Two top players from the most famous baseball family in Cuba are not expected to return to the island. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., 22, and Yulieski Gurriel, 31, are believed to have defected from Cuba’s Ciego de Avila team following the Caribbean Series that concluded Sunday in order to seek contracts with Major League teams, according to sources. Lourdes is considered the top prospect in Cuba while his brother is considered the country’s best player. Both have repeatedly expressed a desire to leave the island legally and with the permission of the Cuban government. El Nuevo Herald, Miami’s largest Spanish daily first reported their defection. Although they said they wanted to leave legally,reality shows us that in Cuba the government is focusing on generating revenues from American tourists who are visiting the island in record numbers, so they(government) looks the other way when it comes to players defections. The Gurriel brothers played all their lives for their country, now they want to realize the dream of any baseball player in the world, to make it to the major leagues, and to make some money. You ask: how can anybody disagree with that? Well, that is what a communist system does, they prevent you from realizing your goals. There is a reason many Cuban players have risked their lives and their families escaping the island via homemade rafts in the shark infested waters of the Caribbean.

CBS coverage of Superbowl 50

On a sensationally clear sunny day here in the Bay Area, with temperatures in the mid 70’s, CBS opened their telecast with a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge with the city of San Francisco, and next shot they are at Levi Stadium. If a person watching this game that has never been to San Francisco, as soon as they see that, they must think Levi Stadium is in the Embarcadero, next to ATT Park. When in fact Levi Stadium is 50 miles south of San Francisco. In various occasions the announcers who were calling the game at Levi Stadium, said “here in San Francisco”. It is understandable, nobody disputes San Francisco is The City in northern California, but I thought it was quite interesting and you may say disingenuous. Or maybe CBS producers believe that everybody in the whole world (and this was a television event seen worldwide) have been to San Francisco and the Bay Area. During the middle of the first period, they were promoting the Half Time Show, like it was just next, when in fact you are only like 7 minutes into the game. The whole production(for me)was not as precise and clean as other Superbowls, and at that it was a -very promoted-Half Time Show- they showed clips from previous Superbowls Half Time Show. I, for one, did not see a lot of originality in this production. In the other hand you have sponsors paying $5 million dollars for a 30 second spot, so they get a lot for that, like an audience around 150 million domestic. Since 1993 when Michael Jackson appeared in the Half Time Show of that Superbowl, the Half Time Shows have shown (in many occasions)a larger audience than the LIVE action during the game on the field. Yes, it is a game, but it is more a big show.

Giants Fanfest Saturday February 13th

The San Francisco Giants Fanfest is this next Saturday the 13th from 9AM to 3PM at ATT Park, San Francisco.. It is the KNBR San Francisco Giants Fanfest. The Sacramento Rivercats, now a minor league affiliate for the San Francisco Giants will have a booth, as well as The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame www.hispanicheritagebaseballmuseum.org fun for everybody, less than a couple of weeks away from most teams opening their respective Spring Training camos in Arizona and Florida.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum vice president and does News and Commentary http://www.sportsradioservice.com