Edición 176 de El Infield Podcast. Carlos Valmore Rodríguez y Efraín Zavarce entrevistan a Aracelis León, quien explica la importancia que tiene el torneo Premier 12 para la Federación Venezolana de Beisbol. La presidenta de la entidad pondera de manera positiva el aporte de los equipos de la LVPB a la selección nacional que tendrá como manager a Omar López y que competirá en México a partir del 9 de noviembre.
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00:00This edition of Infil is brought to you by Apuestas Royales.
00:18How are you? Friends, welcome to a new edition of Infil Podcast.
00:23Today we are joined by Efraín Zavarza and Carlos Balmores Rodríguez.
00:31Today's episode will have as a very special guest
00:40the president of the Venezuelan Baseball Federation, Aracelis León.
00:48The federation is news these days
00:54because the roster of the national team that will attend the Premier 12 Cup in November has been announced.
01:06Remember, the Premier 12 Cup is the first tournament of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation.
01:15It is of great importance to the construction of the global ranking of the ball.
01:25We wanted to consult the president, President Aracelis León.
01:33Greetings, it's a pleasure to greet you.
01:36You look at the Venezuelan roster and you come to the conclusion that it is the best team that has brought the country to that competition, I mean the Premier 12 Cup.
01:56How was the process to recruit, to convince, to encourage the participation of these players?
02:06Good, happy day to everyone. It's a pleasure to greet you, Carlos and Efraín.
02:12Always happy to talk about our Venezuelan baseball.
02:16Of course, our Premier 12, our Premier 12, our World Baseball Championship,
02:21which has an impact on many things in our Venezuelan baseball and of course in our country.
02:28Look, the Premier Cup starts on January 3rd, the birthday of our manager Omar López,
02:36who of course I wrote to congratulate him and we started a conversation there.
02:42Once he finished the World Cup, he told me that he was willing to continue working for the country,
02:49to come to Venezuela and give clinics for coaches, for children,
02:54to join the World Baseball program that the Venezuelan Baseball Federation has.
02:59We touched on the subject again and the conversation of our international events came out.
03:05Well, of course I told him, and wouldn't you like to be our manager for the Premier Cup?
03:12He asked me what the Premier Cup was and I explained to him.
03:15He told me, look, let me make some inquiries with my organization, the agenda and the things I have
03:23and I'll let you know. Of course, teacher, I would love to, but we know that they have contracts and commitments, irrelevant.
03:32Look, I think it was about three days where he wrote to me and told me, president, count on me.
03:40And there we talked about how he wanted to make the team, which is how you say, how to build a team like that.
03:48It began to be built in January, where Omar asked us, in this case Luis Blasini, who is our general manager in the federation,
03:56that he himself speak to each of the Venezuelan players, that he knew that in time they could be there.
04:04Well, we know that our Venezuelan baseball league is there, which all Venezuelans love every time October comes.
04:12And we know that the teams count on those players, right?
04:16And always speaking of equality and not damaging any of the teams, right?
04:23It has always been one of our points of honor in our meetings.
04:26Wow, no, this one yes, this one no.
04:28But you know, the most important thing is that each player he called said,
04:34if I want to represent my country, if I want to be part of that beautiful story in our country.
04:41We know that a few years ago we were world champions in the U-23,
04:46but the U-23 does not reflect the world championship as the Premier 12 is.
04:51Well, the level of baseball in the Premier 12 is very high.
04:55And much more in the Asian continent, which is where the leagues adjust to the calendar of the World Federation according to their championships
05:04and allow great players from those organizations to represent their countries.
05:09Well, Omar started, we started adding all the staff.
05:14Do you know which staff is part of the federation?
05:18We added many more people, scouting, coaches, MLB relationships,
05:25because the truth is that we have built those MLB relationships for several years.
05:30I think the first one who has helped us a lot and is still there with us, very low profile, is Eduardo Brizuela.
05:37Well, we know the commitment he has at the moment,
05:40but always willing to support us with the permission of players,
05:43calling people and also talking to players.
05:48The construction of this team has not been easy.
05:51We would like it to be much better, but what you just said is correct, Balmori.
05:58We have been in several editions of the Premier 12
06:01and this is the best team that has been able to organize to attend this world event.
