The publication of The Pride of Havana in the spring of 1999 coincided with the home and away series that the Baltimore Orioles played against the Cuban National Team. The Orioles beat the Cubans narrowly in Havana before a handpicked crowd of the regime's faithful. A month later, in Baltimore, a pumped-up Cuban team routed the listless Orioles, who were last in the American League and reluctant to play on an off-day. The media saw it as a historic event; those who took the time to read The Pride of Havana- knew that major league teams had lost regularly over the years to both professional and amateur Cuban.
