Nevertheless…

Next Friday, the 2022 season of the Colombian Professional Baseball League begins. Several things have happened to determine the format and calendar of the tournament.

First, the delay. Just two months after a supposed start date, when other Caribbean leagues already had a calendar, the Colombian hot ball hadn’t even determined which teams would participate. Just as you read it.

Then came the news that Gigantes de Barranquilla will not participate in this campaign, citing difficulties in getting sponsors.

This, despite being negative for being a team that had shown economic strength, opened the way for something positive: the return of Toros de Sincelejo (playing at home in Barranquilla).

At the time it was known that a new ninth was born, at least professionally: Getsemaní de Cartagena. A team with history in amateur baseball in the ‘Heroica’.

Days later, it was reported that Giovanny Urshela himself, along with other businessmen, would take over the team from Tigres de Cartagena. Undoubtedly excellent news.

But the debacle came. Just five days before the start of the championship, Getsemaní withdrew due to financial problems. I repeat, only five days.

This forced the organization to use a new calendar and format. Yes, but five days. I wonder, how is the competition in the eyes of the Caribbean Confederation with all this?

The withdrawal of these teams, and the fact that the same situation is constantly repeated year after year, shows that betting on baseball in Colombia is becoming increasingly difficult.

In the same way, campaign after campaign, days before, or sometimes even hours before everything starts, journalists and fans find out about the team rosters.

There are reasons for this. The Colombian league does not officially belong to the Confederation yet, which means that the novenas have to wait until the foreign players don’t sign with the teams from the Dominican Republic or Venezuela to bring them in.

Even Venezuelans or Dominicans who are signed and play in Colombia can go to other Caribbean leagues if the teams in their country of origin request it without Colombia being able to do anything.

That’s how complicated it is to play baseball in Colombia. Not to mention the same journalists and people close to baseball from other cities who seem to oppose the development of this discipline just because it is in Barranquilla where everything is organized. But that’s another topic.

However, we will support baseball, go to the stadium, write and inform. It’s our baseball, it’s our ball, we have to support it unconditionally, in spite of everything…