06:08Presidenta, the fact that Omar López has been named manager of this Venezuelan team
06:15points to a ratification of Omar as manager of the Venezuelan team for the next World Cup?
06:22No, no.
06:24For the World Cup there is still a lot of time left and it is not even a topic of conversation between us.
06:31The issue has never been touched with any of us who are in the staff working
06:36that if we are here, we are going to be in the Clásico. No.
06:40From the beginning, when we had the meetings, I told them that our priority at this time
06:46was all the work we have done throughout this year.
06:49In this case, we are now in the U-12 Pre-World Cup,
06:53we have just finished our World Baseball Fight championship,
06:56which was our baseball game, and the Premier 12.
06:58These are the priorities and the important points and the present that we have in the federation.
07:06So it is not a topic of conversation and it is not a ratification
07:10because the Clásico Mundial is another type of event.
07:13Of course, if Omar is there, it is because we believe and trust in the good work he did
07:21and all the team that was around him.
07:23There are several people who are there linked, who were in the past Clásico
07:28and who have also joined and have continued.
07:31But much more is for being part of the Venezuelan team,
07:35for building great teams. So it doesn't mean anything.
07:40Presidenta, you just touched on a point that can be considered, let's say, debatable.
07:53Which is how this selection affects the teams of the Venezuelan professional baseball league.
08:04The higher the quality of the squad that was built,
08:10the greater the sacrifice of the different LBBP clubs.
08:16Did this pre-selection agree with them?
08:21Look, we sent a list to the president of the league where we had the pre-selection.
08:29There were many players, there were 60 pre-selected players.
08:33That pre-selection was sent, then a roster of players was sent
08:42who had confirmed that they wanted to be part of our national team,
08:45where there was, let's call it, plan A and plan B.
08:52So that each of them could value and be there.
08:58Until more than a week ago, we had another meeting via Zoom.
09:04We stopped and we are clear.
09:07And you know about baseball, there was no way that if you want to make a great team of Venezuela,
09:13you can feel affected. It is impossible.
09:18But hey, they have shown that I really want to thank each of the owners of the baseball teams,
09:25the managers, the managers.
09:28I know they are making adjustments with their organizations, with their teams, I know.
09:34But also to value, to allow them to represent our country,
09:39because they also represent them and they represent all Venezuelans.
09:44I think Venezuela deserves to have a great team.
09:48Because if we are one of the best leagues in the Caribbean,
09:52why are we not also one of the best teams in the world?
09:56We also have to match one thing with the other.
10:00President, considering that they are professional baseball players,
10:04important names, those who are going to make up this team,
10:09I ask you, what kind of incentive do baseball players receive
10:13who decide to accept the invitation of the federation to be part of this team?
10:19Look, you know that the Premier 12 gives a metallic prize.
10:23Half of the prize is theirs.
10:26Whether the place they occupy is theirs.
10:29The other thing, of course, we guarantee their salaries with each of their organizations.
10:34And that has been one of the points of the administrative meetings I had with them last week.
10:40That they do not have to lose anything to represent the country.
10:47We are talking to Aracelys León,
10:51president of the Venezuelan Baseball Federation, in the Infil podcast.
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11:23We continue with Aracelys León, president of the Venezuelan Baseball Federation.
11:30President, a question.
11:32In the absence of the World Cup, does this team have a captain?
11:37Is there a captaincy in the Venezuelan team attending the Premier 12?
11:44Look, you know that the team is going to concentrate in Mexico on November 5.
11:49And of course, there Omar will already have the presence of all of them.
11:53And there I think that together we will be able to announce and show the union that there may be in the team.
12:00What I can tell you is that we are in a WhatsApp group.
12:03And for me, everything they write is wonderful.
12:06It is an incredible sense of belonging with them, with their families.
12:11That they know that their families are happy, their children.
12:15Because remember that when you, your father, your son, your brother, your friend, your brother-in-law,
12:20your brother-in-law, your brother-in-law, wear the country's shirt, you feel happy.
12:29And I think those are some of the beautiful emotions that I have seen in what each of them writes.
12:35So I'm sure that when the team is already concentrated in Mexico or Guadalajara on November 5,
12:41they will say it together.
