Castro hails `historic’ victory

A beaming President Fidel Castro and hundreds of screaming children greeted the victorious Cuban baseball team as it returned home Tuesday after beating the Orioles in Baltimore.

“This was a truly historic event,” Castro said during a long speech on the steps of the University of Havana. “For a long time we have wanted to measure the advances in our sport, to know what would happen if such a game was held.”

What Cubans saw, he said, were first-class baseball players “with the spirits of lions, of tigers.”

Thousands of baseball fans crammed the streets leading to the university to greet the hometown heroes as they arrived from the airport in open Jeeps, waving at the crowd. The players dressed identically in light cotton shirts and ties, slacks and beige jackets.

“Cuba! Cuba!” the fans chanted, some waving the red, white and blue Cuban flag.

At the university, first baseman Omar Linares thanked Castro for his support for the game, a rematch after the Orioles defeated the Cuban players in Havana 3-2 in 11 innings on March 28.

“Dear commander in chief, the mission you gave us has been completed,” said a smiling Linares before hugging the leader. “Socialism or death! Patriotism or death! We will overcome!”

Earlier at the airport, the Cuban leader personally greeted Linares and Cuban umpire Cesar Valdes, who tackled an anti-Castro protester who ran onto the field with a political banner during the game.

During a speech that stretched more than three hours, Castro criticized sports agents who attempt to persuade Cuban athletes to defect and blasted the focus on money in American sports.

But he gave no indication that any of the more than 300 members of the Cuban delegation had stayed behind, even though Baltimore police said Rigoberto Herrera, a member of the Cuban delegation that attended the game, walked into a police station Tuesday and requested asylum.

“They go around the world buying athletes, they go around buying scientists, and artists. It is very difficult to compete with that,” Castro said. “We have to fight against these attempts to buy off our athletes.”

Castro recognized a need to somehow better compensate Cuba’s world-class athletes. “What can we give our athletes?” asked Castro.

But he said money was not the entire answer.

“The flag cannot be sold. The homeland cannot be sold,” he said. “And the glory of these athletes is that they cannot be sold.”

Cuba beat the Orioles 12-6 in the rain and cold Monday night despite just a few months’ practice with the wooden bats recently adopted to replace the country’s traditional aluminum ones.

As soon as Cuba won, a huge cheer spread across Havana and small groups of people ventured outside to discuss the game with neighbors. Some gathered in parks, others along the famous Malecon sea wall. Associated Press