FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Last night was more than another meaningless exhibition between the Orioles and Florida Marlins.
That became obvious when Marlins owner John Henry pulled into the team parking lot, rolled his Jaguar into Peter Angelos' spot, briefly stopped inside the Orioles administrative offices, then walked into a crowd of about 200 Cuban protesters to lend his opposition to the Orioles' March 28 game in Havana against the Cuban national team.
"I think this issue transcends baseball; it's much more important than that," the first-year owner said. "It's a political issue. For that reason, I don't think it's a good idea."
Henry emphasized his distaste to the flag-waving crowd of exiles crammed between pylons inside the Fort Lauderdale Stadium parking lot. Henry referred to the protesters as "our people" while a man on a bullhorn shouted, "Viva, Marlins." Afterward, Henry answered reporters' questions curtly while barely breaking stride toward his seats.
While Orioles players continue to walk softly around the political mines that accompany their historic home-and-home series against the Cuban team, the South Florida Cuban community has begun to ratchet up its opposition. Mounted policemen helped maintain order yesterday, where earlier in the week only a handful of patrol officers relaxed.
Between the second and third innings, police escorted away a woman who had stationed herself at the end of the Orioles dugout, screaming at players not to participate in the trip.
A protester waving a Cuban flag ran onto the field and briefly interrupted play during the bottom of the third inning. Police ushered him away.
Julio Cabarga, public relations director for the Municipios de Cuba en el Exilio, said the recent imprisonment of four Cubans who authored a manifesto critical of Castro's regime has only inflamed passions against the exchange.
"If Castro would have shown some signs of moving forward [on human rights], this would be part of that. But it hasn't happened. It isn't happening. And in my opinion, it will never happen," Cabarga said. "So I agree that the ballplayers go down to Cuba at some time, but not at this time."
Cabarga said two representatives of his group were meeting on site with an Orioles official. However, chief operating officer Joe Foss denied knowledge of any meeting.
Foss was approached during the game by two organizers and presented with a letter he promised would be delivered to Angelos upon his return to Baltimore this weekend.
"They were all protesting in a very orderly, peaceful manner. You put that in perspective with the 4,500 people in the ballpark tonight," Foss said after last night's 4-3 loss. "We're certainly aware there are people opposed to us playing in Cuba. That's no surprise. No decision is unanimously supported. But we've continued to say this is a private initiative. We're not intending to make a political statement, though we recognize there are people who see political overtones to this. We're down there trying to use baseball to bring people together."
Left fielder B. J. Surhoff interrupted running sprints on the warning track to hold an animated discussion with protesters seated in the right-field bleachers. Surhoff later returned to sign autographs for the same group.
The protest occurred one day after Orioles pitcher Juan Guzman confirmed that he would not accompany the rest of the club on its trip to Cuba. Guzman, a Miami resident who employs Cuban domestics, voiced concern during Saturday's players association meeting and was excused by man- ager Ray Miller.
The only team member so far excused, Guzman originally was scheduled to start the Havana game but was replaced by Scott Erickson.
Miller said the adjustment dovetailed with his desire to alter his starting rotation before the season.
Before starting last night's exhibition against the Marlins, Erickson said he will approach the March 28 start as he would any other. "I guess it's more important to some people from a political standpoint," Erickson said. "I'm just looking at it as another game."
Miller has noted that the game will be "like the seventh game of the World Series" for the Cuban team, but Erickson observed that he will be on a pitch limit like any other preseason appearance.
The Orioles arrived here Feb. 19 hoping to prepare themselves for the regular season. However, they have since found themselves immersed in a significant cultural and political drama whereby they are set to become the first group of American professionals to play in Cuba since 1959.
The accompanying controversy has served as a distraction to players, who yesterday addressed numerous Spanish-speaking media, including Univision. Though their statements have been predictably bland, the Orioles' mere presence represents a lightning rod for South Florida's exile community.
A group calling itself Vigilia Mambisa circulated a flier announcing opposition to the trip by Marlins Livan Hernandez, Alex Fernandez, Jorge Fabregas and Michael Tejera. Fabregas, the Marlins' catcher, was born in Miami to Cuban exiles.
Of the trip to Havana, he said: "I don't see any need for that. My parents are from there and have suffered a lot. I don't see why we should do anything to help that regime."
Fernandez previously said he disagreed "100 percent" with the idea.
"When they're telling me this might be good for the Cuban people or whatever, I find that hard to believe. Anything you do in that country, you're going to support the government, and I'm not for that at all," the Marlins pitcher said.
The Marlins not only have several players of Cuban extraction -- Hernandez defected in late 1997 -- but they market themselves heavily within Miami-Dade County's Latin community.
Henry's attendance served to further fuel the protesters, some of them aging, camouflaged members of ALPHA 66, a paramilitary organization that during the 1960s hoped to overthrow the Castro regime.
While Henry spoke, protesters brandished signs proclaiming, "Orioles, Don't Play Castro's Game" and "Orioles, Don't Play With Tyrant."
Pub Date: 3/18/99