Béisbol Looms Large In Thawing Cuban Relations

*It’s still too early to know how the thawing of U.S.-Cuban relations will pan out. Major League Baseball is more eager than most to see a change. VL

By Esteban Randel, Remezcla

When President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, made joint announcements signaling an end to the Cold War, the Communist island emerged the clear winner. In the forum of public opinion, the embargo was extremely unpopular, both on American soil and with neighbors in the hemisphere. It had become a public relations nightmare. And although Obama declared that the sanctions were “not working,” the proposed full diplomatic ties will do wonders for Cuba’s crippled economy.

Yankee tourists who were previously forced to visit Cuba through a third-party country, primarily Mexico, might now be able to fly directly to enjoy those pristine beaches and historic Havana. And those hand-made Cuban cigars? No worries about smuggling those across the border anymore. The result means big dollars for the tourism industry and badly needed jobs. Yet, the real financial windfall could come from the exodus of the island’s top baseball talent, which ironically has always been Fidel Castro’s pet peeve. Let me explain.

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[Photo by Peter Bond/Flickr]

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