40 Quotes by Higinio Velez

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.