Fidel Castro’s son helps push thaw
Antonio Castro even welcomed defectors Puig, Abreu as heroes.
The symbolism was striking: Exactly one year after President Obama announced the normalization of relations with Cuba, the two countries’ flags flew side by side atop the scoreboard at Estadio Victoria de Giron.
A scoreboard featuring a massive photograph of Fidel Castro.
Castro’s youngest son, Antonio, has a passion for baseball rather than the family business of politics. But he’s well aware — more than ever after the last three days — of how baseball could be a catalyst to help repair five decades of bitterness and distrust between the U.S. and Cuban governments.
“We’re conscious of what baseball means. What we’ve experienced today, and what we’ve experienced these last couple of days, is very exciting,” Castro said Thursday in a rare interview with U.S. reporters.
“Those of us who work for baseball always have the fans on
our minds,” Castro added. “This is just the beginning. I hope to one day be able to say, ‘Well done.’ ”
Castro chose his words carefully, conscious of not contradicting the official position of the Cuban government, which is now led by his uncle, Raul. But his actions this week spoke louder than any statement he could have made.
As vice president of the Cuban baseball federation, Antonio Castro was instrumental in arranging Major League Baseball’s goodwill tour. He did more than push through paperwork, however, actively and enthusiastically participating every step of the way.
He was at the two MLB kids clinics, mingling with baseball officials and players. He was often seen chatting with Dan Halem, baseball’s chief labor officer. Castro and Joe Torre, MLB’s chief baseball officer, were fast friends, bonding over a mutual acquaintance and their love for the game.
But perhaps most telling was Castro’s interactions with the four Cuban-born players on the tour, particularly recent defectors Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu.
It would have been unthinkable for Puig or Abreu to return to their homeland even a few months ago, considered by the Cuban government to be traitors. Yet Castro hailed them as the heroes they are to the Cuban people.
“Don’t separate Cuban players,” Castro said when asked about the prospects of fielding a “unified” Cuban team at the next World Baseball Classic. “They’re all Cubans.” And he treated them as such. When Puig and Abreu stood next to each other after Thursday’s clinic, waiting to do a TV interview, Castro took photos of them. As they signed autographs, Castro delivered items back and forth to fans.
Asked if Puig and Abreu would be able to return home again soon, Castro didn’t say yes. But he didn’t say no, either. MLB and the Cuban federation hope this tour will lead to more league events here. Halem said Tuesday that he remained cautiously optimistic of holding exhibition games here in March.
The bigger issues involving the free movement of Cuban players — to the major leagues and between the countries — will take longer to resolve and are dependent on further cooperation between the two governments.
Relations are improving at a rapid pace. Mail service recently resumed, and an agreement allowing U.S. airlines to operate regularly scheduled commercial flights to Cuba was announced Thursday — while the clinic was going on, in fact.
To credit baseball for progress is too simplistic. But when icy silence is all the countries shared for half a century, common ground must be found.
“Through baseball, we’re uniting countries,” Castro said. “We work to live in a normal world, where we can all live in peace through the game of baseball.”
For anyone who doubts whether that can happen, just check out the scoreboard.