the other hand, he has other teammates and other games to think about. Delgado, the new New York Mets first baseman who is on Puerto Rico's Classic roster but has not played because of tendinitis in his left elbow, took batting practice for the first time in 11 days Tuesday afternoon at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. If he expected to play Wednesday night, he certainly was not letting the Cubans know about it.
"I wish I could say it was 100 percent," Delgado said after spraying a series of line drives, but no home runs, in two rounds of hitting. "But it was definitely a step in the right direction. We're moving forward, even though it's slower than we wanted it to be."
Puerto Rico manager Jose Oquendo continued to describe Delgado as day-to-day, but even with the designated hitter rule in play, the slugger conceded that he probably won't be able to play for Puerto Rico unless the team beats Cuba and advances to the Classic finals in San Diego.
"I'm going to be smart about it, and we have to remember that I have 162 games in front of me to look forward to. I want to be ready for that."
Delgado was one of the high-profile players traded away by the cost-cutting Florida Marlins during the offseason. He was shipped to New York along with about $7 million in exchange for first baseman Mike Jacobs, pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit and infielder Grant Psomas.
He is not exactly enjoying his time on Puerto Rico's bench.
"It's frustrating, man," Delgado said. "Ever since the first day of being out at the Classic, I've said, 'I want to play. I want to be there.' Being here but not being able to compete and help out my team has been very frustrating."
Delgado is one of seven Mets Major and Minor Leaguers playing for Puerto Rico in the Classic, a list that includes starting center fielder Carlos Beltran and starting third baseman Jose Valentin. After suffering a 6-0 loss to the Dominican Republic on Monday night, Puerto Rico needs to beat Cuba to advance.
"Cuba has some pretty good players, and this is like our World Series," Gonzalez said. "I'm going to pitch my game; I'm not going to change anything. I feel like I have my fans here at home, so it's easier for us."
Gonzalez has pitched in Minor League playoff games and appeared previously represented Puerto Rico in international tournaments. But he said Wednesday would top those experiences.
"We won the first game against [Cuba], and if we win the second game, it's going to be something big for Puerto Rico," he said.
Cuba scored an upset win over Venezuela in the first Round 2 game, but lost Monday to the Dominican Republic. All four teams in Pool 2 were 1-1 after their first two games.
Cuba's star second baseman Yulieski Gourriel was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning against the Dominican Republic and left the game, but he took infield practice Tuesday morning during Cuba's offday workout. Oquendo said he expects Gourriel to play.
"We know what the opponent can do, but so do they," Oquendo said of facing Cuba for the second time in five days. "Both sides will make adjustments, so I expect a tough game from both sides."
How does he expect the must-win atmosphere Wednesday to compare to Oquendo's World Series experiences with the St. Louis Cardinals?
"Every game is must-win," Oquendo insisted. "The guy who don't take whatever game they are about to play seriously is not a winner. You want to go out and play every game like it's the seventh game of the World Series, and then you can go inside and take the lid off the pressure cooker. Then you can relax. Not before."
