Nobody here gets paid a million dollars. Neither has anyone been accused of using steroids nor been in steady trouble with the law. Players never go to the park wondering if their kids are safe from drugs and crime. retired Nicaraguan player, Enrique Grifalna, is attached as a coach to Los Industriales for a year-long work-study program. Several people tell me with pride that Cuba provided more blood donations to Armenia than any other country. Euclides Rodriguez, relief pitcher and Pan-Am Games winner. National enthusiasm can get a bit thick at times. Cubans trace The Game to a ball and stick contest played by Carib Indians. One night at the stadium, an elderly man asked me if there was much baseball played in the U.S. Los Industriales game against La Ju- ventud, punctuated early with a rhubarb, ends in a rout. Valle strikes out 8 in six innings, with no earned runs. Javier Mendez hits a three-run homer in the third. It’s a 13-2 no caro win. Outside the park afterward, children play a pickup game in the dusty square. Old men stand at the open-air bar across the street, tossing off rum shots and talking baseball. Long after my return to Portland, Los Industriales lose the Cuban series in the seventh game. Valle had a bad game and no support. Tonight, however, is a celebration. The most surprising thing about Cuba is how much it feels like home. Pizza parlors abound. Rock and jazz are everywhere. Air pollution, smoking and obesity are the major health problems. One kid in every group photo holds up two fingers behind another’s head. Similar, but there’s always that Cuban twist, like the Cha- Cha. Usually it’s better. There i^ no football and baseball is king. BEISBOL IS BASEBALL T h o se who’ve chosen to be here [at a Christmas game in Tijuana] on their holy day are fanatics in the original sense of the word, connoting attachment to the sacred. From the Latin fanum, meaning temple. “Every day’s a 1 good day for a ballgame” is the gospel according to Ernie Banks. My religion begins and ends with Mr. Cubs single commandment, “Let’s play two!” From El Beisbol, ©1989 John Krich, Atlantic Monthly Press, New York. Writer Lynn DeWeese-Parkinson lives in Portland. He remembers the first curve ball ever thrown his way. This is his first story in I Clinton St. Ace pitcher Lazaro Valle (shirtless) and friend. Now Serving Cocktails and Great Margaritas FOOD 2610 N.W. Vaughn 220-0283 Enchilada, Chili Relleno, salad, chips and salsa $4.95 Chosen "one of the best Mexican Restaurants in Portland." — PACIFICNW MAGAZINE 1988 HAPPY HARVEST R s 3 0 W W T O The latest release from Portland's Flying Heart label is a "totally smoking" re-issue of the Complete Works of Snow Bud. Includes previously unreleased material as well as "Bong Hit" and all the rest. Look for this excellent dual-length cassette at 2nd Avenue Records, Rockport Records or Music Millennium. They'll also have Napalm Beach CD's and the rest of the Flying Heart catalog. 4026 NE 12th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97212 FLYING E Cafe Y featuring \ & £ organically grown foods y Hip Foods for Healthy People ' 2348 S.E. Ankeny Street 235-5358 One block South of Bumside HEART RECORDS Portland's premier independent label is proud to make possible In part the broadcast of the Northwest Music Show on Sunday nights. Our records, cassettes and compact discs are available a t many locations throughout the Northwest. Support local creative artists. 4026 NE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97212 \C/infon St. Dec. ’89-Jan. ’90 37
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