Law Bars Cuba From Classic

A Cuban national baseball team cannot participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic because the communist country would gain financially from the tournament, a federal agency told Major League Baseball on Wednesday.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control notified the commissioner’s office Wednesday that U.S. law prohibits such business arrangements.

WBC officials said they hoped to rework the financial package with Cuba so it fell within U.S. statutes and OFAC guidelines.

Paul Archey, senior vice president of Major League Baseball International, and Gene Orza, chief operating officer of the Major League Baseball Players’ Assn., released a joint statement that, in part, read, “We are very disappointed with the government’s decision to deny the participation of a team from Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. We will continue to work within appropriate channels in an attempt to address the government’s concerns.”

Previously, WBC officials had been optimistic of Cuba’s participation, including Cuba in pre-tournament schedules and news releases.

A Treasury spokesperson told the Associated Press by e-mail, “Generally speaking, the Cuba embargo prohibits entering into contracts in which Cuba or Cuban nationals have an interest.”

The U.S. economic embargo against Cuba was imposed in 1962, three years after President Fidel Castro ascended to power.

In 1999, the Baltimore Orioles played two exhibitions against the Cuban national team, in Havana and Baltimore. Some of the profits from those games were designated for humanitarian efforts in Cuba, according to a baseball official, who hoped a similar arrangement could be made for the WBC.

Reached at his home Wednesday night, Archey reiterated tournament organizers’ hopes to salvage Cuba’s involvement, but declined further public comment.

WBC organizers have as much as a month to obtain an OFAC permit that would allow Cuba to play. The first rosters from the 16 participating teams are due Jan. 17. If Cuba is barred, teams from Nicaragua and Colombia, among other nations, will be considered as replacements.

According to a schedule released last week in Dallas, Cuba would open pool play March 7 against Panama in Puerto Rico. The Cubans also would play the Netherlands and Puerto Rico.

Second-round games will be played in Puerto Rico and Anaheim beginning March 12. The semifinals and final are scheduled for March 18 and 20 at San Diego’s Petco Park.

-- Tim Brown

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Hoping to bolster their starting rotation, the World Series champion Chicago White Sox agreed to acquire right-hander Javier Vazquez from Arizona for right-hander Orlando Hernandez, reliever Luis Vizcaino and minor league outfielder Chris Young, a baseball official confirmed.

The deal is contingent on the players passing physicals and must be approved by Commissioner Bud Selig because Arizona is sending the White Sox cash to help pay part of Vazquez’s salary.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized.

Vazquez filed a formal trade demand Nov. 10, the right of veteran players dealt during multiyear contracts. Arizona had until March 15 to trade him or risk having Vazquez become a free agent. He is owed $11.5 million next year and $12.5 million in 2007.

Hernandez, who pitched in relief in the playoffs, was 9-9 last season and has a career record of 70-49, spending most of his time in the majors with the New York Yankees.

He is signed for next year, with a base salary of $4,625,000. He can earn an additional $2 million in bonuses based on pitching 205 innings.

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Carl Everett and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a one-year contract with a club option for 2007. The designated hitter batted .251 with 23 home runs and 87 RBIs for the White Sox last season.

“Today we achieved one of our off-season goals,” Seattle General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “Carl Everett is a clutch-hitting run producer with power. As a switch-hitter, he provides our lineup with added versatility. His experience and intensity will be welcome additions to our clubhouse.”

SOCCER

U.S.-Germany Game Finalized for March 22

The U.S. soccer team’s planned March 22 exhibition at Germany has been finalized, giving the Americans a chance to play in the World Cup host country three months before the tournament.

The game will be played at Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.

“As we experienced in the preparation for the 2002 World Cup, the chance to play in the host country before the tournament will be an invaluable experience for our team,” said U.S. Coach Bruce Arena, whose team played at South Korea in December 2001.

The Americans open their 2006 schedule on Jan. 22 against Canada at San Diego, play Norway seven days later at the Home Depot Center, then face Japan on Feb. 10 at San Francisco. They plan to play Feb. 19, probably against Guatemala at Frisco, Texas, and are looking to find a nation to play in Europe on March 1, a date set aside by FIFA for national team exhibitions.

They also are trying to schedule several exhibition games at home in late May.

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Mexico announced a five-game pre-World Cup tour of the United States that will include two games in the Los Angeles area.

The Mexicans will play South Korea on Feb. 15 at the Coliseum and close with a game May 12 at the Rose Bowl against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

The first game of the tour will be Jan. 25 against Norway at San Francisco, and the team also has games scheduled against Ghana on March 1 in Dallas and against Paraguay on March 29 in Chicago.

On Wednesday night, Mexico got goals from Francisco Fonseca and Joel Huiqui in a 2-0 win over Hungary at Phoenix.

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Boca Juniors won its 21st Argentine league title, getting first-half goals from Daniel Diaz and Federico Insua to rally past Olimpo, 2-1, in the final round of the Apertura championship.

The victory and title come four days before Boca plays host to Mexico City’s UNAM Pumas in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana final.

WINTER SPORTS

Teter, White Start Fast to Win Halfpipe Events

Snowboarders Hannah Teter and Shaun White won halfpipe events at Breckenridge, Colo., the first step toward making the U.S. Olympic team.

It was the first of five Grand Prix events that will help determine the 16 members of the team that goes to Turin, Italy.

On the women’s side, Gretchen Bleiler and Elena Hight also finished on the podium. Ross Powers, who won gold at the 2002 Olympics, and 18-year-old Scott Lago were the other medal winners for the men.

Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark made the finals but was injured in warmups and did not compete. U.S. Ski Team officials did not immediately have details on the injury.

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World champion Hannah Kearney of the United States won a World Cup moguls event at Tignes, France, and reigning champion Jeremy Bloom was fourth in his event.

Kearney had 25.75 points to finish ahead of Jennifer Heil of Canada (25.37).

Finland’s Tapio Luusua won the men’s event with 25.64 points. Bloom had 25.19 points.

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Didier Defago of Switzerland acknowledged he was rightly disqualified from a World Cup race for having improper skis. He lost about $90,000 in prize money.

MISCELLANY

Michelin Will Leave F1 After Next Season

Still reeling from its tire fiasco at the U.S. Grand Prix, Michelin is leaving Formula One after next season, making Bridgestone the racing circuit’s only supplier.

Michelin’s future in F1 had been in doubt since all seven of the French manufacturer’s two-car teams pulled out of the race at Indianapolis on June 19 because of concerns over the safety of the tires. Only six of 20 F1 cars -- all equipped with Bridgestone tires -- raced that day.

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Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters won player-of-the-year awards in a vote by the International Tennis Writers Assn.

Federer won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year and finished the season with an 81-4 record and the No. 1 ranking. Clijsters ended the year at No. 2 and won a tour-high nine titles, including her first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open.

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Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will go on trial for defamation next year in Italy after losing a preliminary hearing against Italian rider Filippo Simeoni.

Italian judge Nicola Insiti decided that Armstrong should go on trial in Simeoni’s home town of Latina near Rome on March 7 after he called Simeoni a liar in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde in 2003 regarding doping allegations against Armstrong’s former coach Michele Ferrari.