1999 Baltimore Orioles–Cuba national baseball team exhibition series

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1999 Baltimore Orioles–Cuba national baseball team exhibition series
stickball in Havana, 1999
Team (Wins) Manager(s)
Cuba (1)
Baltimore Orioles (1) Ray Miller
DatesMarch 28, 1999 (1999-03-28)
May 3, 1999 (1999-05-03)
VenueHavana: Estadio Latinoamericano
Baltimore: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Broadcast
TelevisionESPN (United States)
TV announcersJon Miller, Joe Morgan

The 1999 Baltimore Orioles – Cuba national baseball team exhibition series consisted of two exhibition games played between the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Cuba national baseball team on March 28 and May 3, 1999. The first game took place in Havana, while the second was held in Baltimore. This series marked the first time that the Cuba national team had faced a squad composed solely of major league players and the close of the hiatus since 1959 that an MLB team played in Cuba.

In the 1990s, Orioles' owner Peter Angelos lobbied the United States federal government to gain permission to hold this series for three years. Various politicians, including members of the United States House of Representatives, opposed the idea and attempted to block the series. Eventually, Angelos secured the approval in 1999, after a change in United States foreign policy to Cuba under President Bill Clinton, which eased travel restrictions and increased cultural exchange.

The Orioles won the first game, which was held in Havana, by a score of 3–2 in extra innings. The Cuba national team defeated the Orioles 12–6 in the second game, which was held in Baltimore. The series introduced José Contreras to the American baseball audience; Contreras defected from Cuba in 2002 to pitch in MLB. The United States and Cuba now compete with each other and other nations in the World Baseball Classic.

Background

The Cuban Revolution led to the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, an ally of the United States, in 1959. Fidel Castro severed Cuba's formerly strong ties with the United States. The United States soon instituted an embargo against Cuba, which has made it illegal for United States corporations to enter into business with Cuba. The Baltimore Orioles, who were slated to hold a 1960 exhibition series against the Cincinnati Reds in Havana, moved the games to Miami, Florida.[1]

No

US-China relations; however, this was blocked by the United States Department of State.[3]

In the 1980s,

1994-95 MLB strike, but could not secure an antitrust exemption.[4]

In 1996,

United States Government to permit a series. United States Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen wrote to the State Department, asking that the series be prevented.[5] The United States Department of the Treasury denied Angelos' request on the grounds that American money may not be spent in Cuba under the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917.[6]

In January 1999,

Robert Menendez, Dan Burton, Lincoln Díaz-Balart, and Rick Lazio, lobbied Fehr to try to block the series.[11]

Ongoing negotiations through March

Cuban Government, it was agreed that proceeds would fund baseball programs in Cuba.[14]

The series created a good deal of criticism, especially among the

Cuban American community. MLB umpire Rich Garcia, who is of Cuban descent, opposed the series.[14] MLB umpires filed a grievance against MLB attempting to block them from being sent to umpire the game in Cuba,[15] and refused to officiate the game in Baltimore.[16] The Cuban American National Foundation protested the series.[12] Former US diplomat Otto Reich likened the baseball match in Havana to the notion of playing soccer at Auschwitz and also the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, dismissing it as a propaganda ploy by the Cuban government.[17]

Games

Game one

Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana hosted the first game of the series on March 28, 1999.

Game one took place at

Conrado Marrero threw out the first pitch.[21] The game was televised in the U.S. by ESPN with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan announcing.[22]

Orioles' starting pitcher Scott Erickson allowed one run on five hits in seven innings pitched. Cuba starter José Ibar allowed a home run to Charles Johnson and was relieved in the third inning by José Contreras. Contreras pitched eight innings without allowing a run. Orioles' manager Ray Miller brought in his closer, Mike Timlin, in the eighth inning. This backfired, as Omar Linares tied the game for Cuba with a run batted in single.[19]

Tied after nine innings, the game went into extra innings. Cuba had two runners on base in the 10th inning, but Mike Fetters retired Cuba without allowing a run. The Orioles won the game when Harold Baines hit a single off of Pedro Luis Lazo that scored Will Clark with the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning. Jesse Orosco recorded the final three outs in the bottom of the 11th, as the Orioles won by a score of 3–2.[19]

Line score[23]
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
Baltimore Orioles 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 6 0
Cuba National Baseball Team 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 10 0
WP: Mike Fetters   LP: Pedro Luis Lazo   Sv: Jesse Orosco
Home runs:
BAL: Charles Johnson
CUB: None
Box score[23]

Game two

The second game of the series took place at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on May 3, 1999. This photo depicts the stadium in 2008.

