Cuba can't play in WBC

[SPTO]

NEW YORK (AP) - 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 the 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 U.S., 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."

Well that sucks

Gotta hate it when politics ruins a perfectly harmless thing like an international tournament.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Yeah, I think this is bogus. I wonder what country they'd get if the "appeal" doesnt work.

[Beantown]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Would Cuba players, who are American citizens, be able to play for America?

[SPTO]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Not unless they have american parents or were born in the US.

[bergie56]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

This is very dissappointing to say the least, however it is hard to get into a deep discussion about this topic without getting too political. I think SPTO hit the nail on the head in the first post. It sucks when politics ruins things.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Since when does the U.S. government have anything to do a Cuban baseball team?

[Beantown]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Since when does the U.S. government have anything to do a Cuban baseball team?

They're talking about the Cuban Government, which is still politics.

[Patman]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Would Cuba players, who are American citizens, be able to play for America?

The Cuban gov't would never allow it.

[SPTO]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Since when does the U.S. government have anything to do a Cuban baseball team?

There's an embargo blocking any kind of business with Cuba.

[glucklich]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Where is the venue? Either way though, how is this different than when the Baltimore Orioles played Cuba (and lost)? Also, how is this different than, say, the Olympics? In all honesty, I think the event is kind of silly but I may have followed it somewhat. This is a blow to the legitimacy of the event. Its even a bigger blow than ARod saying hes not playing. LOL

[Diadem]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

How many countries are in the WBC?

[SPTO]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Where is the venue? Either way though, how is this different than when the Baltimore Orioles played Cuba (and lost)? Also, how is this different than, say, the Olympics? In all honesty, I think the event is kind of silly but I may have followed it somewhat. This is a blow to the legitimacy of the event. Its even a bigger blow than ARod saying hes not playing. LOL

I believe some games will be played in Phoenix, Japan and in the carribean. It's different from the Olympics and other amateur sporting events in that it's professional athletes and this is a moneymaking venture. I don't know how Cuba got permission to play against the O's in Baltimore tho.

How many countries are in the WBC?

Supposed to be 16 countries

[CoRruPt-]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

I don't know how Cuba got permission to play against the O's in Baltimore tho.

Because of the location of where it's played, I guess. The US doesn't want to "benefit" Cuba financially by, say, playing team USA in a Cuban venue because the US will get nothing out of it. If it's in their own turf, they could care less.

[Alliball]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

It's different from the Olympics and other amateur sporting events in that it's professional athletes and this is a moneymaking venture.

Wait a second. How is this different from the Olympics again?

[SPTO]

Re: Cuba can't play in WBC

Wait a second. How is this different from the Olympics again?

PRO athletes

Olympics=amateurs

and this is a money making venture where the Olympis is SUPPOSED to be a non profit thing but we all know that went out the door post '84.