The Latinoamericano Stadium, the largest of its kind in Cuba and home to the iconic baseball team Industriales, now presents a depressing and neglected sight, particularly its turf. Daniel de Malas, founder of the digital platform Swing Completo, shared an image on social media revealing the turf's poor condition, which has lost its vibrant green for a dreary brownish hue.
"Such pain! This is how the Great Stadium of Havana looks today, once considered the cathedral of Cuban baseball," stated de Malas on X (formerly known as Twitter). He sarcastically added, "The island is a total disaster, luckily 'baseball is a national heritage'."
In the comments section, people shared their thoughts on the image, which not only catches the eye but also evokes memories of past games at the venue also known as "Coloso del Cerro".
"It's the reflection of 65 years of disaster," commented one user.
"What a horror, what sadness!" expressed another netizen.
In 2021, it was announced that the Latinoamericano Stadium would be managed by the private sector, a move by the government aimed at revitalizing baseball in Cuba. This was supposed to be followed by efforts to attract investment for various tournaments, such as the National Series, thereby reducing reliance on state-assigned budgets.
However, neither measure seems to have been implemented, especially as the current National Series is declining due to the performances of players, team managers, and referees. Recently, players from Cienfuegos, along with their team director, were suspended for assaulting referees during a game.
Another referee was attacked during a match between Pinar del Río and Matanzas at the Capitán San Luis Stadium, after allegedly making a crucial mistake in calling an out in the ninth inning.
Adding to the series of unfortunate events, the Latinoamericano Stadium witnessed another regrettable incident when the Industriales team was stripped of a game victory for using an ineligible player.