Let’s talk baseball.
Cuba’s most famous baseball team, the Industriales, face stiff competition in their upcoming schedule.
They’re set to play some of their former teammates who defected from Cuba.
So for our Geo Quiz–can you guess where this baseball reunion will take place?
Maybe Yankee Stadium? Afterall, the Industriales are nicknamed the “Yankees of Cuba.”
Miami’s a good guess. But the game has already prompted protests from local anti-Castro groups who see the baseball diplomacy as propaganda for Cuba.
Actually, the games are now set to take place at a high school field on the west coast of Florida.
It’s the city that’s home to the Rays, Buccaneers, the Rowdies and the Lightning.
And it’s a baseball haven during spring training season.
The baseball old-timers from Havana are picking on guys their own age: a team of Cuban-American all-star defectors in Tampa, Florida.
Peter Bjarkman writes about Cuban baseball, and has chronicled the history of baseball in Cuba. He says matchup of former Industriales teammates will be a Tampa crowd pleaser.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!