12:47You know that in general you are seeing who is carrying the baton of all of them.
12:52It is something natural, the leaders naturally let themselves be carried.
12:56But among them there is really a brotherhood, an emotion, I think even in verse.
13:02And to wear the shirt.
13:04I think it is clear, Presidenta, for those who make up the technical staff of this team,
13:10for those who make up the roster of players of this national team,
13:15that the federation has taken this event very seriously.
13:21It has been like this, it seems to me, also in previous editions,
13:27at least since the moment in which you have been the president of the federation.
13:34But I ask you, is that same willingness to make up the best possible team
13:41for this edition 2024 of the Premier 12?
13:46Do you see it in the rest of the representations?
13:50Look, I think from the first moment we decided to change the federation,
13:59there is a characteristic, which is that sense of belonging.
14:05I always say it in my meetings with the people I talk to.
14:08Sense of belonging.
14:10Sense of belonging gives you the value, the respect, the commitment
14:15that if you are going to be part of a national team in any space,
14:20from what we can tell the club, that for me the club does a wonderful job.
14:25When I see them working, it is impressive everything they do
14:30so that our players, our technicians, so that I feel good.
14:34Many times they tell me, look, I want a coffee.
14:37I say, no, don't worry, I'll get it for you, because I know they have a lot of work.
14:40But look, I thank God, because thanks to God,
14:45he has put great people on the path and who have understood the message.
14:50Right?
14:52I think we have simply given the opportunity to people who have valued it.
14:58And I'll tell you something.
15:00If you look at the previous award, there was a wonderful staff there with us.
15:07In the pre-Olympics we also had a wonderful team.
15:12And all of them, all of them, are still willing to be part of our national teams.
15:17And all of them, in addition to that, are always wishing us good things
15:21in all of our categories, in all of our categories.
15:23In the minor categories, we know that we always have to make adjustments.
15:28And adjustments on the issue of opportunity, right?
15:32We give opportunities to minor baseball coaches.
15:35We give opportunities to scouts who also work as technicians.
15:40And I think everyone has taken them seriously.
15:44And that every day I think we have more people committed to our Venezuelan baseball.
15:50That is one of the things that fills me with joy.
15:55To know that that sense of belonging to our national teams has awakened again.
16:00And I think God is seeing everything we are doing, right?
16:04I always say it and I will always continue to say it,
16:07that our next World Classic, Venezuela, will be filled with glory.
16:11Venezuela deserves, we already deserve it, to be world champions.
16:16Both in the Premier League and in the World Classic.
16:19And from this space where I am, I have always said it,
16:23everything I have to do that corresponds to me, I will do it.
16:28I will not stop doing anything that should not be done from my space.
16:32I am sure of that.
16:35Presidenta, it is a historical contradiction
16:41that a country like Venezuela has never brought its baseball team to the Olympic Games.
16:50We are working on that, taking into account that it is in Los Angeles,
16:55taking into account that there is the possibility that the major leagues participate,
17:00because we have already seen some statements in that sense.
17:05That path is already being paved so that a team similar to those that Venezuela has in the Classics
17:15can be in Los Angeles, and of course, before achieving its classification.
17:25Look, Balmora, yes.
17:28Yes, we are there.
17:30I just arrived at the Olympic Games, I was there as your head of mission.
17:33And I was able to experience what the Olympic Games are, because I had never been to an Olympic Games.
17:41And I tell you very sincerely, we were in the past pre-Olympic Games,
17:46we were very close to qualifying for the Olympic Games, and as you say,
17:51we have never gone to an Olympic Games.
17:54We have never been champions of the Classics.
17:57We have never been champions of the Premier League.
17:59But we have never done everything that we have been doing.
18:04So when you review everything that we are doing,
18:09it can show you that we are on the right path for each of those goals.
18:15The issue of the Olympic Games, if it is about, it is about the WhatsApp groups that I am in,
18:22and everyone says, wow, I want to be in an Olympic Games,
18:25because they know what an Olympic Games represents for the country.
18:29José Balmores, yes, he is already working for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles,
18:33and I am sure that MLB was part of that negotiating table
18:38on the issue of the players' permits for the Olympic Games,
18:41because it is also going to be in a country where we breathe baseball.
