, leading to the argument. "It was a really tough

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If one ripple from the thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations means baseball prospects get off the island and into the major leagues without payoffs to smugglers and threats from kidnappers, its hard to see the downside.Just dont expect too much, too soon. Barely two hours after President Barack Obamas dramatic announcement Wednesday in Washington, both MLB and its players union acknowledged as much in statements.We will keep our clubs informed if this different direction may impact the manner in which they conduct business on issues related to Cuba, MLB said.We remain hopeful that todays announcement will lead to further positive developments, the union said.Lets hope so, considering how few positive developments have occurred before now. There were 25 Cuban-born players in the big leagues this past season, the best of which is arguably Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig. The story of how he finally got there, after four failed attempts to leave Cuba, involved a boat trip, a detour where he was held hostage in a Mexican motel room, repeated extortion threats and crossing the U.S. border illegally.On Tuesday, South Florida businessman Gilberto Suarez pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy to smuggle Puig out in return for a sizable cut of his multimillion-dollar salary.Suarez was the second man this year to enter a guilty plea related to the smuggling of a Cuban baseball player into the U.S. Last month, 41-year-old Eliezer Lazo was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for conspiring to smuggle 1,000 Cubans, among them Texas Rangers outfielder Leonys Martin. Sadly, stories like Puigs unsavoury and sometimes life-threatening journey differs from so many others only in the details.Cuba has been turning out world-class athletes — and not just ballplayers — for more than a century. But since the 1959 revolution, most have stayed put.Track stars and multiple medallists such as Alberto Juantorena and Javier Sotomayor took star turns on the Olympic stage, but never reaped rewards that were commensurate with their talents. So, too, did heavyweights Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon, two of only three boxers to win gold medals at three Olympics and considered among the greatest amateurs ever. But neither turned pro.Stevenson was so smooth that a fight against Muhammad Ali was often hyped and loudly debated when both were near their prime, but never came off. And some boxing observers think Savon, who succeeded Stevenson, was definitely the better of the two.But baseball was the stage where Cubas athletes shined brightest. Its version of the Big Red Machine dominated the international scene from the 1940s on, even as team officials thinned out the ranks for potential defectors and conducted bed checks with a zealousness the Cuban army would have admired.But after back-to-back gold medals in Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) — and a raft of defections in spite of the dangers — the cupboard was nearly empty. The team Cuba brought to Sydney for the 2000 Games was largely the same it had sent to the previous two Olympics, as well as every important international competition in between. It was old by any measure and only three players on the squad were under 25 at the time — young enough to make the risk seem worthwhile. Around the same time, half-brothers and defectors Livan and Orlando El Duque Hernandez were pitching for the Giants and Yankees in preparation for the major league playoffs a month down the road.That Cuban team lost the gold-medal game 4-0 to a U.S. team composed largely of young pro prospects and aging castoffs, and only so much has changed since. Many of the best players, such as Puig, Jose Fernandez and Jose Abreu, still find ways to escape. Most of those establish residency outside the U.S. in order to become free agents not covered by MLBs amateur draft. While that ruse often results in big deals, MLB is already hatching plans to get rid of the exemption and make such players part of an international draft by 2017.Making the flow of ballplayers more orderly and less dangerous would benefit just about everyone in the game. Theres even talk at the moment of MLB teams opening baseball academies in Cuba modeled on similar programs already up and running in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, two nations that are providing a big infusion of talent. But until the leaders of two nations that have spent more than a half-century trying to torment one another prove they can co-operate as well, talk is all it is.___Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org and follow him at Twitter.com/JimLitke. John Miller Jersey . They kicked off the still-going trend of host cities winning the Grey Cup and sent Hall of Fame head coach Wally Buono to the front office a champion. Andre Holmes Jersey . General manager David Poile called signing Ribeiro a great opportunity to add a talented, experienced and creative centre Tuesday when he introduced the veteran at a news conference. Ribeiros contract is worth $1.05 million after being bought out of the final three years of a $22 million contract by the Coyotes recently. