CUBAN BASEBALL CRISIS: IT'S INVITE ONLY; HENRY OPPOSES GAME

          Attendance for the Orioles exhibition game on Sunday
     against a team of Cuban all-stars at LatinoAmericana Stadium
     is by invitation only, according to USA TODAY's Morello &
     Weir.  Only those invited by the Communist Party or trade
     unions will be allowed to attend.  The Orioles are the first
     MLB team to play in Cuba since '59 (USA TODAY, 3/26).
          HE SAID, HE SAID: Orioles Owner Peter Angelos said that
     "from the outset," there "was never an ulterior motive" for
     wanting to play in Cuba, "just a free exchange."  Angelos:
     "The notion that this initiative will somehow give the
     Orioles an advantage in recruiting ... in the future is more
     born of cynicism than fact."  In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck
     writes that Angelos' status "as an influential Democratic
     political contributor" helped him arrange the game.  More
     Angelos: "I think many Americans feel there should be
     contact between the two peoples" (Baltimore SUN, 3/26).  In
     Miami, Mike Phillips writes that Marlins Owner John Henry
     continues to be "the loudest voice" against the Orioles
     playing in Cuba.  Henry: "The major problem here is
     ignorance.  People are not aware of the depth of oppression
     in Cuba.  If they were, no one would support this game." 
     Henry "declined" an MLB invitation to attend the game, and
     said "he almost couldn't believe it" when they asked,
     adding, "I'm opposed to the game, and the Marlins'
     organization is opposed to this game."  Henry, on Angelos:
     "He has shown he doesn't care what we think.  He sure didn't
     ask us what we think.  He's interested in getting a
     competitive advantage ... A lot of people in baseball
     believe this" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/26).  In DC, Richard Justice
     writes that the Orioles "have declined to name the airport
     from which they're departing" from because the team is "wary
     of demonstrators" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/26).
          GAME NOTES: The Cuban game's promoter, Scott Armstrong,
     will be paid by the Orioles for his services (Baltimore SUN,
     3/26)....WPLG-ABC in Miami "received permission" to carry
     ESPN's broadcast of the game, but it will "weave in
     political commentary between innings and before and after
     the game" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/26)....In MN, La Velle Neal
     writes that 20 of 30 MLB teams are sending scouts to Cuba
     for the game (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/26)....The Cuban
     game is profiled in extensive features in today's N.Y.
     TIMES, USA TODAY, WASHINGTON TIMES, and MIAMI HERALD.