Ivan Prieto Gonzalez, Team Cuba’s bullpen catcher for the World Baseball Classic, defected in Miami on Monday, a day after his team lost to Team USA in the semifinals at loanDepot Park.

A vendor sells U.S. and Cuban flags outside the stadium before World Baseball Classic game between Cuba and the United States on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Miami.

Cuba’s baseball team won Olympic gold medals in 1992, 1996 and 2004, but mass defections by players have limited the islands’ ability to remain competitive on the international stage.

Cuba Baseball Team’s Visit to Miami Spurs Complicated Emotions Protests are likely, but some cheers are also expected as the team plays a World Baseball Classic semifinal game in the city with ...

MIAMI, FL- March 19, 2023 - A man wearing a Cuban flag bearing the slogan of Patria y Vida walks towards the entrance of loanDepot Park prior to the baseball game between Cuba and the United States.

Baseball is the premier sport in Cuba, but the talent and competition there has waned in recent years as hundreds of players have defected from the country to play elsewhere.

MIAMI — Until Sunday, the Cuban national baseball team had not played here since Fidel Castro rose to power in 1959. The island’s signature team has played in the United States in the decades ...

Sunday was the first time Team Cuba has played baseball in Miami, and that was met with a lot of protesters at loanDepot Park. One ran onto the field with a flag that read "Libertad Para Los ...

Cuba's baseball team won Olympic gold medals in 1992, 1996 and 2004, but mass defections by players have limited the islands’ ability to remain competitive on the international stage.

A breakaway team of Cuban players who defected from the country had their club debut delayed this week when the Colombian government canceled a tournament there. Players with the Cuban ...