Major League Cuban Baseball
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Sunday, Sept. 22, at 3 PM
Monday, Oct. 14, at 5 AM
Trace the experiences of Cubans at the most accomplished levels of America’s national pastime — baseball — and explore their deep cultural and emotional connection to the game.
In 1874, the first official baseball game was held on the island of Cuba, in defiance of Spanish colonial law. After Cuba gained its independence from Spain, the sport became an integral part of the Cuban identity. The program documents Cuban ball players’ presence in the budding American professional leagues of the late 1800s and their impact on American baseball in the early 20th century.