Published Monday, March 29, 1999, in the Miami Herald

CUBA NOTEBOOK
From Herald Wire Services

`FI-DEL! FI-DEL!'

Handpicked crowd cheers its president

By the time Fidel Castro had cut across the diamond to meet them Sunday, the Baltimore Orioles could tell this meant far more than any spring training game they had ever played.

``Fi-del! Fi-del!'' the 50,000 chosen fans chanted at Estadio Latinoamericano at the sight of their president. ``Cu-ba! Cu-ba!''

Albert Belle, Brady Anderson and the rest of the Orioles gathered around the 72-year-old leader to shake hands, curious to see how he looked up close in his combat fatigues. Manager Ray Miller talked to Castro through an interpreter.

Castro had not been out to the stadium for several years, but was determined not to miss this chance, especially since he won't be accompanying the Cuban team when it plays at Baltimore's Camden Yards on May 3.

He spent about two minutes greeting the Orioles before visiting with the Cubans and watched the game while sitting between major league commissioner Bud Selig and Orioles owner Peter Angelos.

A SEDATE AFFAIR

Usual local color among the missing

Missing for most of the warm, sunny afternoon were the drums, sirens, air horns, singing, dancing and rumba music that enveloped the ballpark from the first pitch during Saturday night's playoff game between the Havana Industriales and Santiago.

No cheerleaders in black spandex jumped on top of the dugouts Sunday, no ballgirls served coffee to the umpires during the fifth-inning break. Even the 53-year-old stadium was spruced up -- gone were the wild dogs that usually roam the concourse, hoping for bits of the pork-leg sandwiches sold at concession stands.

The game was held in the refurbished Estadio Latinoamericano, which, like the Orioles' ballpark at Camden Yards, offers a panoramic view of the city beyond the outfield bleachers. Some fans beat the invitation-only requirement by watching the game from a couple of aging apartment buildings behind left field.

``For many years, we have been trying to have this match,'' star Cuban third baseman Omar Linares said through a translator. ``I'm very emotional about it.''

The umpires were all Cubans. American League umpires refused to make the trip.

< Copyright © 1999 The Miami Herald