Game Is No Major Production

Cuban pitcher Pedro Lazo, the Big Papi-shaped right-hander who had just shut down the Dominican Republic for 4 2/3 innings, was leaving a news conference Saturday afternoon when he was asked about one day pitching in the major leagues.

According to Peter Bjarkman, the author of a book on Cuban baseball who overheard the conversation, Lazo smiled. Then, in Spanish, he answered, “But I do pitch in the major leagues.”

With one game left in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, only one player from Major League Baseball will be in the starting lineups of Cuba and Japan tonight. That is Japan’s Ichiro Suzuki.

Every former most valuable player, every other All-Star, every other “Baseball is Spoken Here” spokesperson and American baseball icon are gone.

At the end of the discussions about March readiness and tournament legitimacy, the Cubans and the Japanese will play in a nearly sold-out Petco Park.

After a day of laudatory telephone calls from national officials, a message from Fidel Castro and conference calls with their families, Cuban players were not allowed to speak to reporters Sunday. Their manager, Higinio Velez, and coaching staff also were unavailable.

Pedro Cabrera, the Cuban press officer, stood on the top step of the dugout and said it was important for the players to focus on the game. As he did, the Cubans boarded their buses for the short drive to their hotel.

He answered a rumor, “There’s been no defection,” and laughed.

Castro, he said, “expressed that he watched the entire event and yesterday sent a message congratulating the team. He’s not demanding a victory, only that we play a good game and that the game decide who the best team is.”

Televisions, he added, had been brought into Havana so the citizens could watch the final games.

Upstairs, in a news conference, the often stoic Ichiro was asked what Major League Baseball could learn from the Japanese game. He thought for a moment.

“I would say that they would need to clean up the dugout a little bit more,” he said, bringing a grin from Manager Sadaharu Oh, “because I’ve experienced so many filthy dugouts in the States. I would like to suggest that seriously.”

And when a New York writer leaned into a microphone and said his question was “for Hideki,” Ichiro turned quickly.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he said in clean English, laughing again, “I’m not Hideki. I’m Ichiro.”

In gamesmanship typical outside the U.S., neither team would name its starting pitcher until late Sunday night.

Right-hander Vicyohandri Odelin is expected to pitch at some point for Cuba, and right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka probably will start for Japan.

“You all will know it by the time it’s going to be announced officially,” Oh said, grinning. “Or would you like to know it now?”

When reporters nodded their heads, he said, “Who’s starting for the Cuban team?”

Shrugs.

“OK,” he said, “later.”