Cuban pitcher vanishes in Holland

07-04-2009 | AP

Chapman whereabouts are unknown, defection is suspected

Panama Star AMSTERDAM. A Cuban pitcher considered by many baseball scouts to be the No. 1 left-handed prospect in the world left his hotel and vanished before the first ball was thrown at a tournament in the Netherlands, leaving his whereabouts a mystery, a spokesman for the Dutch team recently said.

Aroldis Chapman, a player with a 100 mph fastball, was seen walking through the lobby of his hotel and climbing into a waiting car within an hour of the team's arrival Wednesday for a four-nation tournament, spokesman Loet van Schelbeet said.

The 21-year-old failed to show up Thursday for Cuba's first game in Rotterdam, according to van Schelbeet.

The head of the Cuban delegation, Luis Carton, said he also had no idea where Chapman was.

It was not known whether Chapman was defecting and planning to sign with a major league team.

He would be the most prominent Cuban baseball defector since Jose Contreras left during a tournament in Mexico in 2002.