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FEPCUBE

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"Cuban Professional Baseball Federation" redirects here. For the federation recognized by the WBSC, see Baseball Federation of Cuba.
Cuban Professional Baseball Federation
SportBaseball
AbbreviationFEPCUBE
FoundedAugust 8, 2023
HeadquartersMiami
PresidentArmando Llanez
Orlando Hernández
Official website
fepcube.com
Cuba

The Cuban Professional Baseball Federation, commonly known by its Spanish acronym FEPCUBE (Spanish: Federación Profesional Cubana de Beisbol), is a baseball governing body that claims to represent expatriate Cuban baseball players. It is not recognized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and is opposed by the Cuban government and the Baseball Federation of Cuba (FCB).

Background

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Since the Cuban Revolution, the official Baseball Federation of Cuba has largely restricted Cuban players to the amateur domestic league system. Players signing contracts with Major League Baseball were considered defectors and were not seen as eligible to represent Cuba in international competition, like the Baseball World Cup and later, the World Baseball Classic.

One early predecessor of FEPCUBE was the Federation of Professional Cuban Baseball Players in Exile (Federación de Peloteros Profesionales Cubanos en el Exilio). Between 1962 and 2007, the federation held elections in Miami to add new members to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame.[1] Tony Pacheco attempted to organize a "Free Cuba" team to participate in the 1965 Amateur World Series, but it did not materialize.[2]

Efforts to organize defected Cuban players began in the run-up to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when several players expressed their willingness to field a team not organized by the Cuban government. Those efforts ultimately did not come to fruition, and Cuba was represented by the FCB-organized national team.[3][4]

History

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FEPCUBE announced its intention to play in the inaugural Intercontinental Series, to be held in Barranquilla, Colombia in January 2024.[5] The team was expected to include Aroldis Chapman, Yandy Díaz, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Yennier Canó, and other players who are all ineligible to play organized Cuban baseball.[6] However, that tournament faced pushback from the Colombian government; FEBCUBE dropped its "Patria y Vida" slogan and agreed to play under the "Dream Team" name rather than with Cuban symbols. Nevertheless, the tournament was ultimately canceled, with FEPCUBE alleging it was due to pressure from the Cuban government.[7][8]

Members of the FEPCUBE team organized for the Intercontinental Series took part in an exhibition game against the Miami Dade College Sharks on January 18, 2024. The game was won by the FEPCUBE team, 3–2.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Cubans in Baseball Halls of Fame". cubanball.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  2. ^ Turner, Justin W.R. (2012). Baseball Diplomacy, Baseball Deployment: The National Pastime in U.S.-Cuba Relations (Thesis). University of Alabama. p. 117.
  3. ^ "Miami group hopes to field team of Cuban major leaguers in WBC, but international rules make it unlikely".
  4. ^ Wagner, James (15 June 2022). "For Cuban Stars, the World Baseball Classic Remains a Dream". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Organizers of the Intercontinental Series also invited the Cuban Baseball Federation". Cuban Baseball Digest. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Anunciado el roster preliminar FEPCUBE 'Patria y Vida' que jugará en la Serie Intercontinental de Béisbol". Diario de Cuba. 29 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Star-studded breakaway Cuban baseball team celebrates its union, even without a place to play". AP.
  8. ^ "Cancelan Serie Intercontinental de Colombia por presiones contra equipo de cubanos FEPCUBE" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Herald. January 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Esto no muere aquí. Juego de peloteros cubanos independientes en Miami llena el diamante de optimismo" (in Spanish). January 18, 2024.
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