Veteran Cuban baseball player Iván Prieto González defected in Miami on Monday, a day after his team lost in the World Baseball Classic semifinal game against the United States, the Miami Herald has reported.
Prieto, who played eight seasons in the Cuba league and was the catcher in the national team bullpen who helped pitchers to warm up, did not show up at Miami International Airport for the team’s flight back to Havana.
After being defeated 14-2 by the United States in the tournament in their attempt to reach the finals, the Cuban team returned to Havana, where they were greeted with an official reception by the authorities, who declared “victories” over the Cuban exile “haters” in Florida, according to the Miami Herald.
“Congratulations admirable #TeamAsere,” Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on Twitter. “You guys have won three times: when you teamed up, when you ranked first, and when you played to the last out against a great team and hate of the worst kind. They made history. #Cuba proudly contemplates them.”
In previous years, a number of baseball players have defected from Cuba, including in October 2021, when 11 teammates defected during the U23 Baseball World Cup that took place in Mexico, CBS News reported.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.