22b
Says Oscar: “This is a picture of Connie Marrero and me in his Havana apartment in January 2012. The picture of Victor Mesa and me was taken at the home stadium of Matanzas. I was about to ask Mesa for his autograph on a ball when the Cuban national play by play announcer came up to do his pre-game interview. One game per night is televised all over the country due to the fact that electricity is so scarce that night games are limited nationally to one. Mesa threw his arm around my shoulder and began talking. It was my “Andy Warhol 15 Minutes of Fame,” but it lasted for three. However in those three minutes, I became a national celebrity, seen by millions since baseball is a national religion in Cuba. I must say that was one of my life’s “magic moments,” being hugged by Victor Mesa and viewed by a nation. Needless to say, I was the envy of my Cubaball teammates.”
