The uncertain future of baseball in Cuba

By Osmany Sánchez

From La Joven Cuba (The Young Cuba)

MATANZAS – Since late November, Matanzas has lived and breathed baseball. For the first time in almost 20 years, Victoria de Girón Stadium is filled at every game played by the local team. The children imitate the province’s ballplayers and we see a greater presence of young boys in the “mini-baseball” area, where new generations of Matanzas ballplayers are nurtured.

In Cuba, baseball – “la pelota” – is a passion. The performances of the Matanzas team are reflected in the province’s socioeconomic life. On the buses, on the waiting queues, in the sports clubs, in the classrooms, everywhere, the topic of conversation is baseball. Someone told me that in the glory days of the Henequeros team, the results of its games led to increases in industrial and farming productivity in the province.

We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that any decisions made regarding this sport also have a political connotation. A few days ago, I read that, during a meeting in Cuba with Ricardo Fraccari, president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) there was talk – for the first time – that Cuba might be willing to study the topic of the ballplayers who have left the country and currently play in the Major Leagues and other professional leagues.
No details were given about the issues to be discussed in such a “conversation” or when it might take place, but the mere fact that the possibility is being considered is already something positive.

Although broaching the issue with the Major Leagues is something new, it is not the first time that Cuban ballplayers have expressed the need to book players in professional leagues. This would undoubtedly help the training of those players and be an important source of revenue for the nation’s economy.

Víctor Mesa, director of the Matanzas team, and [national team infielder] Yuliesky Gourriel are some of the people who have broached the issue. In an interview with the magazine Bohemia, Yuliesky said that he would like to play in other leagues during the off-season months.

Through the television news, I’ve learned that meetings are being held in all the provinces between baseball leaders and the specialized media to discuss the future of the national sport. According to Julita Osendi, there was talk of “stimulating” the ballplayers and the best teams in the series, among other things. Debating the issues is fine, but if that debate were brought before the people, the outcome would be a lot better. We could begin with the sports clubs, for example.

In recent months, important transformations have occurred in Cuba. Many of the decisions made would have been unthinkable in the past, yet the leaders of the Revolution have been attune to the historical moment and have changed everything that needs to be changed, without mortgaging the future of our country.

In sports, however, we’re dragging behind. It is true that creating a sports figure takes time and costs money, but so does creating a painter, an actor or a musician, and it’s now routine to see them spend entire seasons overseas, performing under contract, and later return to be cheered on TV programs or in public squares.

I have said before that Cuba must book sports figures (not only baseball players) into professional leagues, which will result in better seasoning for them and greater revenues for the nation’s economy. Many athletes, such as volleyball players, spend the whole year training in the national school, only to take up international commitments with other national teams at a clear disadvantage.

A huge majority of our athletes have demonstrated that they are faithful to their people and their sport, which is why, despite insistent offers, they have not left the country to go to other leagues where they would earn a lot more money. That’s true, but it’s also true that, at this time, Cubans are being asked to earn their money in an honest manner.

There is no correlation between the effort made by the athletes – who rise early every morning, train all day and spend most of the time away from their families – and the wages they receive. True, social recognition is important, but it doesn’t pay for house repairs or help the family get along.

This is undoubtedly a touchy subject, but others that are just as delicate have been broached head-on, in a well-thought-out manner, and the results are palpable.