Back in the early years of this century, I invited a journalism student who was completing his career internship at Invasor to go with me to a baseball game of the provincial championship in Ciego de Ávila. That day, at the Francisco Espinosa de Morón stadium, the powerful Bolivia team was measured against the local squad.

In truth, the representation from Cunagua was a wide favorite, and on the way my guest thought to comment that the match would end by a difference of more than six races for the Bolivia citizens.

Immediately I told the driver to go back to the newspaper. "Did something stay in the newsroom?" Was the young man's reaction, to which I replied that it was no longer necessary to go see the game, if we already knew the result of it?

Of course, we laughed, but when the 27th out of that game fell, I could not help but comment: “At least you got one statement right. The difference was more than six runs. What a pity that Bolivia was not the winner”.

I was thinking about that anecdote when I started to write a comment about the playoff between Tigres and Leñadores, in the quarterfinal matchup of the 62nd National Baseball Series.

I have not been able to witness a single comment that offers any chance to the three-time champions in the particular confrontation that will begin on July 8, at 2:00 in the afternoon, at the Julio Antonio Mella stadium.

I have no doubt that, as seen in the regular calendar, Las Tunas is the one called to come out on top, not only against Ciego de Ávila, but also against any of the other six teams that will participate in the postseason.

I am surprised, however, that the history of the Tigers has not even been considered, nor has the well-known phrase "the playoffs are something else" been used. However —I insist again— Las Tunas is the team with the most possibilities from the point of view of baseball logic.

However, at the moment, it is not surprising that a team that was immense for 75 games is not even its shadow in a seven-game miniseries. Moreover, vice versa. Examples abound and readers know it.

The partials of the Tigers, moreover, have some arguments to cling to hope that their team goes above the forecasts. In addition, one of them, precisely, is that the representatives of our province will go to the duel with little to lose.

Yorelvis Charles himself, when the team arrived in Ciego de Ávila last Monday, repeated the phrase he told his boys once they secured the ticket: “you are already champions for what you have done and you will continue forward to show that you are of spirit”.

Finally, a detail that the journalist wants to contribute: it is true that the pitching of Las Tunas was superior to that of the Ciego de Ávila players, but it is also true that they do not have a pitcher of those "turn it off and go." In summary, and as I heard from an inveterate fan from Ciego de Avila: "Los Leñadores are not as fierce as they are painted."