ESPN Search

After an outstanding 17-year career as a player, Moises Alou is finding immediate success as a general manager in the Dominican Republic.

Felix Hernandez will not play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic because there is still a way to go before he completes his contract extension with the Seattle Mariners, according to the player's representative, Octagon agency.

A phone call from Felipe Alou is all it took for Miguel Tejada to change his mind and join the Dominican Republic team in next month's World Baseball Classic.

Right-hander Yadel Marti, Cuba's best pitcher in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, and outfielder Yasser Gomez left the island and are in an unknown location before attempting to reach Dominican Republic to seek an MLB career.

Sammy Sosa, still without an offer to play in the major leagues, will retire from baseball after the next World Baseball Classic, according to published reports.

The Dominican Republic will not participate in the second World Baseball Classic if it is not considered among the sites for one of the three rounds of the tournament, according to team officials.

Even though Japan won the final of the first World Baseball Classic, Cuba was not defeated.

Neither Cuba nor Japan wants to concede anything, not even the name of its starting pitcher for the WBC championship game.

A blister knocked Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon out of the World Baseball Classic semifinal against Cuba on Saturday.

Tom Lasorda still cannot understand what happened to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and doesn't want Cuba to win the tournament.

A bunch of amateurs? Hardly. The Cubans have proven they can compete with -- and beat-- baseball's best.

Despite falling short of their goal, the Dominicans were satisfied with their effort.

Right-hander Francisco Cordero cannot play for the Dominican Republic in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic because he does not carry an insurance that covers his participation in the tournament.

Cuba hopes to host some portion of future World Baseball Classic editions, an idea that sits fine with the Major League Baseball, but also an idea that could face many obstacles.

Gene Orza, the vice president of the players' association, told ESPNdeportes.com that the World Baseball Classic has cost $50 million.

Left-handed reliever Damaso Marte has an injured shoulder and will not pitch again for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.