Three nations
In New England, baseball fans live in two nations – the USA as well as Red Sox Nation. In 1918, the latter had just concluded winning their fifth World Series in 16 seasons. Then their best player, Babe Ruth, was sold to the New York Yankees – not a strong team, never having won a World Series or even appeared in one. But in the transaction, the teams also traded fortunes for the rest of the 20th century. Yankees appeared in 38 World Series, winning 26, while the Sox appeared in four, winning none. Not until 2004 did the Sox win the World Series again, breaking the so-called Curse of the Bambino.
But there was more to the Curse than losing Ruth. Red Sox Nation could have cheered for Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. Both were available. Neither was signed. The Sox were the last team in the Majors to hire a Black player. Would Robinson and Mays have done for the Sox what the Babe did for the Yankees?
More enlightened decisions made for better results. One Sox hire provides a glimpse of ‘What Might Have Been’ – Luis Tiant, a Black Latino from another nation – Cuba.
Despite the U.S.’s initial treatment of him in his own words “as a dog,” Luis found a home with Red Sox Nation and contributed spectacularly, including the 1975 Series that fell short of ending the Curse. He won two games throwing 162 pitches in one.
When asked why he stayed in cold Boston and retired to Maine, Luis replied, “I stay where the people respect me. You respect me, I respect you.”
Alas! Today’s U.S. headlines: “Trump’s economic vise leaves Cubans desperate for food and medicine.” Would that our U.S. nation learn the lesson the Sox learned.