Manfred keen on Cuba game
BOCA RATON, FLA.— Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred remains hopeful a big league team will play an exhibition game in Cuba during spring training.
U.S. President Barack Obama announced in December his intention to restore diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba, and embassies were re-established in July.
“There are a variety of issues involved there, not all of which are wholly within baseball’s control,” Manfred said Tuesday at the general managers meetings. “Obviously, the federal government has some significant influence on whether that’s going to take place, and there are issues that need to be solved before that can happen.”
U.S. teams played spring training games in Cuba before Fidel Castro’s revolution, but none appeared there from March1959 until the Baltimore Orioles faced Cuba’s national team in Havana in March 1999. MLB has not returned since.
“We got a little time still, there isn’t really a firm cutoff,” Manfred said. “We’re going to proceed internally and get to the point where we’ve sort of identified who would go, meaning which club would go if we can get it done.” On other topics:
Fan safety: Manfred said ballpark differences make it impractical to have identical protective netting at all 30 big-league venues. The commissioner’s office has been discussing the issue with teams following a series of injuries to fans from foul balls this year. Owners will talk about the matter when they meet in Dallas on Dec. 18-19.
Pete Rose: Manfred remains on track to decide Pete Rose’s application for reinstatement by end of December.
Then Cincinnati’s manager, Rose agreed in 1989 to a lifetime ban from baseball after an MLB investigation concluded he bet on games involving the Reds while managing and playing. Manfred met with the career hits leader Sept. 24.