The Cuban Baseball Thing

Since I started writing this blog my mind has been finding more and more things associated with Cuba in the world around me.  The other day I was watching a baseball game, the last ALCS game between the Yankees and the Angeles, and realized that baseball is a big part of the “Cuban Thing“.

Baseball may be America’s past time, but it is part of the soul of Cuba.  Cuban boys, just like American boys, dream of becoming Major League baseball players.  Those dreams however, were crushed by the Revolution and the ensuing restrictions emposed on Cuba.  If not for these circumstances more than likely almost every professional baseball player in the major leagues today would be Cuban.

That’s right!  If normal political relations with Cuba would have remained the same, almost every baseball player in the Majors would be Cuban.  Baseball is a Cuban Thing.  Its part of being Cuban.  Think about it.  Ever since the start of organized baseball there has been at least one player from every state of the union and from forty five countries around the world.  Of those forty five countries Cuba has had 156 players in the Majors.

Rafael Almeida and Armando Marsans were the first Cuban baseball players to reach the Major Leagues.  They signed with the Cininnati Red Legs in 1911.  In that decade nine other Cuban players came to the Majors.  It wasn’t till the 50’s and 60’s, the time of Cuba’s turmoil, that the greatest number of players made the trek.  In those two decades over sixty players left Cuba to play in the US.

The numbers dwindled during the dark period of the 80’s and 90’s, but with the turn of the century and with better communication annd Cuba’s youth becoming more enlighten, 21 Cuban players have thus far sought asilum so they could play their beloved game.  In 2009 the Alanta Braves signed Barbaro Carnizares as the latest Cuban to enter the Majors.

My interest in baseball has waned in the last few years.  The players strike and the enormous salraies being asked for today have been a big turn off for me.  Baseball today is a business.  But when I was a kid back in the 50’s it was still a game.  I was a big Yankee fan back then.  The yanks didn’t have any Cuban players on their team, but there were many other teams that did.

I would hate when the White Soxs and the Twins would come to town. The Twins were a Cuban powerhouse back then with players like Camilo Pascual and Tony Oliva.  And the White Soxs had Minnie Minoso.  Minoso could play just about any position including pitcher.  In fact he was one of only two players in major league history to play in five separate decades.  Another great player of that time was Luis Tiant of the Boston Red Soxs.

The names of other Cuban players of that era don’t stand out as much but I’m sure their talent stood out to the scouts that brought them to the teams they played for.  Talent scouts will again have an opportunity in finding great talent when travel restrictions are lifted to Cuba.  A busy season is just ahead for as this baseball season ends Cuba’s season is just begining.

Of course I may be exaggerating a bit when I say that most baseball players today would be Cuban if relations with cuba were normal.  But the political barriers are coming down.  Thanks to such things as the internet the young people of Cuba are more aware of the world and the freedoms they have been denied.  There will be more talented Cuban players knocking on the door of Major League Baseball and they are bringing the Cuban Thing back to baseball.