18:45And this Friday we are going to breathe a lot more baseball in that headquarters of those Olympic Games.
18:51President, Venezuela in previous years has been very successful in the categories,
19:00we could mention minors, under-12s, under-15s,
19:05it has had very good performances,
19:09performances in World Cups, in World Cups,
19:13in those categories, world champions, under-champions.
19:17In recent years, how difficult or how simple it has been to form those selections,
19:27considering that we see that more and more the players,
19:34to call it in a non-despective way, but because of their ages,
19:39the reality is that, especially in Venezuela, they have been professionalizing,
19:42because from an early age they are captured by private academies, private academies.
19:50Has that reality hindered the possibility of forming the best possible selections
19:59for those categories, or has there been an understanding with these academies?
20:04There are two things.
20:07Yes, of course it hinders the work we do,
20:10because many of those children should go to the national federated championships,
20:15many academies do not allow them to go to the federated championships
20:19because they manifest that they steal a player from one or the other,
20:24that if they fall in love with a father or a mother and offer them X things,
20:29then that means that you do not allow to see a better talent at that age.
20:35I can understand that there is an investment that practically the children have to take
20:42to be able to give them the right food, vitamins and training,
20:47but also the great baseball player is made by playing ball,
20:52and playing ball at a high level.
20:55Since 2018 I have generated meetings with academies in the country,
20:59I made a tour around the country and I explained to them how important it is
21:04that those children go to the competitions of their minor baseball leagues,
21:08their national championships, and even their national teams.
21:12Many have understood it, others have not.
21:15But I can tell you that right now we are in the pre-World Cup
21:20and 18 children are in academies.
21:2318 children are in academies.
21:26Well, those academies do believe that their players can participate
21:33and represent the country, and they do value it.
21:36Many times I have even told them, they take the children at 14, 13, 14 years old,
21:41they take them to showcases, which they call them, which are the showcases.
21:44So I told them, well, go to a Pan-American event, U10, U12, U14, U15,
21:51see it as a showcase, but this showcase is much more than the showcases they give.
21:57Because it is not the same to put on a shirt of a showcase logo,
22:02to put on your shirt of the country, and that all the relationship you have
22:08with all those countries that are there, the children change.
22:11It has been shown over time.
22:14And I tell you something else, we have had situations of players
22:18who are in academies, especially in the U15 category,
22:21that in Venezuela, the children have been offered low bonuses,
22:25and when they have gone to our pre-world and world events,
22:29they have obtained bonuses of more than $800,000.
22:33So that has been shown that also at pre-world and world events,
22:38in the U15 category above all, there is the opportunity that they can sign.
22:44Now, if we are always going to be thinking that if he is going to get injured,
22:46that if they are going to take it away from me, then we will not be able to do anything.
22:52But what does it affect? Yes, of course, I am completely sure,
22:55if we were world champions, U12, U15, U18, if all the players participated.
23:03Notice that there is a characteristic difference with the U18 category,
23:07because in the U18 you get the players of 16, 17, 18 years,
23:11that the academies took out, that they did not sign.
23:16So you get a lot of young people with a lot of talent,
23:20but they no longer receive the same training that they used to receive,
23:24and that they only have the support of their parents,
23:27or someone who still believes in them and is looking for an opportunity.
23:32I do believe that, unfortunately, in Latin America,
23:35that age of being able to close it at 15, 16,
23:41limits a lot of Venezuelan talent, which sometimes develops after 17, 18 years.
23:47But hey, that's a topic of Melpi, which I have dealt with on several occasions,
23:53and well, I hope they can understand that if they extended the age of those players a little bit,
24:01I think more Venezuelan players could get a signature.
24:06Although we know that Melpi has been reducing the issue of teams,
24:10and that also reduces the issue of signings of the players,
24:14of the number of players who sign, right?
24:16But look, Efraín, the U12 category has been second best in the world,
24:21third best in the world, the U15 category once was U15 champion,
24:25since then we have not been on the podium.
24:29In the U18 category, it has always been very difficult for us to qualify,
24:33so I explain to you, it is difficult even to train.
24:36Until recently, I just finished some interviews,
24:40and well, I'm going to give you this news.
