Cuba MLB exhibition game mooted
The Boston Red Sox have been looking at the prospect of playing a spring exhibition game in Cuba, according to an ESPN report.
ESPN said Red Sox fan Secretary of State John Kerry was possibly involved in the talks.
However Red Sox officials now believe there is probably insufficient time to get all the necessary approvals from both nations in time to play a game before the regular season starts.
By far the most popular sport, Cuba has an insatiable appetite for baseball and has provided MLB with a regular pipeline of talent over the years.
During the past season there were 19 Cuban born players, the highest number since 1967.
Cuba also represents a lucrative new revenue stream for teams – and sports tourism in general.
When the Obama administration first announced the loosening of restrictions, a New York Times report even speculated that a team like the Tampa Bay Rays could be tempted to relocate to Havana.
It said baseball officials formulated tentative plans years ago to exploit the Cuba market in the hope that political tensions would ease one day.
"This is an issue that’s going to be debated in Cuba now. They want to utilize baseball resources to bring more money into the country, but they don’t want to sell their league to North America," said Peter C. Bjarkman, a Cuban baseball historian.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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