball.

I feel regret and sorrow that the U. S. is not here because it is wonderful baseball. It really hurts me. It bothers me because we admire the way they play, and we would have liked to face the U. S. in this tournament.

He wasn't his best today, he didn't have his usual velocity or his control.

These are things that simply happen in the game of baseball. If this were to occur on a frequent basis for Cuba, this would be rather worrisome. But this is not the case.

For us, the Classic starts today and the rest is history.

Hosting games in the next event is the maximum ambition that any country that loves baseball could have.

Let's fight together so this event won't be held every four years but rather every two, so the baseball world won't have to wait so long to enjoy this.

It was a great spectacle. In games like this, baseball wins.

This is Cuban baseball. Cuba is not gone. We're still here to play and whoever wants to beat Cuba will have to sweat it out.

Our team doesn't give up. Our team continued to fight with courage but it was very difficult.

It was not a gift that was given to Cuba. We were put in that pool. It was called the 'death pool,' the 'death group,' and we made it through to the final.

The President did not demand us to win the tournament, but he told us that we should play well, and teach the world how baseball is played in Cuba.

I said it two or three days ago. I said this was only the very beginning of the Classic, and it was not over. People started saying that Cuba would be out and I said to be patient, and just wait. Now we've shown what Cuba can do.

Reaching the gold medal game wasn't a gift from anyone. Cuba was even included in the toughest group, the group of death.

Our players, when they play, don't think, I'm going to break my hand. Because the player that has money sometimes thinks, What happens if I break my hand

This is what we wanted to see -- this is Cuban baseball. Our boys recovered from the knockout that we suffered. Today was great, wonderful baseball.

He was happy just like the rest of the people in Cuba. We're happy because of how far Cuba has advanced in this Classic, and now he just is waiting for us to do our best in the field to show the world and show everybody else how good baseball is played in Cuba.

I do feel regret and feel sorry that they're not here because it is wonderful baseball what you see in the U. S..

Some of the players are gone, but ... not all of them were stars. If we go back before the revolution, you will see that a lot of the Cuban players were playing in the major leagues. ... We have a large number of players.

I told you to be patient. This is Cuban baseball.

We want to be a part of the tournament, and I think Cuba would be an ideal place because it already has experience organizing baseball events.

You have a team of men and not of names. If you don't play as a team, you have to defend the flag of your country. You have to defend your homeland, the love for your country. That is what brings together the players in a team.

Now we've shown what Cuba can do. Now we've seen the courage of the players when they went out into the field.

The most important thing is that baseball and the sport won. The quality of Cuban baseball was demonstrated.

Some players are gone, but not all of them were stars. We have a large number of players. It is our national sport. All I can say is take a look at the quality of our players. We have quality and quantity.

I'd like to repeat that Cuba is still a very good team. If this were to occur on a regular basis - using the mercy rule on us - it would be worrisome.

Some people say our athletes are isolated and besieged. Whoever wants to go into exile can just walk away or stand next to a policeman. Our players are not prisoners. Simply, our athletes are besieged because people want to turn them into merchandise. But they want to play for their country. They want to continue to play for the love of their flag ... They're not interested in millions. Whoever wants to leave can leave in peace. We all play without thinking about money.

They're not interested in millions. We don't have prisoners. Simply, our athletes are besieged because people want to turn them into merchandise, but they want to play for their country.

I'd like to recognize the work of the professional ballplayers, who for the first time forgot about the millions (of dollars) they make and thought about themselves to come here and provide a great show. We love and respect the major-leaguers, because most of them come from very humble backgrounds, and have succeeded with hard work, sacrifice and great effort.

I don't like to make predictions, but the only thing I can assure everyone is that we will give our best to bring the people a great show. Everything else will be left up to what happens on the field.

That means that Cuba is a great team because if not it would have lost many times under the mercy rule. But that's only happened twice. Our second-line pitchers did not come through and we couldn't use our best pitchers today. That was the fundamental cause of our defeat.

We are running out of time. We have just 20 days.

For you, some of the media and press that follow baseball, it might have been a surprise. It's normal for us. This is the way we play baseball in Cuba.

Both teams played great baseball. Two days ago we told everyone to wait patiently for today's game... This is what Cuban baseball is all about. Our players wanted to come back strong after losing in a mercy rule game and they came through.

What's happened so far in the Classic is history. For us, the tournament begins today. In the first round, we gained some valuable experience.

Let me say that our pitchers now have a disadvantage because our pitchers usually have games where they pitch 125 pitches. And here they were limited to 65, 80 or 95. So our starters are used to playing seven or more innings.