Six years later, Guillen was managing the Chicago White Sox to a World Series championship, the franchise’s first in 88 years, and who would be one of his star pitchers? None other than Jose Contreras. Small world.
The Orioles’ trip to Cuba in 1999 was approved by the U.S. State Department, as was the Cuban all-stars’ visit to Baltimore (the Cubans won, 12-6) some five weeks later. The general idea was that friendly cultural exchange, even if it’s a brief symbolic gesture via the escapist entertainment of sports, is a more positive way to exist in the world, as opposed to decades of rigid, enforced enmity and isolation.
In March of 1999, Venezuelan shortstop Ozzie Guillen was at spring training in Florida with the Atlanta Braves. He was about to begin the 15th season of a proud and productive big-league career, mostly with the Chicago White Sox, that had included a Rookie of the Year award, three All-Star Game selections and a Gold Glove award. If Guillen, who spent some time on the Baltimore Orioles just a year earlier, had been with the Orioles instead of the Braves… Read More »
