Despite the numerous differences between US and Cuba, they do have one thing in common – the love of baseball. Although soccer (more commonly known as futbol) is the most popular sport in the rest of Latin America, baseball is Cuba’s national pastime.

Baseball has been played in Cuba since shortly after baseball was invented in the mid-1800s. In the late 19th century, many in Cuba embraced baseball as a political act against Spanish rule, adopting the forbidden American sport rather than taking up Spanish bullfighting. That turned out to be quite a more ethical decision.

Despite the souring of the relationship with the U.S. after Castro came to power, baseball has remained a patriotic national phenomenon here. Castro, a huge baseball fan, outlawed professional sports in Cuba in the early 1960s and instead created the National Institute of Sports to foster nationwide amateur leagues for athletes to, as Castro put it, “play for the love of people, not money.”  I would opine, that one attitude shows where socialism has a good place in society.

 

Our Cuban guide, David, picked up his son Alberto on the way to the game. Sounds like it was the only way his wife would allow him to go. Somethings are just universal.

Cuban baseball is very similar to the U.S. game and the fields are the same size. Cubans have even made U.S. baseball jargon their own, using English words with a heavy Cuban accent. Homerun is something like “hon-ron,” shortstop is “shor” and hit is pronounced “heet”.

While the rules of the game and jargon are similar, Cuban and American baseball games make for two very different experiences. Cuban stadiums are almost completely void of the commercial signs and advertisement. However patriotic political slogans are displayed instead, like “Sport is the conquest of the Revolution.”

Teams play from November through May and hail from every province. We were lucky enough to attend a game at Estadio Latinoamericano. The stadium seats are made of aging, splintered wood coated in peeling paint. And you can forget about club level. But the seats are filled with screaming, robust fans barking insults to the other side. Of course, we are in Cuba so music becomes part of the sound with each side sporting a ten-piece band that played whenever the other side was up.

I loved how they served espresso at the game from a silver teapot. Of course, everything sold at the game was probably made in someone’s kitchen. There is no FDA or ADA or any As in Cuba.

 

It doesn’t look like Alberto’s team won.