USA: BALTIMORE ORIOLES BASEBALL TEAM PREPARE TO PLAY THE NATIONAL CUBAN SIDE IN HISTORIC MATCH DESPITE ANTI CUBAN PROTESTS

Record ID: 483284

  • Title: USA: BALTIMORE ORIOLES BASEBALL TEAM PREPARE TO PLAY THE NATIONAL CUBAN SIDE IN HISTORIC MATCH DESPITE ANTI CUBAN PROTESTS
  • Date: 4th May 1999
  • Summary: BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES (MAY 03, 1999) (REUTERS) 1. CUBAN NATIONAL TEAM WALKING INTO STADIUM 2. CUBAN BASEBALL PLAYER 3. CAMDEN YARD WELCOME SIGN 3. CUBAN TEAM WALKING INTO DUGOUT 4. VARIOUS OF ANTI-CASTRO GROUPS PROTESTING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA, OUTSIDE STADIUM 5. (SOUNDBITE) [English] UNIDENTIFIED
  • Embargoed: 19th May 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA3A9A5Z9NBD0C8NV42P9Z2AB5J
  • Story Text: Amid protests from anti-Castro groups and the
    possibility of some defections, the Baltimore Orioles and the
    Cuban national team prepared for an historic baseball game.

    Cuba's 25-man national team, which lost to the
    Orioles 3-2 in 11 innings at Havana's Latin American Stadium
    on March 28, is hoping for revenge before a sellout crowd at
    Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on Monday
    (May 03).

    The two-game international exhibition series between the
    Orioles and the Cubans has been informally dubbed "baseball
    diplomacy" after the "ping-pong diplomacy" that was used to
    open relations with China two decades ago.

    Amid tight security, hundreds of protesters outside the
    stadium objected to the game, calling for the end to what
    they call human rights abuses in Cuba.

    Some demonstrators held up signs comparing Cuba's
    president Fidel Castro to Hitler and Milosevic.

    "We are bombing Serbia and here we're playing baseball
    with Fidel Castro," said one man.

    Organisers including Orioles owner Peter Angelos hope the
    people-to-people exchange it brings will improve U.S.-Cuban
    relations, currently symbolized by the 37-year-old U.S.

    economic embargo against Havana.

    "We've come to a great sports event....common interests
    have prevailed.," Cuba's National Sports Institute president
    Humberto Rodriguez said through an interpreter at a pregame
    news conference.

    For the Orioles, there's more than national pride on the
    line Monday (May 03) night, as a win could add a small measure
    of luster to a so-far dismal season that sees the Oriole squad
    with the the worst record in the American League.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register