Cubans were outraged on Thursday over a US government decision to keep the island's Olympic champion team out of the inaugural World Baseball Classic next year.
While Cuban government officials had yet to react to Wednesday's decision, and sports officials declined comment, people on the street were angry because it meant they won't see their players go up against the American major league stars.
"Enough already!" exclaimed Antonio Mayeta, whose brother plays for Havana's Industriales baseball team. "It's unbelievable. This is about sports, not politics. In Cuba, baseball is our culture."
Mayeta, who works at a state-operated grocery store, added, "Everyone was so anxious to see those games."
Baseball's first World Cup-style tournament, which includes 16 teams, will run from March 3-20 in the US, Puerto Rico and Japan.
The US Treasury Department, which issues permits for commercial transactions with Cuba, cited the long-standing trade and travel embargo against the communist nation for its decision.
Organizers will work to have the decision reversed, according to 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.
Puerto Rico's Secretary of State Fernando Bonilla also offered to help. He said he'll meet on Friday with the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Puerto Rico, and seek help from Luis Fortuno, Puerto Rico's nonvoting representative in the US Congress, and from the director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Washington.
The Cuban team likely would have included only players residing in Cuba, and not defectors such as Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez and Livan Hernandez, who have become major league stars, organizers said.
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 8, the Netherlands on March 9 and Puerto Rico the following day.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tomorrow for the final berth at next year's World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome yesterday. The home team's loss means that Nicaragua finishes No. 1 in the qualifier round held in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to the games. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier yesterday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan, competing under the name Chinese Taipei, finished third, while South Africa placed at the bottom
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