You may recall the line The CHB penned during the World Baseball Classic: "Baseball truly is a religion in Cuba. ... Players pledge allegiance to Fidel and none has defected since José Contreras went AWOL in 2002." As we showed at the time, and the Globe eventually corrected in print, Dan's contention that "none has defected since 2002" was way wrong.
It became even more wrong today. The news just broke that Yuliesky Gourriel has fled the island. Official confirmation is pending, but several outlets have the story.
You may remember that name, too. He's the guy Dan called "the Derek Jeter of Cuba." Of course, Dan made that pronouncement just 13 days after Jack Curry of the New York Times did, but then crafting original work was never Dan's strong suit.
9 comments:
Let's not jump the gun here. It seems to be mostly rumor and FWIW, the Cuban government is denying it. I also checked Granma Internacional and Cubaweb and they have nothing. You'd think Granma would at least have an article railing about greed and capitalist pigs.
I got the story from BP. I would expect Cuba to deny it, at least until Gourriel shows up in another country. My question is, if Gourriel hadn't defected (or even tried to), don't you think Fidel would have him front and center before the TVs to prove it?
Gourriel is the real deal! I was at the WBC semis and final and he has major leaguer written all over him. A 21 year old 5-tool player. If its true that he defected, I hope the Red Sox go after him hard.
Nice little article today by Tony Maz in the herald (who probably could use his own "watch" blog). In what "could" be construed as a dig at CHB's Secretariat at the Belmont tired cliche, he continuously refers to the Sox Yanks as a very close race.
Well, of course Cuba is denying it. But the Yankees are also denying it.
This makes no sense. Something written in the present tense in the past has become "even more wrong" because of something that happened SINCE?
And speaking of wrong, if this story turns out to be false, will there be a correction? There is no wiggle room in the statement "[i]t became even more wrong today."
Or are corrections still just for other people?
Brucey-boy, you forgot that the Globe already issued a correction on Dan's "Cuban non-crisis" story.
Hey Bruce,
Try to follow this: If Gourriel defects, the column is more wrong because it shows that the "Derek Jeter of Cuba" (TM-New York Times) doesn't show allegiance to the murdering dictator after CHB claimed all players did. A claim he made based on the incorrect statement that no players had defected in almost four years.
ObjectiveBruce The Globe already ran a correction.
Jenny why does it matter that the Yankees are denying it? Should I start going to the Yankees web page for my world news?
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