Cubans eye team for Baseball Classic

MIAMI, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Cuban exile baseball players called a Miami meeting Thursday to talk about forming a team for the World Baseball Classic.

First, they must form an association if they want to get into the March competition. The Cubans' bid was rejected last week by MLB, because the rules require teams to be represented by a national baseball federation, the Miami Herald said.

The meeting was called by U.S. Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart, R-Fla., who's leading the fight on the national level.

At least 80 members of Congress have signed letters to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary John Snow, urging them not to take international politics onto the ball field and to allow the Cuba team to play.