Jump to content

Treasury says Cuba can't send players to Classic


sppunk

Recommended Posts

Treasury says Cuba can't send players to Classic

ESPN.com news services

 

NEW YORK -- Cuba won't be allowed to send a team to next year's inaugural World Baseball Classic, the U.S. government told event organizers Wednesday.

 

The decision by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control was conveyed to Major League Baseball on Wednesday, according to Pat Courtney, a spokesman for the commissioner's office.

 

A permit from OFAC is necessary because of U.S. laws governing commercial transactions with Fidel Castro's communist island nation.

 

Paul Archey, the senior vice president of Major League Baseball International, and Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the Major League Baseball Players Association, issued a joint statement saying the organizers would try to reverse the decision. The commissioner's office and the union have jointly organized the 16-team tournament, which runs from March 3-20 in the United States, Puerto Rico and Japan.

 

"We are very disappointed with the government's decision to deny the participation of a team from Cuba in the World Baseball Classic," Archey and Orza said. "We will continue to work within appropriate channels in an attempt to address the government's concerns and will not announce a replacement unless and until that effort fails."

 

Organizers had said the Cuban team likely would have included only players currently residing in Cuba and not defectors such as Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez and Livan Hernandez, who have become major league stars.

 

In the tournament schedule announced last week, Cuba was to play its three first-round games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, facing Panama on March 7, the Netherlands on March 9 and Puerto Rico the following day. If the Cubans advanced, they would also have played their second-round games in Puerto Rico.

 

"It is our policy that we do not confirm, deny or discuss licenses," Treasury spokeswoman Molly Millerwise said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Generally speaking, the Cuba embargo prohibits entering into contracts in which Cuba or Cuban nationals have an interest."

 

At last week's news conference in Dallas announcing tournament plans, Orza sounded unconcerned about OFAC granting a permit.

 

"I do not think that is a serious impediment," Orza said, adding he was "very, very confident that the Cubans will play."

 

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R, Fla.) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R, Fla.) told the New York Sun they sent a note to commissioner Bud Selig last week requesting that free Cuban Americans be allowed to represent the island nation instead of a team picked by Castro, the Sun reported.

 

In the letter, Diaz-Balart identified 22 players in the major leagues and 62 players in the minor leagues who would be able to represent Cuba under the tournament's rules.

 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2259278

---

All I can say is this: GET OVER IT, AMERICA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want to rant about this - I wish more would notice this thread. :(

 

I really wonder if they the government realizes how stupid it makes them look? And people wonder why your government is viewed with such disdain throughout the world.

 

So Cuba can't play in this tournament, because they are a repressive communist dictatorship. But China? Come on down!

 

Soviet teams competed in sports on US soil in the height of the cold war, and that was a great thing. Unless you regret that whole Olympic gold medal in hockey in hockey from 1980. Which I do not.

 

This is a moronic decision. Hopefully someone with some sense will overturn it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is stupid, a couple of commies playing baseball on American soil is not going to bring our government down...Any country that wants to compete in this tournament should be given the right to. Its not like its the atheletes fault that their country is a communist dictatorship. Dont punish these atheletes that want to represent their country...WOW...bad bad decision on the governments part...:sad2:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suggesting that defectors be able to form a "Cuban" squad to represent Cuba is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. They are no longer Cubans. A country can not be a bloodline. You "are" where you reside. They are not in America for vacation. They chose to come here and live. They are no longer Cubans.

 

I'm sorry, but this is one of those things in this world that burns me. My X-wife used to make me laugh because she always told people she was 1/4 Italian. How can a person be 1/4 of a country? It's a culture or a nation, but not a race.

 

End of soap box.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Five0pd310

My X-wife used to make me laugh because she always told people she was 1/4 Italian. How can a person be 1/4 of a country? It's a culture or a nation, but not a race.

Did I mention that Mike Piazza will play for Team Italy ??? :ermm:

 

 

:no:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Five0pd310

Suggesting that defectors be able to form a "Cuban" squad to represent Cuba is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. They are no longer Cubans. A country can not be a bloodline. You "are" where you reside. They are not in America for vacation. They chose to come here and live. They are no longer Cubans.

 

I'm sorry, but this is one of those things in this world that burns me. My X-wife used to make me laugh because she always told people she was 1/4 Italian. How can a person be 1/4 of a country? It's a culture or a nation, but not a race.

 

End of soap box.

5-0, I apologize if I misread your statement, but your soap box (which I agree with completely) does not apply in this case.
Organizers had said the Cuban team likely would have included only players currently residing in Cuba and not defectors such as Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez and Livan Hernandez, who have become major league stars.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by sppunk

5-0, I apologize if I misread your statement, but your soap box (which I agree with completely) does not apply in this case.

Organizers had said the Cuban team likely would have included only players currently residing in Cuba and not defectors such as Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez and Livan Hernandez, who have become major league stars.

 

I was responding to this proposal, actually....

 

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R, Fla.) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R, Fla.) told the New York Sun they sent a note to commissioner Bud Selig last week requesting that free Cuban Americans be allowed to represent the island nation instead of a team picked by Castro, the Sun reported.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(by RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer)

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth called on the Bush administration to reverse its decision to keep Cuba out of next year's World Baseball Classic.

 

Ueberroth, a former Baseball commissioner and head of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, said last week's decision by the Treasury Department to deny Cuba a permit to play in the 16-team event will damage American efforts to host the Olympics in the future. Olympic host countries must guarantee all nations can participate.

 

"It is important to any future bid city from the United States that this be reversed," Ueberroth said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It's disappointing. This will impact IOC members negatively. This may be the only example of a country prohibiting competition on an international scale."

 

When Ueberroth headed the 1984 Olympics, he worked with the Reagan administration to ensure that Cuba would be allowed to participate.

 

"It was a difficult discussion and difficult negotiating," Ueberroth said.

 

Cuba ultimately chose to join a boycott of the Los Angeles Games but did send athletes to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where it won nine gold medals and 25 medals in all.

 

Treasury spokeswoman Molly Millerwise said last week that generally speaking, "the Cuba embargo prohibits entering into contracts in which Cuba or Cuban nationals have an interest."

 

Cuba is scheduled to play its first-round games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and also would play there if it advances in the tournament, scheduled for March 3-20. The semifinals are in Anaheim, Calif., and the final in San Diego.

 

Baseball officials hope a revised plan will gain approval. For instance, when Cuba came to the United States this year for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, no payments were made directly to the Cubans. One soccer official said some money was given to Cuba by the Caribbean Football Union, which is based in Trinidad and Tobago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...