NOT PLAYING BALL

IT’S A SMALL WORLD; AT LEAST THE WORLD SERIES IS.
THAT WORLD MEANS THE UNITED STATES, AND, IN RECENT YEARS, TWO CANADIAN CITIES.

SINCE THE TRIAL-RUN OF OLYMPIC BASEBALL WILL END AFTER 2008, THE INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL FEDERATION HAS ORGANIZED THE FIRST WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC, WHICH WILL START IN MARCH, AND PLAYED IN JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES.

ALTHOUGH 16 TEAMS WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE, ONLY 15 WILL.
ONE TEAM WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY; THE DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM FROM CUBA.

PRESIDENT BUSH, WHO HAS RECENTLY RAISED THE POLITICAL PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT OF FIDEL CASTRO, WILL NOT GRANT THE CUBAN TEAM A LICENSE TO PARTICIPATE.

IN DECEMBER, SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE CHAIRED A TRANSITION COMMITTEE CHARGED WITH PREPARING FOR A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IN CUBA.
IN ADDITION, THE ANTI-CASTRO FACTIONS IN FLORIDA, WHERE JEB BUSH IS THE GOVERNOR, WOULD BE DISPLEASED IF THE CUBANS PARTICIPATED.

GEORGE VECSEY, IN THE NEW YORK TIMES [JANUARY 8TH, 2006] WROTE,

“BECAUSE THE CLASSIC IS A COMMERCIAL VENTURE, CUBAN PARTICIPATION IS BEING BLOCKED BY AMERICAN POLICY, WHICH WAS DEFINED … [BY] A TREASURY SPOKESWOMAN, AS ‘TO KEEP HARD CURRENCY OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE CASTRO DICTATORSHIP’.
THAT POLICY ALSO KEEPS MEDICINE, FOOD, TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER GOODS FROM THE CUBAN PEOPLE.”

UNDER THE CONTRACT OF THE BASEBALL CLASSIC, EVERY PARTICIPATING TEAM WOULD GAIN 1 PERCENT OF THE PROFITS. THE WINNING TEAM WOULD GAIN 10 PERCENT. ALL MONIES WOULD BE USED FOR YOUTH BASEBALL IN THE HOME COUNTRIES.

THE CASTRO GOVERNMENT AGREED TO DONATE ALL INCOME TO HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS IN THE UNITED STATES.

REMEMBER THAT KID WHO OWNED THE BALL?

NOTE: THE U.S. HAS LIFTED ITS BAN AGAINST CUBA. THE CUBAN NATIONAL TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED TO PLAY.