Cubans came close, but no cigar 
in revolutionary game in Cuba.

March 28, 1999 -- The Cuban baseball fans have been waiting a long time for the return of Major League Baseball in Cuba and it finally arrived on March 28th when the Baltimore Orioles met the Cuban All-Stars. "Forty years, we've been waiting for this," said Suarez, a long-time baseball fan. "It is a big moment. I wish it happened a long time ago, but who am I?" One doesn't have to go far in that beautiful island ruled by Fidel Castro to find people talking about enduring passion of baseball. Over 50,000 people of all ages packed el Estadio Latinoamericano for nine innings of baseball against the Baltimore Orioles.

The players were on the field warming up and out of nowhere came a loud cheer, "Fidel, Fidel". Fidel Castro had walked onto the field like he owned the place, straight, tall and firm. He came to greet the Baltimore Orioles and shook everyone's hand. Albert Belle, Brady Anderson, Manager Ray Miller and others quickly surrounded the 73 year old leader curious to get an up-close look at him in his combat fatigues. Castro told the Orioles' players through an interrupter "This is a good baseball town, and not to worry you're playing in front of the greatest baseball fans in the world". Since there's no such thing as luxury boxes in Estadio Latinoamericano, Fidel Castro took the next best seat. A front row seat directly behind home plate and sandwiched between baseball commissioner Bud Selig and Orioles' owner Peter Angelos.

Major League teams once visited Cuba regularly, but this was the first game since the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds played in March of 1959.

In the first inning, Cuba threatened but was thwarted by Baltimore's defense. Luis Ulacia was thrown out by Belle trying to stretch a single to right, and Jose Estrado was cut down at the plate trying to score on an infield grounder.

Baltimore went up 2-0 in the second when B.J. Surhoff got a leadoff single and Johnson drove a pitch from Jose Ibar over the left-field wall. Ibar, who went 18-2 this season, was given the quick hook after hitting Anderson with a pitch opening the third.

The game remained 2-0 until Roberquis Videaux hit an RBI single in the seventh off tough Scott Erickson. In the eighth, Erickson departed, Jose Estrada hit a leadoff double and Omar Linares, Cuba's most renowned player, singled in the tying run. The game went into extra innings and the crowd at Estado Latinoamericano is at a frenzy. It got even louder in the bottom of the 10th when Cuba had two on and Linares up with two outs, the crowd started chanting "Se-Va!" Linares swung hard, but hit a towering fly to short.

In the 11th, the 40 year old veteran Harold Baines drove a single to left and scored Will Clark from second. The Cuban had one more chance but Orioles backup second baseman Jesse Garcia made his second straight nice pickup of a grounder to give the Orioles a 3-2 win. Game over!

Even though, the tough Cuban All-Stars lost the game, they did a lot better than many Americans expected, out-hitting the Orioles 10-6. "I'm not sure I see enough power," Orioles manager Ray Miller said, "but I certainly see enough pitching." Cuban Pitcher Jose Contreras, the most sparkling of several Cubans who showed they could compete at a major league level, allowed two hits in eight shutout innings in relief of starter Jose Ibar, struck out 10 and fanning Albert Belle.

Note: These teams are literally from two different worlds. The Orioles have a projected payroll of about $80 million while the Cuban All-Stars earn an average of $10 a month.

Box Score

BALTIMORE (3) AT CUBA (2) FINAL IN 11 INNINGS.

 BALTIMORE       AB  R  H BI   CUBA            AB  R  H BI
 B ANDERSON CF    4  0  1  0   ESTRADA CF       4  1  1  0
 BORDICK SS       5  0  1  0   ULACIA LF        4  0  3  0
 CLARK 1B         3  1  1  0   DUENAS 2B        5  0  0  0
 BELLE RF         5  0  0  0   LINARES 3B       5  0  1  1
 SURHOFF LF       3  1  1  0   MORALES DH       5  1  2  0
 BAINES DH        5  0  1  1   CHAPELLI 1B      4  0  1  0
 W OTANEZ 3B      3  0  0  0   DIAZ PR          0  0  0  0
 GARCIA 2B        1  0  0  0   VIDEAUX RF       5  0  1  1
 C JOHNSON C      4  1  1  2   MANRIQUE C       2  0  0  0
 REBOULET 2B      3  0  0  0   CARDENAS PH      1  0  0  0
                               PESTANO C        2  0  0  0
                               MORENO SS        2  0  0  0
                               MACHADO PH       1  0  0  0
                               CASTRO SS        1  0  1  0
 TOTALS          36  3  6  3   TOTALS          41  2 10  2
 

BALTIMORE 020 000 000 01-- 3 CUBA 000 000 110 00-- 2 Winning Pitcher- FETTERS Save-JESSE OROSCO Losing Pitcher- LAZO