baseball in Cuba

I bought some Industriales t-shirts and ballcaps at the shop at the Latinoamericano Stadium. The shop is open whether or not there is a game. There is a very limited selection -- when I went, there was one size for each shirt available (ie. Blue "official" Industriales t-shirt, only in small; white "unofficial" Industriales t-shirt only in medium). They also had t-shirts from other teams as well as other items for sale including baseball jersies (which, if I remember correctly, were about CUC55).

Hi Kolja, you may have a problem bring a baseball bat aboard in your carry-on bag lol but Cuban custom welcomes tourists with big hearts and if they ask just tell them they are for the schools and kids you meet in the streets. For a baseball games in town just ask any Cubans or the casa owner. Every town has a baseball stadium and in Cuba the streets are part of their family room and the kids play baseball on the road. They would really appreciate a real baseball or bat compared with what they currently using. The schools are currently open and tourists can walk in and see a teacher to give him some. Last time I dropped something off I had to endure a song from the students. Baseball merchandises like t-shirts or whatever they wear on top can be bought in the tourist shops like Club Cienfuegos in a shop to your right as you enter the front doors, very expensive. Take a foto and send it to China where they can make a copy for $10. Have a great trip. Stay out of the sun because very hot during the day so drink lots of bottle water.

thanks for the info guys, I just went to buy some color markers, notebooks and other school materials to give out. I might as well take few baseball bats in a baseball bag that will take as a carry on...
Cheers,

In answer to your first question, the major league baseball season ended about 3 weeks ago. It starts again in the fall.

Correction, the gift shop is on your left as you enter the building. $55 cuc is not bad because 4 yrs ago it was $45 usd. A funny story, the American tourist I took there was built like a baseball player and I told the staff he was a professional baseball player from the States hoping to get a better price on 2 shirts. Well, she told her friend behind the counter who left the store to tell the other workers and soon everyone was in the shop asking for his autograph and a few girls asked him for a date. It was his last day in town and everyone was sad to see him leave because he left behind a lot of medicine and goodwill.

Rickey, am I wrong, but 45 US$ is less then 55CUC.

I didn't read fully your first question. There are sports fields in many cities that have both organized and unorganized games and practices most of the year. It has been several years, but the Sports City complex along Boyeros on the road to the airport always seemed to have something going on.

Does Cuba have a little league equivalent for kids? It'd be fun to go to a little kids' game.

The rates keep changing and $45 usd is worth a lot less than $55 cuc in Cuba but the currency at the time was the usd. Viajemucho just returned from Cuba and quoted the prices in cuc. Unless you are an accountant don’t try to rationalize the exchange. Bring a small calculator and work out the exchange before you enter the bank and you should be ok.