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/. Bibeau, Torontos sixth-round pick at No. 172 overall in last years draft, was named the outstanding goaltender of the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup. Eric Wood Jersey . A strong fastball. A big, bending curveball that can buckle hitters at the knees. Against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, Elias put the entire package together against one of the leagues strongest lineups. Bruce Smith Jersey . Then youve got to worry about the other up and coming teams in the two weaker divisions in the "Junior Circuit".ANAHEIM, Calif. - Teemu Selanne managed to make a stir on the first day of the Anaheim Ducks training camp even after his retirement. Coach Bruce Boudreau and Selannes former teammates reacted with disappointment and chuckles Thursday after hearing about Selannes fierce criticism of Boudreau in a new biography published in Finland. Selanne retired at 43 years old last summer following a 21-season NHL career spent mostly in Anaheim. His disagreements with Boudreau about his playing time and role last season were hardly secrets, but Selannes decision to air them in public surprised the Ducks. "Nobody likes hearing anything negative about themselves, so in that sense Im a little disappointed," Boudreau said. "But I understand the frustration." Several media outlets obtained copies of the Finnish book and translated the passages criticizing Boudreaus decisions regarding Selanne, who felt betrayed by his dwindling role in his final season. Selanne, who flirted with retirement for seven consecutive summers, even said he might have played another year if Boudreau wasnt the Ducks coach. Ducks general manager Bob Murray and captain Ryan Getzlaf backed Boudreaus handling of Selannes final season Thursday, saying they were aware of the Finnish Flashs disappointments. "He is such a competitor, and he was frustrated his last year didnt go quite the way he wanted to go, and he was frustrated at the end of the year," Murray said. "Its Teemu being Teemu." Selanne issued a reconciliatory comment through the Ducks on Thursday after his book became a topic of discussion. He apparently worked on the book immediately after the Ducks were eliminated from the second round of the post-season by Los Angeles. "In the book, I tried to explain honestly what happened last year," Selanne said. "In frustration, I made several comments following our Game 7 loss to the Kings that I shouldnt have said. As Ive said many times, Bruce is a nice guy, but we simply had a different view on my role with the Ducks. Im sorry if I hurt Bruce or anyone else. That was not my intent." Boudreau acknowledged he was caught between the wildly popular Selannes opinion of his skills and his own desire to maximize the Ducks scoring in a successful season. Anaheim finished atop the Western Conference before its second-round playoff exit to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Kings. Selanne scored a career-low nine goals in 64 games during his final season, but said he was promised more playing time on the second line and on the power play. His skills still appeared sharpp at the Sochi Olympics, where he was named the tournament MVP while winning a bronze medal as Finlands captain in his sixth games.dddddddddddd Selanne is the 11th-leading goal-scorer in NHL history with 684 goals, and his 1,457 points are 15th. "I was always very cognizant of who he was, what he meant to hockey in California, what hes meant to the Ducks, and he was a great player," Boudreau said. Selanne wrote that he was furious after Boudreau scratched him for Game 4 of the Ducks first-round playoff series against Dallas, leading to a post-practice confrontation on the ice. Boudreau downplayed the incident. "He raised his voice a bit, and all I did was tell him, OK, not so loud," Boudreau said. "Lets talk like men. And then he stopped and he caught himself, because hes an emotional guy." Selannes healthy scratch was extremely unpopular with Ducks fans, but Boudreau said he consulted with Anaheims scouts and other front-office personnel before making the move. Boudreau told Selanne about the scratch a day before the game, leading to the argument. "It was a really tough thing," Boudreau said. "I dont think any coach wants to sit out a superstar." Selanne had two goals and four assists in 12 playoff games. Getzlaf said he was disappointed to hear Selanne had hoped the captain would stick up for him in meetings with Boudreau and the Ducks brass. Getzlaf and Corey Perry frequently teamed with Selanne on the Ducks top power play unit, but not frequently enough for Selannes taste. "Im going to have to talk to him about it as friends," Getzlaf said. "But Teemu had numerous discussions with me last season, and the season before. As a captain, its my job to weed through things that I can go to the coach with, and things that I cant. Teemu doesnt know all the discussions that Ive had about him in the last two years, and theres been many times when Ive went to bat for him, and there are some times when I have to step away and just let the coach and GM make their decision." Selanne and his family still live in Orange County, and the Ducks will retire Selannes No. 8 jersey before a game against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 11. Boudreau, Murray and Getzlaf are confident Selannes gripes wont turn him away from the franchise that made him into a hockey icon. "Im sure Im going to see him again," Boudreau said. 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