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SPORTSTuesday 9 February 2016
Top Cuban player slips away with brother to join U.S. majors
DIONISIO SOLDEVILA
Associated Press
SANTO DOMINGO, Domini-
can Republic (AP) — Star
Cuban infielder Yulieski
Gourriel and his younger
brother slipped away from
their hotel in the Domini-
can Republic early Mon-
day in an apparent effort
to launch careers in Major
League Baseball.
The departure of Yulieski
and his brother Loudes was
confirmed by Granma, the
Communist Party newspa-
per in Cuba that serves as
an outlet for official gov-
ernment statements.
The paper said on its web-
site Monday morning that
the Gourriel brothers had
“abandoned” their hotel
in “an open attitude of sur-
render to the merchants of
professional baseball for
profit.”
The elder Yulieski has been
one of the Cuban players
most highly praised by MLB
scouts since he played in
his first World Baseball Clas-
sic in 2006. His brother also
is considered a good pros-
pect.
His departure was a blow
not just to the effort to
keep talented players from
fleeing overseas but to
NHL Roundup
Ovechkin reaches rare milestone as Caps down Flyers
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Washington’s Alex Ovech-
kin became the third play-
er in NHL history to reach
30 goals in each of his first
11 seasons as the Capitals
beat the Philadelphia Fly-
ers 3-2 on Sunday.
Ovechkin joined Wayne
Gretzky and Mike Gartner
in the record books and
moved within two goals of
Chicago’s Patrick Kane for
the league lead. Dmitry Or-
lov and Matt Niskanen also
scored for Washington.
Braden Holtby was stellar
in net, especially on the
penalty kill, as he improved
to 3-0-0 in the second half
of back-to-back starts
this season. It didn’t mat-
ter that Washington went
0 for 2 on the power play
to extend its season-worst
drought to 0 for 17.
Michael Del Zotto and Nick
In this July 19, 2013 file photo, Cuba third baseman Yulieski “Nobody was expecting
Gourriel warms up prior to an exhibition baseball game against this,” Sene said. Since the
the United States in Papillion, Neb. start of the flight of Cuban
players more than a de-
Associated Press cade ago, “there hasn’t
been a departure that’s hit
thesport overall on the is- said Ismael Sene, a Cuban baseball as hard as this,”
land given his prominence, baseball historian. he said.
Cuban sports officials con-
tacted Dominican police
for help in locating the
31-year-old Yulieski and his
younger brother, Lourdes,
said a baseball official,
who spoke to The Associ-
ated Press on the condition
of anonymity because he
was not authorized to dis-
cuss the issue.
The brothers did not pub-
licly disclose their plans and jured and needed to recu-
were in the Dominican Re-
public to play for the Ciego
de Avila Tigers, who lost to
a Mexican team Saturday
and were eliminated
In the past, Cuban players
have established residency
in the Dominican Republic
in order to become free
agents and not be subject
to Major League Baseball’s
amateur draft.
Yulieski Gourriel’s depar-
ture from Cuba is a defeat
for the country’s attempt
to prevent flight of baseball
talent by allowing players
to sign professional con-
Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (19), of Sweden, nal attempt, to secure the
is upended as he battles for the puck against Philadelphia Fly- win.
ers center Nick Cousins, right, during the third period of an NHL Max Pacioretty scored in
hockey game, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, in Washington. regulation for Montreal,
which swept a pair of week-
Associated Press end afternoon games after
beating Edmonton 5-1 on
Schultz scored for Philadel- round shootout, leading Saturday.
phia. the Montreal Canadiens Jeff Skinner scored for Car-
CANADIENS 2, HURRICANES past the Carolina Hurri- olina.
1 canes. ISLANDERS 8, OILERS 1
MONTREAL (AP) — Sven Ben Scrivens stopped all NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle
Andrighetto was the only five Carolina shooters, in- Okposo scored a hat trick
player to score in a five- cluding Eric Staal on the fi- after the Islanders opened
a commanding early lead
with three first-period goals
as New York routed the last-
place Edmonton Oilers.
Thomas Greiss made 30
saves for the Islanders, who
moved within three points
tracts with leagues in third
countries such as Mexico
and Japan.
Gourriel was the most
prominent example of the
experiment that began
in 2013, making $1 million
playing for the Yokohama
Dena Baystars, then return-
ing to play a season with his
pro team in Havana. After
accounting for Japanese
taxes, he paid 10 percent
to Cuba’s baseball fed-
eration (which acted as his
agent).
The Japanese team can-
celed his contract last
spring after saying Gourriel
had told them he was in-
perate in Cuba.
Cuban and U.S. baseball
officials are working to cre-
ate a legal framework for
Cuban residents to join
the major leagues, but for
the moment both Cuban
law and U.S. law contain
restrictions that make it im-
possible.
Cuban baseball experts
say more than 200 adult
players have left over the
last two years, with many
more junior players head-
ing to other countries in
hopes of an eventual ma-
jor-league career.q
of the Rangers for second-
place in the Metropolitan
Division.
Johnny Boychuk, John Ta-
vares and Nikolay Kulemin
scored in the opening pe-
riod, chasing former Island-
ers goalie Anders Nilsson,
who was replaced by Cam
Talbot after Kulemin’s goal.
Josh Bailey and Cal Clutter-
buck also scored for New
York.
Oilers rookie sensation Con-
nor McDavid scored the
lone goal for Edmonton.
In other NHL games it was
Montreal 2, Carolina 1, SO;
Washington 3, Philadelphia
2; and N.Y. Islanders 8, Ed-
monton 1.q