Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
How baseball helped bridge the US-Cuba divide
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October 20, 2022
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In March 1999 the Baltimore Orioles became the first US Major League team to play in Cuba for more than 40 years. Fans in Cuba eagerly awaited the fixture, and the game was played in a carnival atmosphere, with Fidel Castro looking on from the crowds. It was hailed as a success of sporting diplomacy.
Cuban baseball star Enrique Diaz was in the national team that day. He tells Witness about the highlight of his sporting career.
(Photo: Cuban and American flags. Credit: Getty Images)