The article says that MLB’s (a co-organizer of the tournament) offer to Cuba to send a team to the first ever World Cup of baseball has been denied by the Treasury Dept.
I’m seriously pissed. Like one of the organizers said, "“Let’s leave the politics out of this. The World Baseball Classic should not be tainted by our grudge against Cuba’s government. Cuba produces some of the finest baseball talent in the world and they deserve to participate.” And also as said, a lot of what would be the Cuban team would be made up of players who are already in the United States. I guess I just struggle to see why this is so different than having Cuban teams here for other exhibition games, the Olympics, or other such games.
Bah! I’m not stating things well. I’ll throw it to the floor now before I become even more incohereant.
I agree it’s ridiculous to ban players from the games. Now here’s an opinion on which government to pit.
How many Cuban players have been deported? Isn’t Livan Hernandez still around here somewhere? He defected from Cuba and wasn’t deported. Now go beyond that to all the other Cuban’s publicly known to be defectors.
Part of the reason the embargo on Cuba still exists is the fact that those players you and I defend, still need to sneak out of the country in the dead of night to come to the US to play.
It’s a stand against Communism again, and it hurts the players in a way, but it’s hardly life and death stuff. Mexico allows Cubans to travel into the country, and I’d be willing to bet plenty of players would head to Mexico City to play.
Aren’t some Cuban players basically banned from ever going back to Cuba? I believe this was brought up by an announcer talking about one of the White Sox pitchers, but as I don’t really listen to the color commentary I could have the wrong team.
And this is different from the Cuban teams coming to the Atlanta Olympics how? The United States has not only traded with Latin American dictators, we’ve kept them in power through force of arms. It is nothing but hypocrisy for us to have this attitude towards Cuba.
:rolleyes: Unless you’re counting the Spanish American War, we’ve never been at war with Cuba… 'cuz that war was supposed to be about going to war for Cuba.
Even if you are correct, wouldn’t you describe it as a cold war or enduring truce?
We are talking about a good will Sporting event. Don’t you think it might look petty to prevent Cuba from participating?
This isn’t trade with Cuba; this is much closer to the World Cup or Olympics. We allow Cuba in for the Olympics.
It seems like the Treasury is taking things a little far on this one.
I won’t disagree. However, I would say that there is a politically expedient reason for our relationship with Cuba. The principal reason the embargo exists is because any President or Presidential nominee (Democrat or Republican) who supports normalizing relations with Cuba will lose a great deal of support in Florida. And we saw in 2000 how important that state can be in the Electoral vote. The Cuban-born population in Florida hates Fidel with the blazing fury etc. etc. and they have passed that hatred on to at least some of the following generations. We will never see a softening of our relationship with Cuba as long as Fidel is alive.
They’re not going to get to play now. If Cuba’s not allowed to play (and really, my money’s on this getting overturned) then either Nicaragua or Colombia will take their place.
Livan Hernandez has talked about playing for Puerto Rico, since he has a house there now.
After doing some more thinking on this, it’s just this feeling that I’ve been robbed. Cuba has long prided itself on producing the world’s best baseball talent, but they’ve never really gotten to prove it, as they don’t play in international competition that often, and we don’t send our best to the Olympics. Well, here’s the chance, and now we’re letting this get in the way, and it just seems petty and wrong.
That probably sounds a lot like the OP, but maybe a little more clearly put. Anyway, back to discussion.
The real problem I have with this decision is that the Treasury Department had no problem with Cuba playing the Baltimore Orioles not all that long ago, and they even let them go to Havana.
I fail to see how this is materially different from either that or Cuba competing in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
Oh, I’d forgotten about that Oriole game. I already struggled with how this decision was different than previous ones, and now I’m seriously bothered. I hope the Treasury explains this decision further if it isn’t overturned.
I doubt it’ll do any good, but I did mention that when I emailed the office of my Senator (and Hall of Famer,) Jim Bunning.
I wouldn’t have a huge problem with Nicaragua if there’s no way we can get Cuba. They’ve been good in international competition. They finished 6th at the last IBAF Baseball World Cup (ahead of the U.S.!)
I’m sure Nicaragua can field a competitive team, but that is not the point. They should earn thier way in, not get a spot because Cuba is punsihed by such idiotic politics.
This reminds me of when the US refused to let Iranian wrestlers into the country without fingerprinting them, Iran being to freestyle wrestling what Cuba is to baseball. It was part of a tit-for-tat boycott war after 9/11.
