Havana, Dec. — The 64th Cuban National Baseball Series has faced an unexpected rival: the forfeiture of games due to the improper use of players, a silent problem that has struck the tournament and sparked a necessary debate.
The regulations are clear and leave no room for ambiguity: before each game, the management teams must declare the list of available players; any violation of this rule—fielding a player not registered for that game—results in an automatic loss of the match.
This is not a new, hidden, or complex rule; in theory, it is one of the most fundamental regulations of competitive structure.
However, practice has shown otherwise: more than half of the teams have suffered at least one forfeiture during the season, some even repeatedly.
The outcome not only alters standings and sportive dynamics but also erodes the quality of the championship and leaves a bitter feeling among fans, players, and experts; Cuban baseball, which already carries enough structural challenges, cannot afford this type of self-inflicted crack.
The controversy has raised an uncomfortable dilemma; should the strictness of the regulation be maintained even when its enforcement exposes recurring errors? Or should formulas be sought to mitigate the impact of these administrative mistakes?
The President of the Cuban Baseball Federation, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, has been clear in statements to the Cuban News Agency: the way forward is to comply with the rules, not out of whim, but in coherence with international baseball and respect for the tournament itself; his stance is firm and, essentially, irrefutable.
Because beyond the penalty, the underlying problem is professionalism; a head coach cannot afford to be unaware of which players are eligible to play, but not all the weight should fall on them alone; the athlete has individual responsibility: they know whether they are registered for that game or not and must report it.
This chain of errors reveals a still fragile work culture, where improvisation continues to have too much space.
Among fans, analysts, and participants, various positions arise; some call for relaxing the regulations to prevent the spectacle from deteriorating due to administrative errors; others, with equal force, demand a tough hand and extreme strictness to eradicate these practices once and for all.
Both sides have valid arguments, and therein lies the true conflict: how to grow without breaking, how to demand without destroying.
The truth is that every forfeited game is a wound in the championship; it’s not just numbers on the standings but the image of Cuban baseball before its people and the world.
If the aim is to compete with dignity on international stages, order, discipline, and responsibility cannot be optional.
The 64th edition of the National Series has left an uncomfortable but necessary lesson: talent alone is not enough.
Without professionalism, even the best game is lost off the field, and until that truth is taken seriously as it deserves, Cuban baseball will continue to be played also outside the diamond, where losses weigh heavier and hurt differently.
Taken from the Cuban News Agency (ACN)
