Cuban baseball player likely defected in Edmonton

One of the athletes from the Cuban baseball team taking part in the Women’s World Cup of baseball in Edmonton has disappeared, and many believe she may have defected.

The player vanished overnight from Lister Hall, a residence at the University of Alberta, where teams participating in the World Cup are staying.

The Chairman of the Edmonton International Baseball Federation says he’s disappointed to hear the news, but not surprised.

“We can’t lock them up in their rooms,” says Ron Hayter.

“We just have to rely on the fact that they're here to play baseball and in this case, they decided they had a different priority."

“We try to keep a close eye on it, but you can't lock the doors and have guards at the doors,” he adds.

It’s not unusual for Cuban players to defect while attending tournaments in Canada. A number of players have defected while in Edmonton, and in most cases, the players are from Cuba.

In July 2008, two Cuban players apparently defected after playing just one game at the World Junior Triple A Baseball Championships in Edmonton. At the time, experts said it was likely a move arranged by a sports agency in the United States or Canada.

During the 2000 World Junior Baseball Championships, both the Cuban catcher and pitcher defected.

Those working in the baseball industry say Cuban baseball players are a hot-ticket item among scouts. The 2008 Edmonton tournament saw about 30 accredited scouts.

Still, this is the first time a female baseball player has defected while in Edmonton. The Edmonton Police Service has been notified but the Cuban athlete is not officially listed as missing because she is in the country legally and may have left on her own accord.

“Based on past experiences, this is what we consider to be a planned departure,” says Hayter.

Once athletes walk away, they usually can't fly anywhere, because their passports are often held by Cuban authorities. In the past, athletes who have defected have used trains to travel across the country.

They can seek refugee status in the U.S. under a policy that stipulates any Cuban reaching American soil is permitted to stay.

However, sports agents say defectors will be subject to the baseball draft in North America, so will likely turn up in the Dominican Republic or Mexico, where they can act as free agents.

In the past, male Cuban players have been able to secure baseball contracts in the U.S.

The name of the missing female player has not been released.