More than just a came

Abstract

As negotiations over the March 1999 exhibition game in Havana neared their end, the New York Times speculated that the Baltimore Orioles might not send its best players to compete against the Cuban national baseball team. But an observer close to the team bluntly nipped this notion in the bud: “They aren't interested in losing.”

The high quality of Cuba's baseball team was hardly news. Even non‐sports enthusiasts know that U.S. professional teams have sought many of the island's best players. But Cuba's sports expertise extends far beyond baseball, as athletes in boxing, judo, fencing, cross‐country, wrestling, and volleyball have won numerous medals in international competitions. Indeed, Cuba ranks first in the world in medals won per capita. Although it has only 11 million people, it is a sports powerhouse whose teams consistently perform as well as those from the world's most populous countries. Their success is hardly accidental. The Cuban Revolution devoted considerable resources to the development of athletes, and this has continued during the “Special Period” in the 1990s.