Defectors want to play for Cuba in World Baseball Classic
By Madeline Baró Diaz
Miami Bureau
December 23, 2005
DORAL · A group of Cuban-born baseball players who defected to the United States during the past two decades said Thursday they are forming an association and will ask to be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic.
The Cuban national team has been blocked from competing in the 16-nation World Cup-style tournament in March because the U.S. Treasury Department denied Major League Baseball a license that would allow Cuba's participation.
Baseball officials reapplied Thursday for a permit that would allow Cuba to participate as Puerto Rican athletic officials said San Juan should withdraw as a host city if the Cuban team isn't allowed to compete.
Four pitchers who have played in the major leagues met with U.S. representatives Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart on Thursday and unveiled plans to form an association and send letters to Major League Baseball, the players' union and President Bush asking that they be allowed to represent Cuba.
Eddie Oropesa, who has played for the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres, teared up as he recounted how he and other players made sacrifices to come to the United States, such as waiting years after their defections to be reunited with their loved ones.
He said he and other players who fled Cuba deserve the chance to play.
"We represent Cuban baseball because we were born, were raised with and played that baseball in Cuba," he said. "But because professional baseball is not allowed in Cuba, we had to defect and leave our families behind and begin a new life."
The players and their representatives said they have at least 30 professionals who would form the team.
Paul Archey, Major League Baseball's senior vice president for international business, said the tournament is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, and Major League Baseball is abiding by the group's requirements that each country's national federation field a team.
"Inviting a team other than the national team would bring that sanctioning into question," Archey said.
The primary reason given for denying the Treasury license was because Cuba would share in revenues from the tournament, Archey said.
"We are in communication with the Cuba baseball federation as well as the Department of Treasury to try to address that concern," he said.
Each of the 16 teams in the classic are to receive 1 percent of the earnings and the champion is due up to 5 percent.
Earlier this month, Lazaro Herrera Martinez, a spokesman for the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C., criticized the decision to bar the Cuban team.
"It is completely irrational," he said. "For us, baseball is our national sport ... it is an activity that has nothing to do with politics."
This story was supplemented by Sun-Sentinel wire services.
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/cuba/sfl-dcubaplayers23dec23,0,738493.story?coll=sfla-news-cuba
By Madeline Baró Diaz
Miami Bureau
December 23, 2005
DORAL · A group of Cuban-born baseball players who defected to the United States during the past two decades said Thursday they are forming an association and will ask to be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic.
The Cuban national team has been blocked from competing in the 16-nation World Cup-style tournament in March because the U.S. Treasury Department denied Major League Baseball a license that would allow Cuba's participation.
Baseball officials reapplied Thursday for a permit that would allow Cuba to participate as Puerto Rican athletic officials said San Juan should withdraw as a host city if the Cuban team isn't allowed to compete.
Four pitchers who have played in the major leagues met with U.S. representatives Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart on Thursday and unveiled plans to form an association and send letters to Major League Baseball, the players' union and President Bush asking that they be allowed to represent Cuba.
Eddie Oropesa, who has played for the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres, teared up as he recounted how he and other players made sacrifices to come to the United States, such as waiting years after their defections to be reunited with their loved ones.
He said he and other players who fled Cuba deserve the chance to play.
"We represent Cuban baseball because we were born, were raised with and played that baseball in Cuba," he said. "But because professional baseball is not allowed in Cuba, we had to defect and leave our families behind and begin a new life."
The players and their representatives said they have at least 30 professionals who would form the team.
Paul Archey, Major League Baseball's senior vice president for international business, said the tournament is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, and Major League Baseball is abiding by the group's requirements that each country's national federation field a team.
"Inviting a team other than the national team would bring that sanctioning into question," Archey said.
The primary reason given for denying the Treasury license was because Cuba would share in revenues from the tournament, Archey said.
"We are in communication with the Cuba baseball federation as well as the Department of Treasury to try to address that concern," he said.
Each of the 16 teams in the classic are to receive 1 percent of the earnings and the champion is due up to 5 percent.
Earlier this month, Lazaro Herrera Martinez, a spokesman for the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C., criticized the decision to bar the Cuban team.
"It is completely irrational," he said. "For us, baseball is our national sport ... it is an activity that has nothing to do with politics."
This story was supplemented by Sun-Sentinel wire services.
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/cuba/sfl-dcubaplayers23dec23,0,738493.story?coll=sfla-news-cuba
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