On March 22, 2016, the Tampa Bay Rays will travel to Cuba to play an exhibition game against the Cuban National Team at Estadio Latinoamericano. This will mark the first MLB team in Cuba since the Orioles played an exhibition game against the National Team on March 28, 1999. Since it is a historic occasion, naturally Derek Jeter will be involved. He will travel with Commissioner Rob Manfred, MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, and Cuban MLB veterans Luis Tiant and Jose Cardenal as an ambassador for our national pastime.
With a recent explosion of Cuban stars defecting to play in the MLB, baseball hopes to mend fences with Cuba and hopefully set the stage for a safer way for players to make it to the Majors. This trip is a big step in that direction.
Jeter transcends borders. The impact he’s had on the game reaches around the globe, and few players can generate as much electricity as the captain. What better ambassador for the game we love than the man who made many of us love the game to begin with?
ESPN and ESPN Deportes will provide live coverage of the game starting at 1:30 pm (ET). In addition, SportsCenter will be on-site in Havana on March 21st and 22nd. The game will also be streamed via WatchESPN.
