Before he was 15 years old, Jose Fernandez was arrested three times for attempting to flee Cuba. Today, he is an MLB All-Star pitcher for the Miami Marlins.
Without the ability to throw a baseball 95 mph, it’s not as easy for other Cubans to successfully defect to the U.S. Even then, many Cubans who do make it here can only hold on to the optimism that “it could be worse.” And although talks between politicians of Cuba and the U.S. struggle to pragmatically thaw relations, President Obama should look to bridge ties with a language both countries understand: baseball.
Barack and Michelle Obama’s attendance at the match between the MLB Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team was more than just a game. Baseball was around before the Castro regime. It was around before the Cold War and the current era of American politics. Now, baseball in Cuba could be the medium for better relations.
According to The New York Times, the MLB submitted a proposal earlier this month to the Treasury Department to allow Cuban players to directly sign with MLB teams. In fact, Tampa Bay, the team to play in Cuba on March 22, already has an office there.
The problem is, once Cuban players are allowed to move freely to the U.S., what happens to Cuban baseball? Local fans fear of the exodus of Cuba’s best players and that coaches will materialize with such an inevitable deal. However, the U.S. government can work with the MLB to not only keep baseball as a cornerstone of Cuba, but also to improve relations between the two countries. If Obama wants to improve relations with Cuba, he should push for a new MLB team in Cuba.
Cuban players want to stay in Cuba, but baseball conditions in Cuba make it impossible to establish a livelihood as a baseball player. According to The Guardian, currently in Cuba, “top players get a basic salary of $50 a month. Second-tier squad members often need to get secondary jobs to make a living.” Diplomatic relations and the sport of baseball itself could be salvaged in Cuba if it had its own MLB clubhouse.
Sports has trumped politics countless times throughout history. If Obama can work with the MLB to get a professional baseball team in Cuba for Cubans, Americans and Cubans can come together under such a fine pastime for both nations.
Joshua Udvardy is a UF mechanical engineering freshman. His column usually appears on Wednesdays.
