Cuban Players Banned

Three Cuban baseball players were suspended for life by their country’s sports authority and a Cuban-American was arrested on charges of trying to help players defect. Banned were shortstop German Mesa, pitcher Orlando “Duke” Hernandez and catcher Alberto Hernandez. They were accused of putting at least one agent in contact with players he wanted to lure from the island. All three players were on Cuba’s world championship team. Mesa is a national idol.

The Cuban government’s Prensa Latina news agency said a Cuban-American, Juan Ignacio Hernandez Nodar, was arrested Aug. 12 at the World Youth Baseball Championship in central Cuba.