Victor Mesa Jr. impresses for Cuban team along with other former Marlins

MIAMI, FL—The Cuban Professional Baseball Federation—otherwise known as “FEPCUBE”—played their second exhibition game Monday night, having previously played Miami Dade College on January 17 and beaten them, 3-2. This time, they faced a pro team as they squared off against the Houston Apollos of the American Association at the University of Miami's Mark Light Field.

Emotions were running high pregame as Orlando Hernández (FEPCUBE's general manager) and Liván Hernández were here representing their country in a special ceremony. Both the USA and Cuban national anthems played while the full rosters lined up along the baselines. Then, Liván showed there's still plenty of juice remaining in his right arm:

First and foremost, these exhibitions have been about celebrating the rich tradition of Cuban baseball. They are bridging the generation gaps, from retired players like Eddie Oropesa and José Contreras to active big leaguers Jorge Soler and Yuli Gurriel to top prospects in Victor Mesa Jr. and Edgar Quero. Current Marlins coach Jon Jay and Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas were attendance to support the players and FEPCUBE. 

In addition to Liván and Mesa, this game included other players with past connections to the Marlins organization: Peter O’Brien, Odrisamer Despaigne, Luis Aviles Jr. and Elih Villanueva. Although Jorge Soler and Yuli Gurriel participated in the previous game, they were unavailable on Monday as they focus on finalizing contracts for the 2024 regular season.

Batting leadoff for FEPCUBE again, Mesa looked ready for Spring Training. He swung at the first pitch he saw in the top of the first leading to a single. Defensively, he made some routine plays in left field. He was replaced midway through the game to give other players some at-bats. 

FEPCUBE defeated the Apollos, 2-0. At 52 years young, Eddie Oropesa contributed to the shutout.

This looks to be the last FEPCUBE game for now as players will move on to Spring Training in the coming weeks. These two exhibition games meant much more than the play on the field as it was the first time players got to represent their country as free people and play the game they love. Every player had a smile of their face and joy playing the game in front of friends, family, and fans. 

Update: 

FEPCUBE has released the boxscore for the game vs the Apollos, highlighted by the use of 10 different pitchers, with two being above the age of 50 (Contreras & Oropesa).