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| Venezuela Continues W.B.C. Preparations a Day After Chavez’s Death | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Despite a spring training filled with injuries, underwhelming performances and controversy swirling around the team’s ace pitcher, the Mets will be a sideshow Wednesday when they play the Venezuelan national team in a tuneup game for the World Baseball Classic in Puerto Rico. | PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Despite a spring training filled with injuries, underwhelming performances and controversy swirling around the team’s ace pitcher, the Mets will be a sideshow Wednesday when they play the Venezuelan national team in a tuneup game for the World Baseball Classic in Puerto Rico. |
| Venezuela played Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins in Jupiter just hours after it was announced that President Hugo Chávez had died. The team’s star, Miguel Cabrera, led his team with three hits in a 6-5 loss, and told reporters after the game that he and his teammates made a promise to the country to win. Venezuela is scheduled to play the Dominican Republic in a Pool C first-round game on Thursday in San Juan. | Venezuela played Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins in Jupiter just hours after it was announced that President Hugo Chávez had died. The team’s star, Miguel Cabrera, led his team with three hits in a 6-5 loss, and told reporters after the game that he and his teammates made a promise to the country to win. Venezuela is scheduled to play the Dominican Republic in a Pool C first-round game on Thursday in San Juan. |
| Chávez was a controversial leader, as well as an ardent baseball fan who kept in touch with Luis Sojo, the national team’s manager and a former Yankees infielder. The players who spoke after the game refrained from talking about Chávez’s politics, but focused instead on his death. | Chávez was a controversial leader, as well as an ardent baseball fan who kept in touch with Luis Sojo, the national team’s manager and a former Yankees infielder. The players who spoke after the game refrained from talking about Chávez’s politics, but focused instead on his death. |
| Sojo spoke to the news media Wednesday while his team was stretching before the game. Chavez “loved baseball and the country is very sad now, so we said, Let’s win it for him,” he said. “He used to call me and call the players. He loved this game.” | Sojo spoke to the news media Wednesday while his team was stretching before the game. Chavez “loved baseball and the country is very sad now, so we said, Let’s win it for him,” he said. “He used to call me and call the players. He loved this game.” |
| Venezuelan players routinely steer clear of politics and some are concerned about the safety of their families back home.. | Venezuelan players routinely steer clear of politics and some are concerned about the safety of their families back home.. |
| “All the players love their country, but for safety hire two or three bodyguards,” said Alfredo Villamil, a Venezuelan sportswriter for Últimas Noticias. “Right now, we are polarized.” | “All the players love their country, but for safety hire two or three bodyguards,” said Alfredo Villamil, a Venezuelan sportswriter for Últimas Noticias. “Right now, we are polarized.” |
| Wilmer Flores, a Mets prospect, declined to discuss Chávez. “I just want to focus on baseball,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to the game against his countrymen, many of whom he knows from playing winter ball. His family in Venezuela, he said, was fine. “We’ll see what happens.” | Wilmer Flores, a Mets prospect, declined to discuss Chávez. “I just want to focus on baseball,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to the game against his countrymen, many of whom he knows from playing winter ball. His family in Venezuela, he said, was fine. “We’ll see what happens.” |
| Before the game on Tuesday, the Venezuelan flag was lowered, following a request from the team’s representatives, but it was raised not long after. | Before the game on Tuesday, the Venezuelan flag was lowered, following a request from the team’s representatives, but it was raised not long after. |
| Major League Baseball, which runs the W.B.C., takes its cue in such matters from the State Department. United States relations with Venezuela were further strained this week when two American military attaches were expelled from the country. | Major League Baseball, which runs the W.B.C., takes its cue in such matters from the State Department. United States relations with Venezuela were further strained this week when two American military attaches were expelled from the country. |
| Major League Baseball told the Venezuelan team that it would accommodate anything it wanted away from the field, but try to leave politics out of the ballparks. | Major League Baseball told the Venezuelan team that it would accommodate anything it wanted away from the field, but try to leave politics out of the ballparks. |
| United States and Venezuelan flags were flying at full mast at Tradition Field on Wednesday. | United States and Venezuelan flags were flying at full mast at Tradition Field on Wednesday. |