HAVANA — The ball soared off the bat of Tampa Bay’s James Loney in the top of the fourth inning and headed toward the stands in right field that were painted with the slogan “Sport, Conquest of the Revolution.”
The crowd stood and watched as the drive sailed over the wall, and then came the cheering. Not as loud as it might have been if the home run had been hit by someone on the Cuban national team, but loud enough, and shared, with the many thousands of Cuban fans on hand clapping in unified respect with their American guests.