December 30, 200817 yr As reported by ESPN and other sources ESPN Sources: Marti, Gomez defect By Enrique Rojas ESPNdeportes.com (Archive) Updated: December 29, 2008, 3:47 PM ET ORLANDO, Fla. -- Right-hander Yadel Marti, Cuba's best pitcher in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, and outfielder Yasser Gomez left the island and are in an unknown location before attempting to reach the Dominican Republic to seek an MLB career, sources told ESPNdeportes.com. Players' relatives and friends in Cuba confirmed their departure, without disclosing details of the planned route. Marti and Gomez, members of the popular team Industriales de la Habana, were kicked off the team's payroll for the current National Series tournament "for having committed a serious [infraction]," according to the Cuban baseball authorities. Sources informed ESPNdeportes.com last month that Marti and Gomez were punished and banned from Cuban baseball after being caught with others while trying to board a boat to leave the country illegally. A talent scout who has seen Marti and Gomez playing at international events told ESPNdeportes.com that both are ready to play in the majors. Marti, 29, was the best of Cuba's pitchers in the 2006 WBC. The right-hander went 1-0 with two saves and led the tournament in ERA (0.00) after not allowing a single run in 12 2/3 innings. He was elected to the WBC All Star team. Marti won 67 games with a 3.23 ERA in his career with Industriales but participated in a limited capacity last season (4-2, 3.12 ERA in 15 games). Gomez, 28, is a fast outfielder who was Rookie of the Year in 1997 and hit .394 with 51 runs scored and 41 RBIs in 66 games in the most recent National Series tournament. He has a .331 career average with Industriales. He was left off the Cuban National Team in the 2006 WBC and the 2008 Olympic Games. I hope that they can make it over here ASAP. Maybe we can sign Yasser Gomez, the guy's amazing in the outfield, has good speed and a good bat.
December 30, 200817 yr Stupidity by the Cubans. They keep kicking their best players off the team due to paranoia, no sh*t that they are going to defect. We never get guys like this.... They go to the yankee's,sox,angels.... Agreed, we won't get them. Also, before anyone brings up Livan, that was a different owner with different rules.
December 31, 200817 yr Stupidity by the Cubans. They keep kicking their best players off the team due to paranoia, no sh*t that they are going to defect. We never get guys like this.... They go to the yankee's,sox,angels.... Agreed, we won't get them. Also, before anyone brings up Livan, that was a different owner with different rules. But we got LIVAN!!!! Good for them, they will now enjoy a life they would have never dreamed of.... from riding a bicycle in Cuba to being rich and playing in the majors, assuming they are good enough, I know Marti, I'm pretty sure he will be a solid major leaguer.
January 6, 200917 yr Author Stupidity by the Cubans. They keep kicking their best players off the team due to paranoia, no sh*t that they are going to defect. We never get guys like this.... They go to the yankee's,sox,angels.... Agreed, we won't get them. Also, before anyone brings up Livan, that was a different owner with different rules. But we got LIVAN!!!! Good for them, they will now enjoy a life they would have never dreamed of.... from riding a bicycle in Cuba to being rich and playing in the majors, assuming they are good enough, I know Marti, I'm pretty sure he will be a solid major leaguer. I think Marti is the oldest of the two. I remember watching Yasser Gomez play, and he hit like crazy and had a cannon of an arm in the outfield. He didn't have much power, though. But like Rabbethan said, we won't sign them. We never sign guys coming out of Cuba. It will be the White Sox probably (they seem to have a Cuban addiction over here, it seems).
January 8, 200917 yr How long ago did we get Livan? :banghead Marlins just don't do these signings, We use to sign kids from Columbia and Australia as well
January 9, 200917 yr How long ago did we get Livan? :banghead According to Baseball Reference, all the way back on January 13th, 1996. :o
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