Linares is interviewed after hitting the winnng run in a game on July 23. (Jiji)

Japanese professional baseball received its first Cuban import this July, as Omar Linares, hero of Cuba's gold-medal-winning Olympic teams of 1992 and 1996, joined the Chunichi Dragons (Site is Japanese only). Cuba is well-known for being a baseball powerhouse, and the third baseman is the first player ever sent by the Cuban Baseball Federation to play professionally overseas. Linares soon impressed Chunichi fans, driving in the go-ahead run against the Hiroshima Carp in his first game and then hitting his first home run on July 27 against the Hanshin Tigers.

Dream Comes True for Cuban Star
Omar Linares is 34 years old. He took up playing baseball seriously when he was 12, having received encouragement from his father, who used to play for Cuba's national team. Linares became a member of the national team himself when he was 17 and played a role in Cuba's back-to-back gold medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. In 1992 he became the first player in the history of Cuba's baseball league to win the triple crown (leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs) and was transformed into a national hero.

Previously it was difficult for Cubans to play professional baseball abroad. This situation began to change, though, following the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In that Olympics, professional players were allowed to take part for the first time. The United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan sent pros, and Cuba, which had enjoyed preeminence in Olympic baseball, was forced to settle for silver after losing to the United States in the gold-medal game.

Following the loss, the Cuban government put forth a new plan to send its veteran players overseas. Players considered to be potential future managers would be dispatched to study firsthand professional baseball in other countries. As the first step in this process, Linares was allowed to sign with the Chunichi Dragons. While several Japanese teams were reportedly interested, Chunichi won the right to the Cuban star. The deal was conducted under a special sports-exchange program. Cuban players play for the love of the game and the honor of their country.

Old Friends Also Playing in Japan
Linares left his wife and three daughters behind in Cuba, and while he may sometimes be lonely, he is very excited about the job ahead, saying, "I want to learn about Japanese team play. Then I want to demonstrate Cuba's highest level of baseball."

Linares is not the first Cuban player to arrive in Japan under the sports exchange program. Orestes Kindelan and Antonio Pacheco, both former members of Cuba's national team, arrived in Japan in June to play for Shidax in the Japanese industrial league. Linares met his two old friends soon after arriving in Tokyo, and the three enjoyed a reunion. Linares is still in the process of adjusting to Japanese baseball, and whether more Cuban players follow in his footsteps may depend on his success. He admits that there is pressure on him to do well, but he is excited about the challenge.