Comments on: Braves going nowhere fast http://umpbump.com/press/2006/11/21/braves-going-nowhere-fast/ In-your-face baseball commentary Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:48:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: umpbump.com http://umpbump.com/press/2006/11/21/braves-going-nowhere-fast/comment-page-1/#comment-2047 umpbump.com Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:14:30 +0000 http://www.umpbump.com/press/?p=538#comment-2047 [...] Well, I consider my old post the rant post, while this one is the less incensed update. [...] [...] Well, I consider my old post the rant post, while this one is the less incensed update. [...]

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]]> By: Alejandro http://umpbump.com/press/2006/11/21/braves-going-nowhere-fast/comment-page-1/#comment-1110 Alejandro Sun, 26 Nov 2006 19:09:01 +0000 http://www.umpbump.com/press/?p=538#comment-1110 Well, that's precisely what's so bizarre about the story. I can't think of any particular reason why Chavez would close up baseball in Venezuela. I mean, from an anti-imperialist stance, Chavez could argue that "Our Venezuelan talent must stay within our country" and so on, but in that case, he would *need* a good league to have the players compete in. Unless he simply wants them to play pick-up games in his palace or something. What Chavez may be able to do is restrict the activity of foreign academies (MLB Teams) and their ability to send players directly to their farm systems in the U.S. But again, if Chavez were to forbid MLB teams from signing players from their academies AND cancel the domestic league, where would they go? I guess this is where the speculation about closing baseball comes into play, but I honestly think that's just far-fetched. The Cuba allusion is simply that players aren't allowed to travel abroad to earn salaries that are not sanctioned or sponsored by the Cuban government. There is a Cuban baseball league and players compete in international events representing their country, but they have to defect in order to play (work legally) in the U.S. You'll find that a good number of Cuban players have citizenship from some other country in Latin America. This is what one of the sources in the Times story is hinting at; that Venezuelans will have to get on a boat and smuggle themselves into the U.S. Now, unlike what Mr. Rizzi is quoted as saying in the article, Chavez isn't necessarily anti-U.S. He's anti-Bush, but he did manage to provide cheap oil for poor families in New York City and offered it to people in Alaska (who promptly refused it). But before we get off topic; I think the point of this article is simply to cook-up a reality where Chavez becomes the Fidel of the 21st century and that's somehow inherently bad for baseball fans. Talk about apples and oranges. Fidel WASN'T bad for baseball. He freaking allowed the Orioles to play in Cuba AND he allowed the Cuban national team to play in the WBC. That he doesn't allow players to work abroad is another issue. I'm not an expert in Latin American baseball; but the article in the Times is more hearsay than fact. Well, that’s precisely what’s so bizarre about the story. I can’t think of any particular reason why Chavez would close up baseball in Venezuela. I mean, from an anti-imperialist stance, Chavez could argue that “Our Venezuelan talent must stay within our country” and so on, but in that case, he would *need* a good league to have the players compete in. Unless he simply wants them to play pick-up games in his palace or something.

What Chavez may be able to do is restrict the activity of foreign academies (MLB Teams) and their ability to send players directly to their farm systems in the U.S. But again, if Chavez were to forbid MLB teams from signing players from their academies AND cancel the domestic league, where would they go? I guess this is where the speculation about closing baseball comes into play, but I honestly think that’s just far-fetched.

The Cuba allusion is simply that players aren’t allowed to travel abroad to earn salaries that are not sanctioned or sponsored by the Cuban government. There is a Cuban baseball league and players compete in international events representing their country, but they have to defect in order to play (work legally) in the U.S. You’ll find that a good number of Cuban players have citizenship from some other country in Latin America. This is what one of the sources in the Times story is hinting at; that Venezuelans will have to get on a boat and smuggle themselves into the U.S.

Now, unlike what Mr. Rizzi is quoted as saying in the article, Chavez isn’t necessarily anti-U.S. He’s anti-Bush, but he did manage to provide cheap oil for poor families in New York City and offered it to people in Alaska (who promptly refused it).

But before we get off topic; I think the point of this article is simply to cook-up a reality where Chavez becomes the Fidel of the 21st century and that’s somehow inherently bad for baseball fans. Talk about apples and oranges. Fidel WASN’T bad for baseball. He freaking allowed the Orioles to play in Cuba AND he allowed the Cuban national team to play in the WBC. That he doesn’t allow players to work abroad is another issue.

I’m not an expert in Latin American baseball; but the article in the Times is more hearsay than fact.

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]]> By: Zvee Geffen http://umpbump.com/press/2006/11/21/braves-going-nowhere-fast/comment-page-1/#comment-1105 Zvee Geffen Sun, 26 Nov 2006 02:34:15 +0000 http://www.umpbump.com/press/?p=538#comment-1105 Alejandro, this is a good find and a good post, but I am a little confused by the Times story. So, I'll be the first to admit I know practically nothing about baseball outside of the US. But let's say for a second that Chavez *did* close the domestic professional league. Would he do that to prevent players from leaving for the US? Would there still be baseball in Venezuela? And in that case, wouldn't that be cutting off his nose to spite his face? How does Cuba do it? I suppose I could go look this up for myself, but I am very lazy. Alejandro, this is a good find and a good post, but I am a little confused by the Times story. So, I’ll be the first to admit I know practically nothing about baseball outside of the US. But let’s say for a second that Chavez *did* close the domestic professional league. Would he do that to prevent players from leaving for the US? Would there still be baseball in Venezuela? And in that case, wouldn’t that be cutting off his nose to spite his face? How does Cuba do it? I suppose I could go look this up for myself, but I am very lazy.

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]]> By: chris http://umpbump.com/press/2006/11/21/braves-going-nowhere-fast/comment-page-1/#comment-52049 chris Wed, 22 Nov 2006 13:53:03 +0000 http://www.umpbump.com/press/?p=538#comment-52049 If only the team had a billion dollar company that could buy them and spend lots of money. And if only they had a big TV contract where they get seen by millions of people region and nationwide, then they'd be spending money. If only the team had a billion dollar company that could buy them and spend lots of money. And if only they had a big TV contract where they get seen by millions of people region and nationwide, then they’d be spending money.

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