As Ernest Hemingway significantly expresses his affection for baseball in the book Old Man and the Sea, Cuban culture also displays strong feelings towards the sport. Baseball first played an important role in the late 19th century and continues to show the same impact today. This created a considerable influence on culture and also played an important role in political point of view. To fully recognize baseball's impact on the 20th century, one must first evaluate the history of Cuban baseball. Next, we must learn how baseball played a recognized role in the political system. Finally, they must interpret how much this sport has changed Cuban culture. Baseball was first introduced to Cuba in the 1860s by a few American sailors stationed in Cuba (Schur). At the beginning of the baseball era, Cuban citizens quickly accepted the game into their culture and it became their favorite sport (McInnes). Before the acceptance of baseball, the Spanish had made bullfighting Cuba's flagship sport. At that time, Cuba was part of the Spanish colony, which created conflicts between native Cubans and the Spanish authorities. Spain insisted on leaving bullfighting as a colonial sport because of its power on the island. Therefore, the Cuban people began to seek out baseball to initiate their process of independence from the Spanish. Baseball had been used as an important source of income for the Cubans in order to maintain their relations with Spain (Wysocki). Eventually, in the 1870s, they created an official baseball league in which they could officially compete (McInnes). After studying Cuban culture and politics, they will be able to better understand how sports have influenced many incredible changes in the world. Works Cited Hemingway, Hilaire. Hemingway in Cuba. New York: Rugged Land, LLC, 2003. Print. McInnes, Kelly. “Political and Economic Effects on Baseball in Cuba.” McInnes. Anderson University, January 22, 2014. Web. April 30, 2014. Nash, Gary and Julie Jeffrey. “Foreign Policy in the Age of Globalization.” The American People Volume Two: Since 1865. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2011. 743-744. Print.Schur, Ryan M. "The Effect of Major League Baseball on U.S.-Cuba Relations." » 2012. Ryan Schur Law. Web. April 29, 2014. Solomon, Daniel F. Breaking with Cuba. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2011. Print. Wysocki, David The Game of Fidel Castro: Baseball and Cuban Nationalism Chico: The Chico Historian, 2009. Web..