If the US does not allow Cuba to play:
1) IBAF would not sanction the event.
2) The individual federations no longer would have
anything to do with their national teams.
3) This, in turn, would not allow players who are not
active in pro ball to play, and many who do would not
participate.
4) Which in turn means that only countries with enough
pro players would participate: the US, Japan, Korea,
Taiwan, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico,
Canada. Maybe Panama would participate with lots of
Rookie League players (Canada uses lots of Indy
Leaguers). Venezuela would boycott, I don't know if
enough players would defy Hugo Chavez. Panama also
would boycott, but they could still make it.
Nicaragua, which is supposed to substitute for Cuba,
would lose most of its team, and would have to use
rookie leaguers, as the non pros need to play year
around, and the national federation controls the
Summer league. Maybe South Africa, Holland and Italy
would declare their leagues professional, but would
remain weakened for international competition for
years to come; and maybe they would not want to pay
the price. Red China would probably boycott, but they
could participate as they have enough pros (even one
playing in Japan).
5) The USBF might pay a price, and the US Olympic
Committee for sure.
6) A strong possibility is that the MLB-Players' Union
board in charge would postpone the event, waiting for
a more auspicious year...
By the way, I believe that Cubans are right in
fighting to get rid of Communism in their country by
all means available except terrorism (see article by
Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria), so Diaz-Balart and the
other congresspeople did the right thing in trying to
exclude Cuba. But I also believe that the US should
respect international sports law and allow Cuba to
play. Jurisprudence for this comes from the ancient
Olympic Games and from God's Truce in the Middle Ages.
Sports is not the right arena for politics nor war.

--- Anthony Salazar <salazar8017@...> wrote:

> Does anyone have a sense of what would really happen
> if Cuba does not play, and what would happen if the
> IBAF does not sanction the World Baseball Classic
> with
> a missing Cuban team?


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