The second game was held at

leaflets over Estadio Latinoamericano during the first game.[27]

The start of the game was

disabled list at the time, allowed four runs in the second inning to give Cuba the lead.[28]

Norge Luis Vera entered the game for Cuba in the third inning and pitched 6+2⁄3 innings in relief without allowing a hit, retiring 20 of the first 22 batters he faced. His hitless streak ended when he allowed a home run to Delino DeShields in the ninth inning.[28] Gabe Molina, who had made his MLB debut on May 1, allowed Cuba to score five runs in the ninth inning, including a three-run home run hit by Andy Morales. The Cuba national team defeated the Orioles 12–6.[25]

minor leagues the day prior, committed three errors.[25]

Linescore[29]
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cuba National Baseball Team 0 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 12 18 1
Baltimore Orioles 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 6 3
WP: Norge Luis Vera   LP: Scott Kamieniecki
Home runs:
CUB: Andy Morales
Home: Delino DeShields
Box score[29]

Aftermath

Rigoberto Herrera, a retired Cuba national team member, accompanied the Cuba delegation, defected to the United States during the visit. Six retired players overslept the day after the game in Baltimore and missed their flight back to Cuba, but no other members of the delegation defected.[26]

José Contreras pitching for the Chicago White Sox in 2008

To discourage defections during the exhibition in Baltimore, Cuba maintained strict security around their young players, not allowing

sports agents to speak with them.[26] Though no active Cuba players defected during the trip to Baltimore, members of the Cuba national team did defect in the years following the series. Andy Morales defected in 2000.[30] Contreras, who was considered Cuba's best pitcher, gained international fame after the series and defected from Cuba in 2002.[31] Nelson Díaz, a Cuban umpire who officiated the game in Baltimore, defected from Cuba to the United States in 2009.[32]

MLB and the Major League Umpires Association engaged in a dispute regarding the amount of pay owed to umpires for officiating the game that took place in Baltimore. This was one factor that led to the mass resignation of MLB umpires that took place on September 2, 1999.[33]

In 2000, Syd Thrift, the Orioles' general manager, told The Washington Times that the team had a practice of not signing players who had defected from Cuba, which he attributed to Angelos' desire to avoid doing "anything that could be interpreted as being disrespectful or ... encouraging players to defect". Investigations by Major League Baseball and the United States Department of Justice did not find evidence that the absence of Cuban players on the Orioles' roster or in its minor league system was due to discrimination.[34][35]

