MASN's Mike Bordick recalls O's 1999 exhibition in Cuba

When President Barack Obama announced plans to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba in December, news broke less than two months later that the Orioles are among the teams interested in playing an exhibition game there this spring.

This might all sound familiar for a reason.

Sixteen years ago, after the United States lifted travel restrictions to Cuba, the Orioles played a home-and-home exhibition series with the Cuban national team, becoming the first major league team to play a game in the nearby island nation since 1959.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos led the initiative, hoping to capitalize on the policy change to improve diplomacy between the nations, something that's on the way to happening today.

On March 28, 1999, the Orioles made the trek from Fort Lauderdale Stadium, where they held spring training, to Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana for the first of the two contests against Cuba. With former Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, Angelos and former Cuban President Fidel Castro sitting together in the stands, the Orioles eked out a 3-2 win in 11 innings.

Right-hander Scott Erickson allowed one run in seven innings, but that wasn't enough for a victory. The Orioles jumped out to a 2-0 lead on catcher Charles Johnson's homer in the second, but were held in check by right-hander Jose Contreras, who went on to pitch in the majors from 2003-13.

Contreras entered in relief the third inning and pitched eight spectacular frames, holding the Orioles scoreless on two hits while striking out 10 and walking four.

Cuba tied the game with single runs in the seventh and eighth before designated hitter Harold Baines drove in the eventual winner in the top of the 11th. Orioles left-hander Jesse Orosco got the save by holding Cuba scoreless in the bottom of the 11th.

The second exhibition took place in-season, on May 3, 1999 at Camden Yards. Right-hander Scott Kamieniecki started for the Orioles and second baseman Delino DeShields homered in the ninth, but Cuba earned a decisive 12-6 victory.

MASN color commentator Mike Bordick was the Orioles' starting shortstop at the time and played in both exhibition games. Bordick recalls being excited about the unique opportunity to play in Cuba.

"Just hearing all the stories about Cuban baseball, thinking that this was going to be pretty intense," he said. "I never had the opportunity to play in winter ball, so it was a great experience for me personally to see a little bit of that culture and their passion for the game. I think most players kind of looked at it that way, just an opportunity to see how other cultures played baseball. And they certainly proved to be a great opponent, and now you see a lot of Cuban players playing in the major leagues."

The atmosphere for the game was unlike anything Bordick had experienced - the high energy in the stands with fans sounding horns, pounding on drums and shaking tambourines.

"It was just great excitement all the way through," Bordick said. "I remember balls going up into the outfield seats and kids just being so excited. It didn't matter who you ran into even before the game and after the game. There was just a great excitement, you could tell a tremendous passion for the game of baseball and also to see major league players come over."

The game itself was as competitive as it could be with the Cuban national team giving a major league club all it could handle, taking the Orioles to extra innings before falling by a single run.

Considering the fact that the Orioles started seven of nine regulars and had Erickson on the mound, seeing the Cuban talent play them so tight was eye-opening.

"Heck yeah, it was," Bordick said. "... I think it was good for our team because we were obviously preparing for the (major league) season and we knew that we had to be respectable. Spring training was winding down. We were all supposed to be working on all cylinders, and I think it was a good test. We substituted a lot of players. I don't think our A team stayed in there the whole time. But still, there was some depth there. There was some good young players that ended up eventually playing in the major leagues and helping us out.

"So it was a big challenge, a good opportunity. I think for everybody, it was a very intense game. We knew they were going to be out to beat us and we obviously had to prove that we were a worthy opponent. We didn't want to certainly lose. We were playing to win for sure."

And the player who gave the Orioles the most trouble was a then 27-year-old Contreras, who dazzled out of the bullpen.

"He was pretty nasty," Bordick recalled. "We got to their first pitcher, the starter, and then Contreras came in and just we were like, 'Come on, let's get him out of here. Quick.' The next thing you know, he's (pitched) eight innings ... shutout, maybe a couple hits."

The Orioles' series with Cuba was about much more than baseball, however. Bordick wasn't interested in getting tied up in any of the political ramifications of the game, but was proud to be a part of Angelos' and MLB's efforts to make inroads with Cuba-U.S. relations.

"You really had to separate it and say, 'We're just playing baseball. We're still in the exhibition stage. We're preparing for the season. We're going to go out there and play hard and win.' And I think the political side of it certainly would've been a distraction," Bordick said. "But I felt good about playing the game. I didn't feel bad about doing something for Fidel Castro or Cuba. I just kind of looked at it like things have to start somewhere. Good or bad, the perception - some people are going to like it, some people aren't. I think we're part of something that can potentially be a change, and even if it doesn't change right away, you hope the next time something comes around, it lasts a little bit longer.

"So to be a part of something like that, and I think it was a bold move by Mr. Angelos, and it certainly brought some attention there and obviously some interest in the game. It worked twofold to help promote Major League Baseball and it helped some of the Cuban players as well, as some of them came over to play in the United States. ...

"I think anytime people look for change, somebody's got to take a step forward and somebody has to take a chance. Whether it works or not, if you're a part of that, it stimulates conversation and it helps growth one way or another. People were talking about it and who knows if it may lead to something bigger from this? What President Obama's doing, it seems like it did and certainly there are two sides. There's a lot of negative viewpoints on it. But hey, somebody's got to make a move, right? Somebody's got to start if you want to incite a change. It feels good to have been a part of that."

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette recently confirmed that the Orioles are looking at the possibility of playing another exhibition in Cuba.

Having played in the last major league exhibition there and having seen the recent U.S. policy change, Bordick thinks it would be a positive for the Orioles.

"Of course. Absolutely. Why not? I think a door's open," he said. "... Think of the opportunity for players, expansion, Major League Baseball if there's an open line, the players that come out of Cuba and then the safety aspect. You think of all the players that have played in the major leagues, the stories that they have. I mean, geez, it's horrifying, scary for a lot of players that still dream about playing in the major leagues.

"It'd be better if there were a safer way for everybody and it'd be a great opportunity for them, and of course Major League Baseball, too."