In one of the most anticipated baseball games in recent memory, the Cuban National Team will host the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday in Havana, Cuba, at the world renowned Estadio Latinoamericano. The game will start at 2 p.m. ET as President Obama and other notable figures will be in attendance.
ESPN will be broadcasting the ceremonies, first pitches, anthems and the start of the game, while MLB.com will broadcast the rest of the matchup.
You can begin viewing ESPN's coverage here and then tune into MLB.com's coverage here.
This week marks the first time a sitting U.S. President has visited the communist nation in 88 years (the last was Calvin Coolidge in 1928) and today marks the first time since 1999 an MLB team has stepped foot on Cuban soil (the last was the Baltimore Orioles). The last time an MLB club visited Cuba before that for an exhibition game was 1959.
Commissioner Rob Manfred, Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, former Cuban MLBers Luis Tiant and Jose Cardenal, as well as others will be on the scene for today's game.
Manfred, who was instrumental in making this historic event happen, is hopeful today will mark the beginning of a renewed and positive relationship between the United States and Cuba, which will be crucial in helping the game of baseball grow.
Cuban baseball fans have been steeped with anticipation for today's game. Estadio Latinoamericano has gotten a makeover, including new grass in the infield and outfield, new mix on the warning track, rebuilt dugouts and even a new paint job.
While the Cuban National Team isn't as strong and competitive as it should be considering a majority of the country's top stars have defected to come and play in the United States, this year's team is ready for the challenge against the Rays.
Jose Adolis Garcia will take the mound for Cuba and other notable Cuban players to watch include Guillermo Aviles (1B/OF), Livan Moinelo (LHP), Yunier Cano (RHP) and Yosvani Alarcon (C).
The Rays are also excited for the matchup, as ace Chris Archer said every player on the team that is in Cuba volunteered to make the trip.
The sport will play a big role in uniting the two nations that have not been on good terms for a long time now. And today marks a significant step towards that goal.
