Cuba Athletics

Late in the wrestling match Monday night between Brad Penrith of the United States and Alejandro Puerto of Cuba, the crowd in the open-air Mariposa Gym directed a chant, in Spanish, "Back-stabber! Back-stabber!" at the Latin American referee. Cuban fans could not believe that Puerto, the world champion in the 57-kilogram weight class, was being beaten by a wrestler in his first major international competition.

Javier Sotomayor, the only high jumper to clear eight feet, apparently is out of the Sydney Olympics after his suspension Tuesday for using cocaine. Cuban authorities said they would fight the ruling by an arbitration panel of the IAAF, track and field's world governing federation, which said Sotomayor committed a drug violation at last year's Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, and banned him until July 31, 2001.

Cuban President Fidel Castro, in an interview with NBC News, justified Cuba's boycott of the Summer Games in South Korea, saying "it was a question of principles" and referring to North Korea's failed attempt to co-host the games. "To have the Olympics in Seoul would be like having them at the Guantanamo naval base occupied by the United States.

America, the beautiful. Two sad-eyed Cubans sat in a Beverly Hills law office Tuesday and thanked the Dodgers for smuggling them out of their impoverished country and giving them a chance to play professional baseball. Then they ripped the Dodgers for not allowing them to make more money doing it. Across town, the Dodgers sat quietly in their Chavez Ravine offices after having been punished for smuggling the Cubans out without allowing them to try out for all major league teams.

Ty Griffin is a reluctant leadoff batter from Georgia Tech who would rather be known as a power hitter. He was one Saturday, when he hit two home runs, including one with a man on base in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the United States a 6-4 victory over Cuba.

While thunder rattled the arena roof, Cuban boxers won three more gold medals at what was supposed to be the most competitive Olympic Games boxing tournament since 1976. On the final day of competition, the Cubans won three of their four gold-medal bouts to finish the Games with seven golds and two silvers, easily the best boxing performance ever at a non-boycotted Olympics. The U.S.

The United States picked up a gold medal and a salute from Cuban President Fidel Castro on Sunday. Mike Herbert, of Rogers, Ark., won the kayak 1,000-meter singles, beating Angel Perez of Cuba, who won three gold medals on Saturday. Castro presented Herbert's gold medal, and delivered a military salute when the American flag was hoisted. Castro stood at attention in his olive green fatigues, his right hand raised to the bill of his cap, but Herbert didn't see it.

Among the 1,500 or so spectators watching Cuba's powerful baseball team beat the stuffing out of Venezuela here Friday were a couple of working stiffs named John Keenan and Glenn Van Proyen. They are scouts for the Dodgers, and they agreed that the Cuban ballplayers who have been beating the United States at its own game in recent years are everything they're cracked up to be.

There were fireworks inside the Hoosier Dame Sunday night at the Pan American Games Closing Ceremony Celebracion, an event fraught with controversy from the start. Originally scheduled to be held outdoors at American Legion Mall, the site was changed when the Legion objected to the inclusion of the Communist Cubans. Then there was the flap over using musicians who were Cuban refugees and threats of a boycott. But the Miami Sound Machine did play at the Celebracion .

A group of Indianapolis civic leaders criticized anti-Castro demonstrators, Cubans for Independence and Democracy (CID) in particular, for their attempts to disrupt the Pan American Games. "This ungracious and unsportsmanlike conduct creates tensions that open the door to violence, and is offensive to the warm Hoosier welcome our citizens have given to all athletes, including the Cuban teams," attorney Eric L.

Major league baseball's policy regarding Cuban players is two-pronged: * Clubs are not allowed to scout, sign or negotiate with players in any country they cannot enter and do business. * Native players can be scouted at any location outside their country "so long as all clubs have access to scout those players."

The Baltimore Orioles knew the Cuban players could hit hard. What they didn't know was that the Cuban second base umpire could hit, too. The umpire, Cesar Valdez, body-slammed and punched an anti-Castro demonstrator in shallow center field Monday night as the Cuban all-star team embarrassed the Orioles, 12-6. Omar Linares and Danel Castro each had four hits, and Andy Morales spread his arms wide as he steamed around the bases after a three-run homer in the ninth inning.

While refusing to discuss details of an investigation into allegations by two Cuban minor leaguers that they were signed illegally by the Dodgers, a leading baseball official said Monday that the industry has to be increasingly vigilant in signing foreign players and recommended a worldwide draft as a way to curb possible abuses.

They played Latin music over the public address system, served black beans and rice at Boog's Bar-B-Q Pit and even staged a Cuban festival behind the bullpen area. There were also dozens of uniformed police positioned throughout the ballpark, just like in Havana. The Baltimore Orioles did virtually everything possible to make the Cuban baseball team feel at home Monday night. The one thing no one could control, however, was the weather. It was downright chilly at Camden Yards. Wet too.

Cuba's national baseball team arrived in Baltimore on Sunday night too late to practice because of visa problems that delayed its departure, but in time to be greeted at the airport by Oriole owner Peter Angelos, Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke and baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. Angelos, on his way to a secluded area where he met the players, was asked who would win tonight's rematch between the Orioles and the Cubans. "Well, we'll see tomorrow," he said.

The half- crazed band of boosters with painted faces, cowbells and ancient trombones belted out the rhythm from the lower deck, while five cheerleaders in black Lycra cocktail dresses and 8-inch heels did a wild guaguanco dance atop the first-base dugout. Air horns powered by rusty Russian compressors split the air. Vendors peddled coffee in thimble-sized paper cups.

All was quiet on the Western front of Indianapolis Saturday, in the wake of Friday night's Pan American Games ruckus between an anti-Cuban group and the Cuban boxing team. The incident that occurred late in the boxing program was apparently triggered by members of the Movement for Democratic Cuba (CID), who taunted Cuban boxers and tore up a Cuban flag. Cuban boxers raced into the stands and, according to members of the press in attendance, threw some of the best punches of the night.

OK, world. You wanted it, you've got it. NBA stars make their Olympic debut as the '92 U.S. team laid waste to Cuba, 136-57, Sunday in the Tournament of the Americas, breaking the U.S. record for victory margin. "As we say in Cuba," said Coach Miguel Calderon smiling, "you cannot cover the sun with your finger." Honored to be first in line for piecemeal destruction, the Cubans even asked the U.S. players and coaches to pose with them for a group picture before the opening tip.

The Cuban team the Baltimore Orioles will face in Havana today will feature power pitchers and speedy baserunners but will be lacking some of the island's best power hitters, according to the 27-man roster the island's sports ministry released last week. "Our team will be very fast, with a tactical stress on using speed for offense, as well as fast pitchers," senior Cuban baseball official Benito Camacho said.