| This is a story that falls into the category of | | | | offering Castro a deal. They were in Havana |
| "urban legend". The story is that Fidel Castro was | | | | looking for players and noticed Castro because of |
| given a chance to join a major league baseball | | | | his curve ball. Pittsburgh Pirate Don Hoak played |
| team in 1949 and didn't. The story is based on a | | | | against Castro and told about it the rest of his life. |
| widely spread rumor and leads armchair historians | | | | He said that Castro threw such a great inside |
| to say "What if..." | | | | fastball that Hoak asked the referees to remove |
| Here is the story: | | | | him from the game. The Pirates scouts, however |
| Castro had a try-out with a major league baseball | | | | didn't see the same potential. They felt that he |
| team, either the New York Yankees or the | | | | was not fast enough and not worth signing. |
| Washington Senators, and was rejected. | | | | Castro claims that the Giants offered him $5,000 |
| How would the 20th century have been different | | | | in the form of college aid and he refused it. It is |
| if Castro had become a ballplayer in the US | | | | impossible to verify this story, as different |
| instead of the dictator of Cuba? Well, there's no | | | | sources give slightly different details and none of |
| use in thinking about it, because the chance never | | | | them can be verified. However, Castro has |
| existed. The story is completely false. | | | | always exploited the story for his benefit, saying |
| It was just a rumor that was blown out of | | | | that he turned down the offer from the |
| proportion, but one reason why it was so | | | | American capitalists because he put his country |
| appealing is that American major league baseball | | | | first. Many Cuban players have followed in his |
| teams were actively scouting Cuba for players in | | | | footsteps, although many more have fled the |
| the 1940's. Also, US baseball teams have more | | | | country in order to play in the American major |
| Cuban players than any other foreign players, | | | | leagues. |
| with the exception of the Dominican Republic. | | | | Castro not only played baseball in his university |
| Finally, it would have been convenient for Fidel | | | | days, he has been a die-hard baseball fan all his |
| Castro's detractors to believe that he might have | | | | life. He asked Joe DiMaggio for an autographed |
| given up his entire revolution and ideology to toss | | | | baseball from him, and DiMaggio agreed to give |
| a baseball in America for lots and lots of money. | | | | him one, hoping it would help thaw out US-Cuba |
| If this were true, it would damage the credibility | | | | relations. |
| of his cause. Maybe lots of people wanted to | | | | The fact that so many Cuban baseball players |
| believe it. | | | | flee the country is a thorn in the dictator's side. |
| It's also interesting to note the two teams that | | | | Stories of the players' daring escapes from Cuba |
| are usually used in the story: The "Yankees", | | | | are told every time they are talked about, and it |
| (maybe because they rejected him, he spent the | | | | is a source of humiliation for Castro. These |
| next 48 years going on tirades against them) and | | | | players are seen as bad examples for other |
| the "Senators", the pro baseball team of the | | | | Cuban kids who want to play baseball, and the |
| nation's capital. | | | | images of America and baseball can't be easily |
| People and FACTS Magazine just released very | | | | disentangled. |
| interesting publication named The World's Biggest | | | | It is not true that the Yankees, Giants or |
| Fidel Castro FACTS Collection at | | | | Senators offered Castro a bonus to play for |
| Among the hundreds of other little known facts - | | | | them, but it is quite likely that scouts for the |
| there are few that describe Fidel Castro's never | | | | Pirates were considering him. Still, considering his |
| materialized pro baseball career. | | | | commitment to the cause of Cuba, it's highly |
| So, here's the truth: | | | | doubtful that he would have ditched it to go and |
| Castro played for the University of Havana. | | | | play baseball in the United States. But, like all urban |
| Scouts from the Pittsburgh Pirates considered | | | | legends and rumors, a good story is a good story. |