Street Baseball in Cuba

Baseball was introduced to Cuba in the 1860s by Cubans who studied in the United States and American sailors who ported in the country. The sport quickly spread across the island nation. In 1869, the first Cuban War of Independence spurred Spanish authorities to ban playing the sport in Cuba. The reasons were because Cubans began to prefer baseball to viewing bullfights, which Cubans were expected dutifully attend as homage to their Spanish rulers in an informal cultural mandate. As such, baseball became symbolic of freedom and egalitarianism to the Cuban people. Today, young boys are commonly seen playing baseball or stickball in the streets, often using plastic bottle caps when baseballs aren't available or practical.