Framing the Cubas narrative: The American dream and the capitalist reality

Communication Studies, Summer 2002 by Nomai, Afsheen J, Dionisopoulos, George N

The mediated image of Cuba as repressive helps develop the theme that what Cubas does is not just a business, but an ideological crusade in support of freedom. Cubas becomes something of a destablizing agent by "stripping [Cuba] of... a vital natural resource" (Cohn, 1998, p. Al), or "snatching the finest diamonds from Fidel Castro's baseball mine" (Ramirez, 1998). The players are "propaganda tools" (Gomez, 1997, p. 38), with defectors such as Orlando Hernandez become "a living, breathing, $6.6 million star-spangled rebuke to Fidel" (Winegardner, 1998, p. 150). Larmer (1998) told Newsweek's readers that within a year after his defection, El Duque was riding through a ticker tape parade up New York City's Canyon of Heroes following the Yankees World Series victory in 1998. "It must be a wonderful day for Orlando Hernandez," Mayor Rudolph Guiliani said on the steps of City Hall. "He knows what the value of freedom is" (Larmer, 1998, p. 68).

The theme of "freedom" is featured prominently within the Cubas Narrative. For example, the New York Times stated that when dealing with a Cuban ballplayer Cubas "had to first gain the player's trust- he would buy them steak dinners and talk to them of what freedom meant" (Berkow, 1998, p. BI 11). Defecting ballplayers are portrayed as coming to the United States in search of freedom. In the Tampa Tribune, Chastain quoted Cubas' description of the ball-players as having "traveled the Florida straight looking for freedom" (1998). In the Washington Times, Cohn (1998) describes Livan and Orlando Hernandez as two "who have escaped to the United States with Cubas's [sic] assistance in search of freedom, not to mention multi-million dollar contracts" (p. AI).

This contrast of oppressive Cuba and the free United States lends itself to references to America as the "promise land," giving an almost biblical quality to the Cubas Narrative. For example, when asked by Safer why so many players were defecting, Cubas replied "primarily because they have found someone who could take them to the promised land" (Olian, 1998). Cubas is also characterized as a shepherd (Anderson, 1999), who is "fulfilling dreams of freedom and dollars" (Berkow, 1996). Winegardner (1998) employed an explicitly biblical description of Orlando Hernandez's defection to the United States. He "descended into the Bahamas. On the third day (more or less), he ascended on a charter jet into the heavens. He was delivered unto Costa Rica ... After ten weeks in the wilderness, El Duque was summoned to the promised land" (p. 152).

According to press reports, Cubas is not shy about letting the players "know the advantages of living in a free society" (Cohn, 1999, p. Al), and telling them what freedom means (Berkow, 1996). He is quoted in the New York Times talking about the importance of "helping people gain freedom and seek their dream of playing major league baseball. I say, `In America, you have opportunity, not restraints like in Cuba.' When I'm sitting and talking to them about what life in America can be like, I equate it to baseball. I say, It's like you're up to bat. You can now hit the ball as far as you like. It's beautiful" (Berkow, 1996, p. B14). Evidently Cubas has no trouble rectifying statements like this with his insistence that he does not try to talk ballplayers into defecting.