Castro acknowledges defection of 2 key baseball players

HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) - Two players from Cuba's junior baseball team have defected in Edmonton, Canada, former Cuban President Fidel Castro said Thursday.

The defections of starting pitcher Noel Arguelles and shortstop Jose Juvenile - whose batting average is above .500 - occurred before play began in the 23rd World Junior AAA Championship, Castro said in a blog published on www.cubadebate.cu.

Castro, an ardent fan of the game, then detailed how the match went, noting that the replacement shortstop, Yandy Diaz, "played excellently" in the game, which Cuba won.