The Cuba national team next played in the United States during the 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC). President George W. Bush attempted to prevent the Cuba team from participating in the tournament, but other nations promised to withdraw if Cuba was barred.[36] The next American team to travel to Cuba was the Tampa Bay Rays, which played an exhibition against the Cuba national team in March 2016.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Orioles Move Havana Exhibitions to Miami: Cuban Sports Writers Irked Over Shift of Three-Game Series With Cincinnati". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. March 29, 1960. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  2. ^ "Baltimore Orioles beat Cuba all-stars". CBC News. March 3, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  3. Daytona Beach Morning Journal
    . Associated Press. May 10, 1975. p. 7A. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Ginsburg, David (May 2, 1999). "Angelos 'Dominant' Force Behind Cuba-Orioles Series". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  5. ^ "Official opposes Orioles plan to visit Cuba". Rome News-Tribune. April 3, 1997. p. 2-B. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  6. Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    . Associated Press. April 4, 1997. p. 6.C. Retrieved March 15, 2013. (subscription required)
  7. ^ "Orioles owner planning exhibitions with Cubans". San Antonio Express-News. Associated Press. January 18, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013. (subscription required)
  8. ^ "Angelos wants Clinton's help to save Orioles-Cuba games". The Augusta Chronicle. Associated Press. January 29, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  9. ^ Schmuck, Peter (January 10, 1999). "O's-Cuba exhibition needs to fly for charity's sake". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Chass, Murray (March 15, 1999). "Baseball: Spring Training – Baltimore-Cuba; Game 2 of Series Set for May 3". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  11. ^ "Congress Calls On Fehr About O's-cuba Game". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 5, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c Calvo, Dana (March 6, 1999). "Baltimore Scrambles To Finalize Games With Cuba". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  13. ^ Chass, Murray (March 7, 1999). "Baseball; Deal Is Finally Worked Out For Orioles-Cuba Exhibition". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Cuba-Orioles matchup a game of political hardball". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. March 26, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  15. ^ "Umpires strike back". The Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. March 13, 1999. p. C2. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  16. ^ "Umpires to strike out over Orioles-Cuba game". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. April 22, 1999. p. C3. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  17. ^ "Castro's Shadow". The New Yorker. October 7, 2002.
  18. St. Petersburg Times
    . March 27, 1999. p. 5.C. Retrieved March 15, 2013. (subscription required)
  19. ^ a b c d Justice, Richard (March 29, 1999). "Orioles Leave Cuba With a Win". The Washington Post. p. D1. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  20. ^ "Baltimore students join Orioles for Cuba trip". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Associated Press. March 25, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  21. ^ Bjarkman, Peter C. (April 18, 2010). "Connie Marrero Still Strong at 99". Baseballdecuba.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  22. ^ Mushnick, Phil (March 29, 1999). "ESPN O-SO-GOOD IN CUBA – MILLER, MORGAN DON'T LET FIDEL DICTATE COVERAGE; ESPN COVERS ALL BASES AT ORIOLES-CUBA GAME". New York Post.
  23. ^ a b "Box Score: Baltimore Orioles at Cuba". CNN Sports Illustrated. March 28, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  24. ^ Gibson, William E.; Lorente, Rafael; Calvo, Dana (May 3, 1999). "Cuba, Orioles Take The Field In Game Filled With Intrigue". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  25. ^ a b c Justice, Richard (May 4, 1999). "Orioles Get Smoked by Cubans, 12–6". The Washington Post. p. D1. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  26. ^ a b c d Calvo, Dana; Lorente, Rafael (May 5, 1999). "Castro Welcomes Stars Home". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  27. ^ "MLB asks for restrictions during Cuba-Orioles game in Baltimore". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Associated Press. April 24, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  28. ^ a b c "Exhibition Baseball Recap (Cuban All-Stars–Baltimore". Sports Illustrated. May 4, 1999. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  29. ^ a b Granillo, Larry (March 5, 2013). "Wezen-Ball: When Cuba Stomped the Orioles". Baseball Prospectus. Retrieved March 15, 2013. (subscription required)
  30. ^ Beaton, Rod (July 21, 2000). "One sure thing is Cuba's Morales will get offers". USA Today. Retrieved March 23, 2013. (subscription required)
  31. ^ "Baseball: Roundup; Cuban Defector Wants to Pitch In Majors". The New York Times. October 11, 2002. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  32. ^ "Report: Top Cuban umpire Nelson Diaz defects to U.S." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. November 30, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  33. ^ Chass, Murray (July 15, 1999). "Baseball; Umpires Threaten To Quit On Sept. 2". The New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  34. ^ "Bud passes the buck on Cuba". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. July 16, 2003. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  35. ^ "Probe of Orioles finds no violations". The Washington Times. August 17, 2001. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  36. ^ Chass, Murray (March 20, 2006). "Stars Are Mostly Gone, Save the One on Cuba's Flag". The New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  37. ^ Waldstein, David (March 20, 2016). "When M.L.B. Broke the Ice With a Game in Havana". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
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