Joe Torre, Dave Winfield Will Lead MLB Goodwill Tour Of Cuba Later This Month

MLB and the MLBPA today said they will make a goodwill tour of Cuba from Dec. 15-18, marking the sport’s first official trip to the country since an exhibition game between the Orioles and the Cuban national team in ’99. MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre and Dave Winfield, a special advisor to MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark, will lead the tour and will be joined by a group of current MLBers to be named at a later date. The tour will include two children’s clinics and a charity event. The creation of the goodwill tour follows President Obama’s announced intentions to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has repeatedly expressed a desire to expand activities in the country including a potential staging of exhibition games there. “Baseball represents a pivotal common bond in our cultures, and the impact that Cuban ballplayers have made on our game is undeniable,” Manfred said. “I am hopeful that this tour will represent the beginning of a longstanding relationship.”