He Cuban Yasiel Puig entered the land of Simón Bolívar Monumental Stadium in Caracas last Sunday with wonder, hunger and enthusiasm. The amazement at the first-class facilities of the venue that was one of the venues for the last edition of the Caribbean Series. Hungry to start producing with their new organization, the Sharks of La Guaira. And enthusiasm for the possibility of sharing land with Ronald Acuña Jr.
The Cuban, who has multiple seasons of experience in the Major Leagues and was even invited to the All-Star Game in 2014, reached an agreement with La Guaira at the end of last week to live his first experience in winter baseball in the South American country. The presence of the winner of the National League MVP in 2023 with that same currency had a lot to do with his decision.
“Playing with Acuña is a great opportunity for me,” said Puig. “I’ve always wanted to play with him, with Fernando Tatis and those players who do the things that I did when I started with the Dodgers. It is a pleasure to be in your country with his team. Regardless of whether he is MVP or not, he goes out to play hard, so I hope to catch that energy,” he added.
The “Beast” was not in the Sharks’ lineup for that Sunday, in which Puig made his debut on the Venezuelan circuit; However, that did not change the fact that the Cienfuegos native was grateful for the opportunity to play the sport that he has given him so much, in a new destination.
“I am happy and grateful to be here. I must thank Tiburones and the country for giving me the opportunity to come, so I must do my best on the field to achieve the greatest number of victories with my teammates and continue advancing in the standings. “, he said.
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League has a long history of Cuban players who have shone in the tournament and have left their mark on the history of the circuit. However, Puig prefers not to think too much about what his compatriots have done in the past, in an attempt to not place additional pressure on his shoulders.
“I just found out about that,” the patrolman responded. “Don’t make me nervous. At this moment I’m going to think that I’m not Cuban and I’ll only focus on preparing to do my best. Let the terrain have the last word.”
