AT THE HELM
April 1999

I can't say that I'm a great fan of baseball at this stage in my life. I grew up playing Little League and Pony League...even changed my name to Mickey for a while in grade school (to the confusion of my teacher and my parents) because I was a diehard Yankee fan.
         So when I turned on the recent game between the Cuba All Stars and the Baltimore Orioles, I instinctively thought it would be a test of patience to actually watch the game. I knew I'd be fascinated with the live broadcast from Havana, and was miffed that I missed part of the pregame show, but between the shots of Fidel Castro sitting with major league czar Selig and the crowd scenes of 50,000 young and old Cuban citizens doing a Latin "wave" in the stands, I got sucked into what turned out to be an exciting game with some interesting commentary--sportswise and otherwise.
         There was the usual leftover Cold War rhetoric--cheap shots about life in Cuba--but two larger points seem worthy of discussion as the Havana Cup regatta gets set to sail from Tampa Bay to Havana in late May.
         Many Americans (who haven't been to Cuba) are fed images from the mainstream media of unhappy, oppressed, just-waiting-to-leave Cubans. Looking at the baseball-fanatic crowd, you would be hard pressed to connect "oppression" with those smiling, cheering, dancing, singing, flag-waving fans. My point is a bit simplistic, but the live images could not be denied.
         The media was quick to point out, and remind us repeatedly, how the fans were the "handpicked personal friends of Castro." He's got a lot of friends! And, unlike our stuffy and wealthy political leaders who tend to run around (presidents excluded) with other stuffy wealthy folks, the crowd at the stadium showed a broad range of ages, all kinds of dress codes, plenty of women, and skin tones ranging from very light to very dark.
         The stands were filled with "minorities" (by U.S. definitions) enjoying the game. I doubt you'll see a similar cultural representation at one of our special events such as a World Series, Superbowl, or other event to which attendance is restricted by economics or clout (the lack of).
         It is important for Americans to get to know the Cuban people without threats from our own government. The Havana Cup...in a small way...lets that happen. I hope our readers can find a way to visit Cuba and make up their own minds. We don't need millionaire media pundits telling us who's oppressed.