January 25, 2006

And the dumbass headline award goes to....

The New York Times Sports Section for the following falling off the turnip truck title:

Security Is an Issue for the Cuban Team

Gee, ya think?

When Cuba goes to San Juan, P.R., to participate in the World Baseball Classic in March, the team will have a scaled-back traveling party. A 45-person limit is part of the license that the Treasury Department issued to Cuba last Friday and to the other federations in the 16-team tournament.

It is a delicate issue for Cuba because its team normally travels to international competitions with as many security officials as players to help prevent the possibility of defections.

The Cubans will have 30 players and will presumably have a five- or six-man coaching staff, a few club executives, at least one trainer, a doctor and a traveling secretary. That seemingly leaves few slots for security personnel.

"They'll have the same number in their traveling party as everyone else," said Paul Archey, baseball's senior vice president for international matters. "People outside of that will be limited, not restricted."

Joe Kehoskie, an agent who has represented 15 Cubans in the last seven years, said he had attended tournaments in which there had been 25 security officials surrounding Cuba's dugout and several more guarding the team bus.

"They had 15 or 20 security for a mediocre team in Italy three years ago," Kehoskie said. "To think they were going to step on U.S. soil with anything less than that, I can't imagine it."

Archey refused to discuss the possibility of defections yesterday, but he has said tournament organizers could not give the Cubans a guarantee that none would occur. If a Cuban player defects during the tournament, it may generate more news-media coverage than the games.

"We need to provide security for the entire tournament," Archey said. "It's an international tournament. We think we have one of the best security forces in all of sports."

Archey said Cuba submitted its provisional 60-man roster last weekend, soon after the Treasury Department reversed itself and granted the license. Archey would not discuss who was on the roster and said he was uncertain when it would be released to the news media. The other 15 teams delivered rosters on Jan. 17, and those were publicized the next day.

A report by Reuters yesterday said that the news of Cuba's receiving a license to participate in the Classic had still not been reported in the Cuban news media.

So, fidel hasnt announced to his people that the evil, cockroach infested, led by a terrorist murderer United States of America has allowed his baseball slaves to enter the states to play ball at the World Basebal Classic?

Is anyone really surprised by this? Will anyone really be surprised if Cuba all of a sudden decides not to participate in the tourney?

Of course fidel is worried about defections. Of course he's worried that his security contingent is greatly reduced. But he's not losing sleep over it. Any one of those "trainers" or "coaches" or other non-players could very well be an actual security or G2 agent.

Not to mention the fact that fidel castro still has a few aces up his sleeve: human collateral. The baseball player's families who must remain on the island. They're the security deposit the players make to be allowed to leave Cuba. Who do you think would be punished if a player defects?

They're aces up fidel's sleeves alright, and fidel castro has proven time and again he's more than happy and willing to play them.

Posted by Val Prieto at January 25, 2006 09:03 AM



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El equipo de béisbol cubano que participará en el Clásico Mundial el próximo marzo está preocupado por las restricciones a la seguridad de sus jugadores, impuestas por el limitado número de autorizaciones emitidas por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos.... [Read More]

Tracked on January 26, 2006 10:37 AM

Comments

You know I thought they had, since one of the articles I read interviewed people in Havana, but it seem it may have filtered in. I just reviewed Granma and there was nothing there...

Posted by: La Ventanita at January 25, 2006 09:09 AM

I knew I had read it somewhere, it's on Granma
http://granmai.cubaweb.com/espanol/2006/enero/saba21/puede-e.html

Now whether this is only on the Web version, I don't know.

Posted by: La Ventanita at January 25, 2006 09:15 AM

Yes, undoubtedly, there will be more state security people there that meet the eye, as you say, the trainers, coaches, doctors, etc.. could be G-2 people. For instance, I've heard that Omara Portuondo, the Buena Vista Social Club performer [without a voice] who became famous after she joined BVSC was put there by the state security of Cuba to spy on the other members of BVSC to make sure that none would defect.

Posted by: Ray at January 25, 2006 10:05 AM

There's a dispatch in the CubaNet website about a caller to a sports radio show in Cuba who was cut off by the "nervous" host after the caller suggested that exiled Cuban athletes should be allowed to be part of Cuba's team.
That seems to indicated that there is already some discussion of the upcoming major league competition within Cuba, even though the totalitarian regime, as usual, hasn't acknowledged the reality about the team receiving an OK to participate.
My personal feeling is that the Cuban regime will choose *not* participate, after coming up with some lame explanation to blame the U.S. for that decision.
JulioZ

Posted by: Julio C. Zangroniz at January 25, 2006 10:31 AM

Julio,

You know how this is going to be played? Wait for the decision from fidel to not play because of the news ticker. And then, the ensuing media barrage of criticism of Parmly, the US Interests Section and the evil Miami Mafia.

Time it. It's coming and you heard it here first.

Posted by: Val Prieto at January 25, 2006 10:33 AM

noted, val. I still think it was a brilliant move to put those restrictions on. at best it'll refocus the debate on who the real totalitarian villian is. at worst... well, like you predict.

Posted by: Krupa at January 25, 2006 10:53 AM

hi!,

haven't you think that the security personnel has the possibility of defection as well?... what could happen with them if they do it?

Posted by: Liuva at January 26, 2006 01:01 PM