Journey to Cuba: Eleven Young Players Make History On the Diamond from Alexandre Silberman on Vimeo.
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Documentary, Journey to Cuba, to Premiere June 16
A documentary being produced about the Vermont team’s historic trip is set to premiere June 16 with a screening at Contois Auditorium at City Hall, Burlington, Vermont, beginning at 7 p.m.
The event is free and all are welcome!
Check out the trailer in the post below.
Journey to Cuba – Official Documentary Trailer
Check out the trailer for the upcoming documentary being produced about the team that travelled to Cuba:
Team Vermont Recognized at Statehouse
Players and coaches of the Vermont baseball team visited the statehouse today for the passing of a house concurrent resolution honoring the team for its historic journey to Havana, Cuba.
The resolution was sponsored by representatives from Burlington, Bristol, Winooski, Essex, Shelburne and Hinesburg.
The full resolution can be read here, in PDF form: H.C.R.390
The players received a standing ovation by the representatives following the passing of the resolution.
The team was greeted by Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott upon arrival to the capitol, and was also congratulated by Governor Peter Shumlin during the visit.
Day 6: Victory, Playa del Este, and Farewells
We woke up early this morning, as we had to arrive at the field for 8:30 am for a very special and important game. Our competition was La Habana–the provincial all-star team containing the best players in the entire city. The team is also essentially the 11-12 year old academy team for the Havana Industriales. Following Cuban tradition, we started the game with a skills competition, something always done before all-star games. The competition included four categories: throws to second base by the catchers (for accuracy), throws from centerfield to home plate, running from home to first, and running around all the bases. Speedy Vermonter Cyrus Perkinson earned the only American victory in any of the competitions, but it was a solid win nonetheless. Perkinson picked up first place in the home to first base running challenge, with a blistering time of 3.29 seconds.
The game started with a unique experience. In order to create a fun, competitive, and balanced team, five Cuban players, and five American players switched sides. The kids had fun interacting with their new teammates and playing alongside them in the field. There were some incredibly talented Cuban ballplayers. The Havana team included the best catcher in the nation, Julio Cesar Perez, and the second best pitcher, Marcos Reyes. He was throwing scorching fastballs the entire team he pitched, and almost struck out the side. Coach Tom Simon played catch with him and said his hand was swollen after. He later asked him at lunch how fast he pitches, and Reyes let him know that he reaches 70 mph!
Head coach Jim Carter was pleased with the decision to mix the teams. He said it was a terrific way to end the week.
It will be interesting to watch these Cuban players in the future. Some of them had tremendous talent, and several could possible be Major League caliber in the future.
The game was a first for the Vermonters–a victory against one of the best teams around. The final score was 13-5, a solid victory for the American team (with a little help from the Cubans). Ozzie Kost had a solid play at third base and Nolan Simon contributed some sharp pitching and catching. Simon’s highlight of the game was striking out a top Cuban slugger in the third inning. Ollie Pudvar continued his hot streak at the plate, leading the way for the Americans by going five for his last six at-bats. Tate Agnew played several strong innings at first base, making key plays and snags. Eli Bostwick was also a top contributer, catching the blazing fast Cuban pitchers for the last four innings.
For those of you who were unaware (I forgot to mention this in earlier posts), one of our players, Carter Monks, was injured in the second game. He hurt his knee while stretching out to make a catch at first base. He is unable to play, but doing very well. The Cubans have been treating him very graciously, and had him throw out the first pitch today.
After out ballgame we headed off to lunch with the Habana all-stars. WE enjoyed a delicious meal with the team, and Coach Tom Simon received a one-of-a-kind gift from Yosvani Aragon, a great Cuban pitcher. He gave Simon the final jersey he had ever worn in a baseball game, and signed it. Wow, what a gift!
Our next stop–Playa del Este, for a brief but enjoyable dip in the ocean. Everyone enjoyed the refreshing and salty waters at the nicest beach in Havana. It was a great way to finish off the week.
Our bus speed off from the beach to bring us to our farewell dinner. We enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner. Jorge and Lorraine were there and provided us with certificates from the Marti Center. It was a great moment of reflection on this wonderful journey we have all experienced together. I cannot wait to share with you all the great photos and videos I have taken this week. While I have not posted any photos tonight, as soon as I arrive back in the United States I will provide you with the photos that accompany all these posts.
I am posting from the Havana Airport. Our flight will in half an hour, and while we all had a fantastic adventure, we are looking forward to heading home.
Goodbye from Havana for the final time!
Day 5: Estadio, Esquina Caliente, and More Baseball
NOTE: This post has been updated to include the photos I was previously unable to upload.
