 |
|
Thursday, January 12, 2006
previous entry | main | next entry | TrackBack (0)
Should Cuba play in the World Baseball Classic?
I wrote about the World Baseball Classic back in July, so I suppose I should comment on the recent low-level decision to ban Cuba from participating in the 16-game tournament, and whether this is the right thing to do or not. Short answer -- yes, let the Cubans play even if they make a buck off of it. This is a post of obligation, however, because it requires me to talk about one of my least favorite topics -- the Cuba embargo. Some background: for the "Yes, let's ban them," go check out Roberto González Echevarría's op-ed in the New York Times from earlier this week (hat tip to David Pinto, who's been keeping close tabs on the issue). For the "let 'em play" argument, check out prett much any sportswriter you can find -- Sports Illustrated's Frank DeFord is serviceable enough here. Those who want to ban Cuba have a leg to stand on. There's no question that the Castro regime is pretty thuggish. And there's some evidence that denying them opportunities like participation in the World Baseball Classic could have a negative effect on the Castro regime. There's a scholarly literature out there that argues the apartheid regime in South Africa lost its base of support once they were banned from various sporting events, including the Olympics. The thing is, the World Baseball Classic is just getting started, so I don't think preventing Cuba from participating will have much of an effect on the regime -- whereas it would have a deleterious effect on the tournament itself. The International Baseball Federation is threatening to pull its imprimatur from the event, which could trigger the withdrawal of other countries. More importantly, denying them from participating is a self-inflicted wound. The WBC is a rare opportunity to highlight the common sports heritage the U.S. shares with Latin America and the Pacific Rim. It's an opportunity to popularize a sport that originated in the United States. It's even, dare I say, a chance for the United States to build up a little soft power -- if our pitching holds up. This is particularly true with regard to Cuba. Consider: 1) While their best players might be good enough for Olympic gold medals in baseball, they're going to face American and Dominican squads stacked with all-stars if they participate in the WBC. My hunch is that they won't do so well in the standings.Let the Cubans play ball -- and let them get their butts whipped. posted by Dan on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM Comments: There was a similar discussion about whether or not banning Iran from the Fußballweltmeisterschaft in Germany this year. posted by: Susa on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]It seems like the upside of letting Cuba play is both much larger than the downside and more likely to happen. The downside would be that Cuba wins, giving Fidel some propaganda points. But he would use Cuba's exclusion even more effectively than its inclusion, both as a way to maintain Cuba's myth of baseball superiority (based on Olympic success) and as a way to demonize the USA for lockig Cuba out. Meanwhile, it is far more likely that Cuba will get smoked in a contest that includes major league players. Consider that Jose Contreras was the Sandy Koufax of Cuba, and is merely an above average major league pitcher (although forever a Chicago hero). Even better is the reasonably high likelihood that one or more prominent Cuban players will defect, which is a great PR point against Fidel. posted by: I'llbeyou on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]> There's no question that the Castro regime Confused me there for a minute - when you said "Cuba" I thought you were talking about the prison/torture complex at Guantanamo Bay, where all rules of civilization are suspended in favor of thuggery. But be that as it may, some day I would really really like a Castro embargo supporter to explain to me exactly why it is fine for the US to be (wary) buddies and trading partners with Red China, where the military controls 40% of the economy, the execution rate is the highest in the world, prisoners are selected for execution based on the viability of their organs for transplant, political dissenters are tortured and executed, and the government is building a separate Internet (with the assistance of Cisco, Microsoft, and Google) that will be censored and is already monitored 24 hours per day for _every connection_. But it is wrong to trade with "thuggish" Cuba. Cranky posted by: Cranky Observer on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]I could not agree more with the posts. The act of forbiding Cuba is more a more about a narrow calculation about swing state politics than any of the lofty ideal. posted by: centrist on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]> he act of forbiding Cuba is more a more I could be wrong, but I think a lot of those Florida expats are in for a big surprise when Castro dies (which probably isn't too far in the future) and they not only AREN'T welcomed back as conquering heros, but are themselves forbidden from entering the country by the successor government. What would be really amusing would be for a democratically-elected successor government to slap an embargo on the United States. Cranky posted by: Cranky Observer on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]I'm for letting Cuba play because the Braves had major problems with their bullpen all last season, and can't afford to shell out big free-agent bucks to fix the problem this year. Solution: Cuban defectors! posted by: Zathras on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]Confused me there for a minute - when you said "Cuba" I thought you were talking about the prison/torture complex at Guantanamo Bay, where all rules of civilization are suspended in favor of thuggery. I highly doubt anyone else thought this, but any excuse to hijack a thread, I guess... I say let them play. Even Korea can kick their ass. posted by: Don Mynack on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]I have to agree with Cranky that this issue is completely bizarre. If any country should be banned from sports events for thuggish behaviour its the US not Cuba. posted by: peter on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]I say let them play and figure out a way to get as many of them to defect as possible. posted by: Hei Lun Chan on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]"There's a scholarly literature out there that argues the apartheid regime in South Africa lost its base of support once they were banned from various sporting events, including the Olympics." I did not know The Onion had an IR section. Seriously, does the literature you allude to have any good evidence for such a claim? posted by: Matthew Shugart on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]Good article in the NYT today about how the People's Republic of China is being quite successful at censoring all Internet access, and in strong-arming Cisco, Microsoft, and Google to help. Still no explanation from the Cuba embargo supporters as to why $100 billons of trade with the PRC is OK, but Cuba is too "thuggish". Cranky posted by: Cranky Observer on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]Cuba now is fihgting for one of the 4 first positions in the world Baseball Classic. What do yo say now????????? posted by: Arielenator on 01.12.06 at 11:07 PM [permalink]Post a Comment: |
  |