Cuban baseball team draws ire, support in Little Havana

By ALANIS THAMES
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) — Hundreds gathered outside Miami Marlins’ home ballpark in Little Havana on Sunday to protest for the Cuban national baseball team played the United States in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic. It’s the first time the Cuban team has played in Miami, a landing spot for many who fled the country to escape the Soviet-style communist government of late leader Fidel Castro. The Cuban team is comprised of major league stars who defected from the island nation along with current Cubans, who are technically government employees. While some fans wanted to separate sports from politics, others wanted no part.