24:43Didi Mobracho, who is the supervisor of Arizona for Venezuela,
24:55said that at an international level, we are going to do a ranking work,
25:01we are going to, as who says, raise a date of all the children who are 12 years old,
25:08and based on their sports performance, we are going to choose the best children in each of those categories.
25:15And well, start a work even with the academies and the agents,
25:19and make them understand that our country always deserves that great representation.
25:23So it's a bit of a complicated job, but I keep working to try to have good selections,
25:31in addition to involving level technicians who can teach our basic technicians.
25:37I remember that in that Venezuelan team, U15 champions were among others,
25:44Luis Serraez and Jose Herrera, today in the Grande Liga.
25:47That is, the fact that these players, at that age, participate in the World Cup of that category,
25:59will prevent them from developing as professionals.
26:03This couple of cases shows it.
26:06I understand, President, that the fact that in these last elections,
26:10although all these players already belong to academies,
26:14they may not always be the ones you consider the best at that age, right?
26:21Yes, it is correct, it is correct.
26:23There will always be that margin, from what I explain to you.
26:26There are many children who we don't even know who they are,
26:29because they are not allowed to go to any championship.
26:32So maybe they belong to small league baseball,
26:35maybe they belong to the Venezuelan Criollitos, and we don't know.
26:40But with what I am explaining to you,
26:43which is going to be done now, a database that is going to be raised by one of my foundations is that.
26:49I am completely sure that we have a great level of baseball in the minor categories.
26:56And I tell you properly because when I was in the federation in other positions,
27:00I was the delegate of the U12 category.
27:02But at that time, first of all, the conditions of the country were very different.
27:07And besides, there weren't as many academies as there are now.
27:12Because in Venezuela, it is not that there are so many academies,
27:15there are many baseball programs.
27:17I mean, today I decided that I want to have a baseball program
27:21and I decide that I know baseball and I take two players, three players.
27:25So I already have a program.
27:27And I start in a little piece of field and I start this training.
27:29That is something that I have always tried in meetings,
27:32that, unfortunately, the statute of the federation and the law of sport
27:37does not allow me to be the one who regulates the academies.
27:41It is in the law of sport where they must register, it is in the IND.
27:45And there the federation does not appear at all.
27:48So I think that when they made the law of sport, they left an emptiness there.
27:53That, well, unfortunately, at some point,
27:55we will have to organize them.
27:58Because I believe that our country has an organized baseball
28:01in all minor baseball.
28:03Because the programs and the academies cannot be organized, right?
28:07For now, we are working on a signing system
28:10that is mandatory for all Venezuelan baseball.
28:14Because we need to know who plays baseball,
28:17how many play baseball, how many baseball fields exist.
28:20It has been difficult in the first instance,
28:22when we informed that signing system,
28:25but we understand that when something new comes,
28:28it is not easy to accept it at once, right?
28:31But, well, we trust that without organization there can be no success.
28:35For example, Presidenta,
28:38right now Venezuela participates in a U-12 pre-world cup in Panama.
28:45How many obstacles were there?
28:48How many obstacles were there to form that team
28:51that right now represents the country?
28:54Well, look, we have been working since last year.
28:59We do a U-11 championship,
29:02and there we raise the date of the 11-year-old children
29:05who this year turn 12 years old.
29:07We did three evaluation modules.
29:10As I told you, they stopped attending children
29:13that the academies did not give them permission.
29:15And that means that the coaching staff
29:18has to make a competitive selection.
29:21Now, as I have always said,
29:23our Venezuelan baseball is very good.
29:26It can give you the possibility to replace players
29:29and maintain a great level of baseball.
29:31That's what we do.
29:33We always try to maintain a good level of baseball
29:36and that our country continues to look for the spots
29:39for the World Cup qualifier.
29:42Thank you very much, Presidenta.
29:45You are very kind.
29:47No, thank you for the opportunity
29:49and a pleasure to greet you both.
29:53With this interview with the president
29:57of the Venezuelan Baseball Federation,
30:00Araceli C. de León,
30:02we end this edition of Infield Podcast.
30:05Greetings.
30:07This episode of Infield Podcast
30:10was presented by Apuestas Royal.
30:15www.apuestasroyal.com