Henry blasts decision to play in Cuba

MIKE PHILLIPS
Herald Sports Writer

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- The loudest voice against the Baltimore Orioles' exhibition in Cuba on Sunday may not be coming from a protester with a bull horn but from the owner of the Florida Marlins, who not only opposes the game but is almost insulted baseball has allowed this to happen.

``The major problem here is ignorance,'' says John W. Henry, who bought the Marlins two months ago. ``People are not aware of the depth of oppression in Cuba. If they were, no one would support this game.''

Major League Baseball called Henry this week and asked if he would like to attend the game. Henry said he almost couldn't believe it.

``I declined,'' Henry said. ``I'm opposed to the game, and the Marlins' organization is opposed to this game.'' Henry was somewhat upset that baseball didn't call him before it approved the game, but even more upset that baseball didn't ask the players.

``It's disappointing that baseball didn't consider asking the Cuban-American players how they feel about the game,'' Henry said.

The Marlins have several players and coaches who were either born in Cuba or whose parents were born in Cuba. To a man, they are vehemently against the game.

``Obviously, the Florida Marlins should be the team playing a game in Cuba, if the game in Cuba were the right thing to do. But it's not right thing to do,'' Henry said.

Henry said someone should have contacted the Marlins.

``What is the percentage of our community that is Cuban-American? Virtually every Cuban-American is a baseball fan,'' Henry said, making his point that no one considered the South Florida Cuban community when the decision was being made. Henry said the only reason Orioles owner Peter Angelos, whom is an acquaintance, wants the game is to recruit players.

``He [Angelos] has shown he doesn't care what we think. He sure didn't ask us what we think,'' Henry said. ``He's interested in getting a competitive advantage -- to get the Orioles' name plastered across Cuba so the next Cuban baseball player who defects will head for Baltimore. . . . A lot of people in baseball believe this.''

Henry, who has been out of the country the past week, returned Thursday. Last week, Henry met with protesters who showed up at Fort Lauderdale Stadium for a Marlins-Orioles exhibition.

``I wanted them to know I support them, that we support them,'' he said.

Henry was also critical Thursday of Orioles chief operating officer Joe Foss, who downplayed the protests at Fort Lauderdale Stadium by saying there were only 250 protesters in a crowd of 4,000.

``If he [Foss] were to go to Miami-Dade County and ask the man on the street how he felt, I think he would see it's a much larger percentage than he is aware of,'' Henry said.