After another unique Cuban breakfast, our bus drove off from the Hotel Bella Habana. We thought we were going to see the Museum of the Revolution, but we were in for a surprise. Our guide and translator, Lester, had arranged for us to visit the Estadio Latinoamericano, the stadium where the Orioles and the Rays played the Cuban National Team. It is the largest and nicest stadium in the entire country, and home to the Havana Industriales during the winter. The stadium had been extensively visited for President Obama’s visit last month. We saw the spot where Obama sat during the historic game, and even had the opportunity to walk onto the playing field. It was a great surprise and an incredible experience!
Our bus picked us up at the stadium and brought us to another exciting place–the capital district. We saw the national capital building and the national theatre, all incredible pieces of architecture. Twenty percent of cars in Cuba are classic American cars, yet in this neighborhood, it was close to 100. They were parked all over the place, and every single car driving by was a shiny, colorful classic. The main reason behind our stop was to visit “La Esquina Caliente” or the Hot Corner. This is an area in the central park where men gather to talk and argue about baseball. The people in the park were not too talkative with us at first, but that all changed very quickly once we started to give them baseball cards. Coach Tom Simon had a lot of fun chatting with them about local Cuban teams.
Our next stop was Playa stadium, where we faced our toughest test yet on the baseball diamond. The team we played was Marianao, and they could hit, pitch, and play some excellent baseball. The final score was 15-5, but a fun game nonetheless. We had another visit from a Cuban baseball star. This time it was Yosvani Aragon, a pitcher for the Gallos de Sancti, who played between 1997 and 2007. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers in Cuban baseball history. Centerfielder Ollie Pudvar lead Team Vermont on both offense and defense. Pudvar caught a fly ball and threw a runner out a home for a double play in the 6th inning, and made a highlight-reel diving catch in center. He reached base four times, collecting three solid hits and a base on balls. Ozzie Kost was also a key part of the American’s defense, making a stellar play at third base.
Tate Agnew contributed two solid innings of pitching, and was relieved by Cyrus Perkinson, who closed out the game on the mound for Vermont. Agnew picked up a handful of strikeouts against some of the best sluggers in the region.
Today’s game maybe have been a challenge, but according to Vermont Coach Jim Carter, it was a victory for friendship and the sport of baseball
“The whole experience for everyone involved is just incredible,” Carter said.
Today’s game may have been a high scoring and challenging affair, and as many of you know, the Vermonters are slated to take on the provincial all-star team tomorrow. The coaching staff has decided to mix the teams to ensure a fun and competitive experience. Five Cuban players and five Americans will join the opposing team. It will be a great experience for the kids to play together.
After another day in the books, our trip will be coming to a close before we know it. I can tell you all that it has been the experience of a lifetime, something I know everyday when I see the faces of the kids on the baseball diamond.
Tomorrow we will play our final game at 10:30 AM and then head to experience the beach for the first time. This will be followed by a final dinner.
I would like to thank all my readers for taking the time to take in my writing and experiences in Cuba. My blog has surpassed 16,000 hits! Please continue to share my blog and help spread the word!
Day 4: History, Baseball Stars, and Cannons
Following the game we enjoyed another delicious dinner at La Lucita with the opposing team. The dinner was followed by a trip to a historic 17th century Spanish fort, where we experienced a cannon firing ceremony. What a day of adventure we had today! I hope you all come back to see what we experience tomorrow.
Day 3: Hemingway, Playa, and Streetart
Day 2: Old Havana, Opening Ceremonies, and Friendship
Day 1: Travelling to Cuba
Internet is still new in Cuba, so I was unable to post an update about yesterday’s travels. From now on I’ll have daily internet access so look for more frequent updates.
We started off the voyage boarding our Air China flight to Havana. We were definitely provided with a cultural experience. The in-flight entertainment, the announcements, the food, and the staff were all Chinese. Our flight took off right on time, soaring over Lake Champlain and Burlington on its way south. We were even able to spot the bike path causeway that connects South Hero and Colchester!
As we neared Cuba, we fastened our seatbelts and prepared for our landing in Havana. The plane touched the tarmac just after 8:25 pm, and it was raining outside. The warm raindrops and distant palm trees greeted us as we walked across the runway. We made our way over the customs where we were greeted by our partners from the Jose Marti Institute.
Lorraine from the insititute helped guide us through customs. We had photos taken and passports checked. Some of us were even able to go through the “Diplomat/VIP” Line (See photo below) We then boarded our bus and headed to our hotel, the Bella Habana.
We were greeted by Jorge at our hotel who served us sandwiches and drinks and guided us to our rooms. Take a look at photos from our day of travel: