Top Cuban Lefty Defects
Posted by Philip Riccobono at 2 July, at 19 : 00 PM Print
Courtesy Associated Press – July 2, 2009 8:03 PM ET
A top Cuban pitching prospect with a 100 mph fastball has defected from the national team while playing in a tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
ESPN The Magazine reports that several unidentified sources confirmed that Aroldis Chapman walked out of his hotel room and did not return.
Champman’s defection was first reported on the Spanish-language Web site cubaencuentro.com. He told the site that he was in Europe, but refused to reveal his location.
A source told ESPN that Chapman was scheduled to fly to Miami on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Chapman is considered by many scouts to be the No. 1 left-handed prospect in the world. He would be the most prominent Cuban baseball defector since Jose Contreras left during a tournament in Mexico in 2002.
Related Posts
-
17 November at 11 : 40 AM 0
Chris Chapman: Las Vegas Sports Radio Personality
-
28 October at 12 : 37 PM 0
Women in baseball: Cambodia's national team coach rescues young human trafficking victims
-
31 May at 11 : 30 AM 4
Podcast 3.1: Paul Tanner #Japan #basballcards
-
26 November at 17 : 17 PM 0
Podcast 2.5: #Yonhap @Jeeho_1 lends a hand to @JoeyJung42