Cuba-US: when baseball matters more for policy than the sport To play in front of a full house against the United States is already stressful, but with US President Barack Obama planning to be in the stands and many following along on TV...Cuban baseball is preparing for an exhibition game that’s more important for politics than the sport. The Cuban national team will face the Tampa Bay Rays on March 22 at Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana -- the first time a Major League team has played on the communist-ruled island since 1999. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES