"Orioles owner Peter Angelos also sat next to Fidel Castro when his team played an exhibition game in Havana in 1999 and promised he would refuse to sign any Cuban defectors."

What country did Rafael Palmiero come from?

the author continuously makes references to the human rights situation in cuba, almost basing it as his primary thesis of the article. he however ignores countries that (may) have much worse human rights track records than cuba who are playing in the tourny such as china, korea, mexico, and *shudder* the United States.

The author fails to notice that Cuba's isolation only continues its misery, too. Look what happened to the Soviet Union with Glasnost. Look at Shanghai now that they've decided to try capitalism. And then look at North Korea. I think it's pretty clear that an all-stick no-carrot approach is a loser when dealing with oppressive regimes.

And guess what? If the Cuban players defect, they're slaves no more. Let 'em in.

"A team of slaves?" Just because the Cubans have set out to retain the purity of the game of baseball does not slaves make. The game is for the people in Cuba, tickets cost les than 5 cents. Does Echeveria prefer that tickets rise in order to pay for hefy salaries brokered by greedy agents? Does he really think there is something evil with players playing for the region they are from (as US players do until college) rather than the lack of loyalty we have here? Does he really think US players a "free" to speak about their own managers and owners? Does he have any evidence of Cuban players harmed for their views? Doesn't he know that Cuban players are now allowed to play abroad for good pay - 2 are currently in Japan? Or is he just lying?

Cuban players are routinely offered briefcases full of dollars, cars, women to defect when they play abroad - from unscrupulous US scouts. Shouldn't this practice stop before we condemn laws against defecting? Doesn't Cuba have a right to protect its national pastime from the US? Should every country turn into the Dominican Republic - a minor leauges for the US where the people can't even enjoy their country's talent - and thousands of would-be players end up on the streets having been bribed by MLB teams to quit school?

Anyone baseball fan who has studied Cuba's game knows it is an amazingly beautiful, pure expression of sport. That is why they have won just about every amatuer and youth championship since the Revolution. Any attempt to turn it into a US inspired copy - or worse - will ruin what is special about it. No one who plays for Cuban baseball considers themselves "slaves." What an insult. Politics has no place in a World Baseball Championship. Thank god everyday Americans, the baseball federations and other countries realize that - and won't let this travesty stand. We should be embarressed.

And for those who don't know, Bush's official reason is that he didn't want to give Castro money. Too bad his advisors didn't tell him he already offered to donate any money to Katrin victims.

finally some sanity on this issue being shown on this board

Leftside -- write back when people are floating on inner tubes to get IN to Cuba instead of OUT of it.

Cuba - it's so great, you wouldn't leave it even if you were allowed to!

If the U.S. had an enlightened foreign policy over the past 40 or so years towards Cuba, we would be dealing with a more capitalist oriented society now instead of the same old communist/socialist society that continues to the present time. Will the U.S. government never wake up to reality?!

i dont think anyone on this board or in general is arguing that things in cuba are great(i think they are better than most percieve, just from seeing it with my own eyes). all we (a rare time that i speak for anyone besides myself) want is for cuba to play ball.

Hey lefty, when was the last time you went to Cuba? Live there for a while, as a Cuban, not a tourist, and you will run your left side out of there so fast, you will steal more bases than Bert Campanaris.

Truly shocking, how many people are willing and happy to watch a slave team play just to get their jollies as "baseball fans." Pastors for "Peace," my damn ass.

what has your damn ass done to help the situation in cuba? not nearly as much as pastors for peace i am sure.

it saddens mse that the moderator of this wonderful site posts links to articles that are such dribble as the one this thread is about.

Nobody here is defending castro or the way things are in cuba. All we are saying is:

LET CUBA PLAY BALL
Viva Cuba!
Viva Baseball!
No Bloqeo!

More noise from Castro's corner.

5/18/00
"Peter Angelos In foul Territory
The Orioles threaten to violate civil-rights laws"

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment051800b.html

Old NRO article about Peter Angelos's despicable, and probably lawbreaking, promise to the Maximum Leader

dude you just dont get it. shut up and listen for a second- nobody is defending castro or anything else in cuba?
Just let them play!!! China is a a much bigger communist nation with a much worse human rights track record and nobody is making a peep about them playing.

by the way that national review is one of the biggest right wing slants available- how bout a reputable source?

i believe the true reason is that we would hate to the so-called "pinko commies" kick our ass in the classic. in a country where on every corner kids are playing ball in the streets we would have our hands full. the simple fact is that our society lives in fear of anything better than we are as a whole. the game of baseball thrives in cuba. let the game be the game, politics has no room here. the players make a choice to play ball fidel does not make it for them.