In the 1860s, baseball was introduced to Cuba by American sailors on trading vessels that ported in the country and by Cubans who studied in the U.S. and returned tools of the game, like bats and balls. Cubans quickly adopted the sport and leagues started all over the island.
Now beisbol is a national passion. The Cuban League’s regular season is called the Serie Nacional (National Series) and consists of a 90-game schedule played between November and May. The 16-team circuit includes clubs in all provincial capitals and 2 teams in Havana. The Serie Nacional is composed of four divisions. In Group A the teams are the Industriales (Havana), the Metropolitanos (Havana), Pinar del Río, and Isla de la Juventud; in Group B are Havana Province, Villa Clara, Camagüey, and Guantánamo; in Group C are Granma, Holguín, Las Tunas, and Ciego de Ávila; and in Group D are Santiago de Cuba, Sancti Spíritus, Cienfuegos, and Matanzas.
Video of the Industriales vs Granma game in Havana:
Hometown Batter
Granma Player — players are surprisingly approachable
A Young Railbird
National TV Coverage of the big game
The Fastfood of Choice — Pork Sandwich (cost 30 cents)
Getting your picture taken with the Team’s Star
A Young Railbird
Young fans — all bundled up because it is winter in Havana (about 15C)
A Old Railbird
A Veteran Railbird
