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sportsAlso in this
section: Notes on Panama's baseball scene * The Bush administration has backed down on its obnoxious attempt to exclude Cuba from the upcoming World Baseball Classic, so the possibility of moving the first round of play for the group that includes Panama, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands and Cuba from San Juan to here has become moot. The Cubans got around US restrictions on them making any money from playing in the United States or the US colony of Puerto Rico by pledging their share of the proceeds to relief of Hurricane Katrina victims. This whole argument has left Latin Americans with the negative perception that the current US administration is insufferably petty, and on the other hand has done nothing to advance the cause of human rights in Cuba, which is a cause that ought to be promoted. * NOW the huge controversy swirling around the baseball classic is Mariano Rivera's reluctance to pitch for the Panamanian team. Given the way that he usually finishes a season much hotter than he starts it, Rivera's plea that he wouldn't be in top shape is not to be lightly dismissed. But still, there are lots of rumors about that point the finger at George Steinbrenner not wanting to risk the Yankees' star being injured, lots of people questioning Rivera's patriotism, and so on. Let us hope that Rivera is in shape and playing for Panama in the end, but regardless of what happens we ought to respect the man's decisions about the care of his own body. It would be sad to see a Panamanian national team without Mariano Rivera, but far worse to see his brilliant career cut short by an injury caused by his being bullied by public opinion into playing when he really shouldn't be playing. * Now THAT'S smart baseball: Chiriqui slugger Jesús Barroso rampaged through the first round of the junior tournament, leading in batting average at .550, in second place in slugging at .575, and leading in hits and runs. But after that he left, to continue his studies in the United States. It's a smart business move for a talented athlete to put his or her education before sports, and smarter still to use sports as a means to get a scholarship that results in a degree of lifelong utility. A sports career can end in an instant, with a snap of a knee, a tear of a rotator cuff or a wild pitch that knocks a player's vision permanently out of whack. An education is for a lifetime. It's better to sign an NCAA letter of intent than a minor league contract if that choice is available. * Veraguas is turning out to be the team to beat in the junior tournament, which features a higher caliber of play than has been seen in the previous few years. Because the core of this team has been seen in international play since the kids were playing in Little League, the professional scouts will have a good idea of whose progress they want to estimate. It should be no surprise if several Veraguas players are playing in the USA when summer comes to that country. * One of the high points of the junior tournament took place on January 23, when Chiriqui pitchers Antonio Cuan and Eloy Martínez combined to pitch a shortened seven-inning no-hitter against Panama Oeste. Shortened? See, they have this "mercy rule" in the tournament, which ended the game because after seven innings of play the Chiricanos were ahead 10-0. * The best player for a team that didn't make it to the second round in the junior tournament surely had to be Herrera pitcher Manuel Vega. He threw 22 innings and didn't give up a run. * The latest bochinche is that Panamanian utility man José Maciás, who has bumped around the majors with several teams but never had that really big break, will be taking the opportunity to play more regularly next season by signing with a Japanese team. * BE THERE: the Rodney Carew National Stadium on Cerro Patacon, on January 28, for the Home Run Derby. All Star slugger Carlos Lee will lead the cast of characters hitting balls over the fence. Also in this
section:
News |
Business
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Editorial
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Opinion
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Letters
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Arts
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Review
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Community
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Fun
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Travel
Make the
Executive Hotel your headquarters in Panama City --- http://ww.executivehotel-panama.com
Find the boat of your dreams through Evermarine --- http://www.evermarine.com |
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