http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature...currentPage=all

I found this link at Sportsfilter, and thought some of you might enjoy it. A good, long read.

Great read. Really fills us sheltered-Americans in on what life is like in Cuba. Michael Lewis is a GREAT writer (The Blind Side and Moneyball, anyone?) and does a fine job of uncovering this story. Thanks jump for the link.

"It is dark, and the only light emanates from inside. It is as if the baby Jesus had been reborn and people had come for miles to see him. But what the people are gazing upon, taped to the wall of the trailer, are baseball caps. Six ersatz caps bearing the logo of Havana’s main team, Industriales, to be exact. Nothing else. Just six caps. I assume the crowd is in line to buy the caps, but at three tourist pesos a pop they are far too expensive for Cubans. The crowd gathered not to buy but to stare at the caps. It is the first time since the revolution that the crass capitalist act of selling souvenirs has been permitted at Cuba’s most famous baseball stadium."

Just amazing that people can get that excited for a hat!?!

But, my favorite part of the article: But Víctor Mesa’s new career as a baseball manager has made his playing career seem measured and balanced. He’s been thrown out of more games than all the other Cuban managers put together. Once, he got himself thrown out of a game before it started, which is hard to do. (The umpire was warning him in advance not to make trouble or come out on the field, to which Mesa replied, “Are you fucking blind? I’m on the field right now.”)

Great article! Thanks Jump!

What was most interesting to me is how the physiology of players may have been affected somewhat when the East German powered milk stopped coming in.

Yeah, havok, I loved that part about the hats, too. I have a boxful of old MLB caps that I'd love to just give away to Cuban kids.... But what is obvious is that there are probably a few potential HOF'ers that we may have missed out on, and that's too bad. Wonder what it would have been like with Victor Mesa in the majors!

My favorite part was about the white-knuckle BMW ride with Mesa. Can't wait for the follow-up story.

wow! great find, Jump! Thanks for sharing it and keep them coming. I guess I need to familiarize myself w/Sportsfilter