Baseball is a long time favourite and very popular sport in Cuba. It is a part of Cuba’s history and is even considered Cuba’s National past time. Thousands of fans attend every game and others keep tabs on what is going on. Baseball has even become an important part of Cuba’s new social system. It plays a vital role in towns, villages, factories, urban neighbourhoods and schools. Local and national competition is very intense due to the popularity among the Cuban residents of all ages and classes. Baseball plays an important part in the socioeconomic integration in Cuba. Fidel Castro even proudly plays baseball.
The history of Cuban baseball started with the Cuban Aborigines and they called it Batos. Baseball was played very frequently even after there the Spaniards colonized Cuba in the 15th century. In 1864, Nemesio Guillot, a Cuban college student in the US, liked the game so much in the US that he took it back to Cuba. He brought a ball and bat back to Cuba. Baseball then became very popular among Cuban residents, but the Spanish rulers barred it because they thought it was pro-American and anti-Spanish because Cuban residents preferred to watch baseball instead of bullfights. Baseball then became a social equality and freedom symbol throughout the first Cuban War of Independence. In December 1874, baseball began to be played officially in Cuba. The formal baseball league was founded in 1878 and it was the first league outside of the United States and Canada. Since it was founded, baseball continues to be a rich cultural sport and Cuba’s national team has been among the strongest in the world since it started playing international teams in the 1930s.
There is even a Baseball Museum that is located on the Latiamerican Stadium. The museum includes Cuban Baseball players’ bats, balls, and gloves if they registered on the Cuban Baseball history.
Cuba even ranks number 1 in the International Baseball Federation’s worldwide baseball rankings. The ranking systems gives points that are based on the how the country’s baseball programs have finished at endorsed events throughout the last four years or a time frame that consists of two IBAF Baseball World Cups. The United States was ranked second.
Cuba also won the World Cup in 2005 and a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics. Cuba was second in the 2007 World Cup and second in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Cuban people love baseball and everything that comes with it. They proudly watch international games and cheer for their beloved team!