No one has seen or heard from Liván Moinelo, the star pitcher and nine-year veteran of NPB’s Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, since his appearance in the World Baseball Classic with the Cuban national team. Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo, who scheduled him as a starting pitcher for opening day on March 27, expressed his concerns at a press conference, “We’re not sure if he will even get on the plane (back to Japan), everything is to be addressed after we meet him.”
Many experts have concluded that the reason for Moinelo’s incommunicado status is the constant major power outages happening in Cuba as a result of American sanctions and fuel blockades in the Caribbean Sea. “More than 10 million people have had power cut to their homes and businesses across Cuba after the country’s national electrical grid collapsed for the second time in a week,” wrote Will Grant of the BBC.
Fans are also expressing concerns about Moinelo’s situation. Many have started an online movement, using hashtags to urge the team to provide updates and conduct a deeper inquiry into the matter, while others are shifting their attention toward the crisis in Cuba.
Moinelo’s Cuban teammate, Raidel Martinez of the Yomiuri Giants, while being in contact with the organization, was also unable to return to Japan due to the tightened control of movement and travel by the Cuban government, and technical complications caused by fuel and electricity outages.
Baseball analysts note that while infrastructure issues like the reported nationwide blackouts can disrupt communication, contracts with Cuban players often are more complex, including travel restrictions and government procedures.
As opening day approaches, uncertainty about the safety of one of NPB’s most dominant pitchers are worrying fans and the organization, who are left waiting for clarity and confirmation.
