Maybe it's the tobacco, coffee and rum. Or the combustible mix of searing tropical heat. Whatever the reason, Cubans are a spirited bunch. And they'll do practically anything to win an argument. Style points are part of the game, as they engage their opponent with a good-natured ferocity. Habeneros don't hold anything back. They love their Old Havana frijoles negros, Rhumba music and most especially, La Pelota or beisbol. Habaneros go hoarse, arguing over their favorite team or player. It's a passion that dates back 150 years. Nobody knows the history better than than Peter Bjarkman. The Lafayette, Indiana author has chronicled the evolution of baseball on the island with his acclaimed works, “Smoke: The Romance & Love of Cuban Baseball” and “A History of Cuban Baseball.” And he's been kind enough to share these rare and historic photos with us (http://www.baseballdecuba.com/) For the better part of a century, Bjarkman writes, the Cuban Winter League was the hot-spot of the baseball universe – south of the Florida Straits. For Americans making the passage to Havana, the winter league was the place to get your baseball fix (along with a good “mojito” and lots of Cuban sunshine.)
Hugely talented hurlers, like Connie Marrero and Martin Dihigo brought the heat against the best American ballplayers. Big League greats like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige played in the famous Cuban League. And for baseball aficionados, lucky enough to witness these hotly-contested games, it was paradise on the diamond.
In a country of baseball "fanaticos," Armandito Valdes was in a league all his own. Known as "El Tintorero" (The Dry Cleaner), the late super-fan was a constant presence at Havana's Estadio Latino Americano. Blasting out chants and rapid-fire wisecracks, Valdes became a Cuban beisbol legend. He left such a mark on people that after his death, admirers erected a statue of The Dry Cleaner. You can see it today, sitting in his favorite spot - within earshot of the dugout on the 3rd base side of the diamond.
