HAVANA, July 10, 2009

Cuba Admits Defection of Top Pitcher

Aroldis Chapman Flees During Netherlands Tournament, Hires Agent

  • In this March 10, 2009 photo, Cuba's Aroldis Chapman in a World Baseball Classic game against Australia in Mexico City.

    In this March 10, 2009 photo, Cuba's Aroldis Chapman in a World Baseball Classic game against Australia in Mexico City.  (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

  • Photo Essay Cuba Goes Caribbean

    Revelers dress up and dance for Cuba's annual Caribbean festival

(AP)  Cuba has acknowledged the defection of baseball pitcher Aroldis Chapman, a week after he walked away from a tournament in the Netherlands.

The Communist Party daily Granma said Friday that Chapman has contracted baseball agent Jaime Torres to represent him. Cuba previously had said nothing about Chapman's defection, despite widespread media coverage in exile-dominated Miami.

The 21-year-old Chapman attracted international attention during the World Baseball Classic with a fastball of up to 100 mph. He is considered among the top left-handed pitchers in the world, and the best pitcher to abandon Cuba since Jose Contreras left in 2002.


© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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by GiveMeFreedom July 10, 2009 4:21 PM EDT
How sad in this supposed "enlightened" era we live in that we still have to have a few countries force their citizens to live in fear for their lives and not be free to pursue their dreams anywhere in the world.

I guess the leaders in Cuba must have undersized male organs as they sure are afraid of the rest of the world.
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