Alex Unruh was an avid and well-rounded athlete from a very early age, showing exceptional skills in squash and baseball. So when a few Philadelphia parents planned a goodwill mission to play baseball in Cuba in the winter of 2016, he jumped at the chance to join in.
Baseball is of course practically synonymous with American culture. But few people in the US realize that the sport is just as popular in the Latin American country, where it has been widely played and enjoyed since the late 1800s.
For the young Alex Unruh, going to Cuba to play baseball was an ideal opportunity to foster good relations between the US and the country formerly led by the late communist strongman, Fidel Castro.
Alex was traveling with a group of 13 and 14-year-old players, along with their parents and siblings. Although one of the main goals of the trip was to play baseball, they also had a deeper purpose in mind.
“It was during 8th-grade winter break when me and a few other kids from the Philadelphia area traveled down to Cuba,” Alex recalls. “The purpose of the trip was to play baseball with the local youth but it was also a community service mission.”
Alex continues: “With the help of many different sponsors, we managed to donate clothes and sports equipment that most Cuban players didn’t have access to.”
The trip took Alex and the group from Cienfuegos to Matanzas, and then on to Havana. Although they played baseball almost every day, they also found time to explore the different cities and become intimately familiar with Cuba’s rich culture and history.
For Alex, the trip was definitely an eye-opening experience. “Exploring the different cities and getting to know the people and culture firsthand made for a well-balanced experience,” he said. “The trip gave me a unique insight into what it was like to live in the 1960s when the country was under communist rule.”
The trip was actually well-timed, having been arranged shortly after Castro’s demise. With the thawing of relations between the US and Cuba, the Philly team was at the forefront of establishing a positive foundation for both countries’ future relationship.
Alex and his friends had the rare opportunity to visit the newly established American embassy and meet the first US ambassador to Cuba. “It was quite an honor, to say the least,” said Alex of the experience. “It was great to be a part of history during that momentous period.”
The group could have easily flown to Cuba, played a few games, and spent the rest of their time on the beach. However, everyone involved wanted to make the experience more significant and rewarding. Therefore, each person packed an extra bag containing items that they would gift to their Cuban counterparts.
The group transported nearly 2,000 pounds of care packages. These included 100 baseball bats, baseball cards, and stickers, along with clothes and devices to measure ball speed and prevent pitching-related elbow injuries.
The Philly team’s visit was something that the Cubans undoubtedly cherished for a long time. Alex himself retains many fond memories of the mission, saying: “Cuba was an experience for a lifetime. I am very grateful to this day that I was part of something so rare.”