this is gonna rock.

U.S. Approves Cuba for World Baseball Event

By JACK CURRY
Cuba has been granted a license to participate in the World Baseball Classic by the Treasury Department, two people with direct knowledge of the process said today, enabling the country to compete in the 16-team tournament that runs from March 3-20. The license eliminates a thorny complication and potentially fatal blow to the event. If Cuba had been denied a license, the inaugural event would have been jeopardized because the International Baseball Federation said it would remove its sanction.

The two people with knowledge of the decision spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not yet authorized to discuss it. Officials from Major League Baseball and the Players Association were certain to be relieved that Cuba, which won the 2004 Olympic gold medal, could participate in the World Baseball Classic. Cuba, a traditional baseball power, is in Pool C in the four-pool event, with Puerto Rico, Panama and the Netherlands. An official announcement about the license was expected this afternoon.

When the World Baseball Classic first sought a license for Cuba, the Treasury Department denied it because the Cubans would have made American dollars. That would have violated the United States' trade embargo against Cuba.

The tournament organizers submitted a second license request on Dec. 22 and eliminated any possibility that the Cubans would earn money. Paul Archey, baseball's senior vice president for international matters, and Doyle Pryor, a union lawyer, met with Cuban officials last week to gather information that had been requested by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, a division of the Treasury Department.

After Mr. Archey and Mr. Pryor gave the information to the Treasury Department, they were optimistic that Cuba would soon get a license, and the approval came through today. The deadline for provisional rosters has already passed so Cuba will have to provide its roster as soon as possible.

The dispute had threatened to have more far-reaching implications for the United States. In addition to the international federation's threat to withdraw its sanction, Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, linked the Cuban situation to a possible American bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

Mr. Rogge told The A.P. this week that he would welcome an Olympic bid, but added that there must be assurances that all countries would be allowed to compete without interference.

"We would need to have guarantees in terms of immigration, of all athletes and all countries, to avoid this issue that we have with Cuba," Rogge said. "These are things we need to have."

So will A-Rod play for Cuba now?

Only under quarantine.






See, he's too ghey, and the Cuban gov't makes the ghey (at least, those infected with AIDS) live in compounds separate from the rest of the state.

Base-a-ball been a berry berry good to me.

i'll bet puerto rico, panama, and the netherlands are absolutely thrilled about this.

oh, and is davey johnson still coaching the netherlands team?

To be honest, without Cuba participating, it would've been a sham. I'm really hyped about the event, although my O's are losing like 4 starting pitchers to this...can't be a good thing.

Then again, they're starting pitchers for the Orioles.... Hell, why would the national teams want them?

It's the same as me finding out that the U.S. national side is looking to plug Chad Moeller (Brewers third-string) behind the plate.

Will the roster include only those players living in Cuba, or a combination of current team members & MLB dissidents?

Well, they are our pitchers, and as weak as they may appear, anything that weakens them for the season isn't cool.

Also, Bedard (Canada) was included in nearly every deal that came out this winter with the O's. Take it one of two ways--he's either wanted by others or not wanted by the O's.

Just the Cuban National side, no ex-pats.

I think though it would be interesting, though, to have two Cuban teams vying for the crown. One from the island, one from the States. Odds are, they'd end up facing each other in the final.

apparently he's playing for the US.

Not to mention that he is Dominican.