Days before his childhood hero, Minnie Minoso of the Chicago White Sox, is inducted posthumously into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on Sunday, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) called attention to his pending legislation, the Baseball Diplomacy Act.
The measure would give Cuban baseball players the same opportunities as athletes from other countries on non-immigrant visas only for the duration of the baseball season. It would also permit Cuban players to play baseball in the United States without having to renounce their Cuban citizenship and abandon their families.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
“Some of our greatest baseball players are Cuban or learned to play the game there, including my childhood hero, the late Minnie Minoso, ‘The Cuban Comet’ of the Chicago White Sox, who will be immortalized with his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. I am proud to have called him a friend and to see him receive this long-deserved honor.
“Current Cuban players have to renounce their citizenship and abandon their families back home to play in our major leagues. That’s bad for them, bad for the fans and bad for the game. The Baseball Diplomacy Act would eliminate these unnecessary barriers and let the best ball players compete, all the while improving U.S.-Cuban relations and transforming lives.”
The Baseball Diplomacy Act would not affect other aspects of U.S. relations with Cuba or change other laws on immigration. It would only eliminate barriers that apply to Cuban athletes by allowing them to get visas for the duration of the baseball season and to return home for the off-season, like athletes from other countries.
Original source can be found here.
