TV's influence

TV has played a major role in Cuba's new-found fervor for soccer.

"There are eight baseball games being played at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and they don't air any of those games. Instead we'll see Barcelona's match on the TV," said Eduardo Medina, a 65-year-old fan.

"What does that tell you? That football is slowly squeezing it out," said Medina, watching from the stands at Estadio Latinamericano - the cathedral of Cuban baseball - where La Habana was taking on Las Tunas from the east of the island.

Cuban TV first broadcast recorded World Cup matches from the 1982 finals in Spain, progressing to live matches from the 1994 edition in the USA.

It now broadcasts matches from Europe's big divisions, as well as the Champions League.

In contrast, baseball is struggling for coverage.

State television only began airing MLB games from North America in 2013 - and then only those that did not include Cuban players. They were still considered "deserters" until recently, though there are tentative signs that the official tone is changing.

Last year, for the first time, Cuban TV showed recorded World Series games which featured Cuban players. However, this year the fans were left wanting again when the sport's showpiece wasn't broadcast.

"These things have been lacerating baseball fans in Cuba," lamented Pablo Diaz, a 32-year-old fan.

The quality of Cuban baseball has suffered and the national team hasn't won a meaningful event since the 2006 Intercontinental Cup.

At grassroots level, costs can quickly add up. A baseball glove costs the same as a soccer ball, around $30 - roughly equivalent to a month's salary - and a team needs nine gloves, in addition to bats and balls.

Soccer is, therefore, cheap by comparison.

But Cuba's baseball authorities are not taking soccer's challenge lying down. Eyes firmly set on qualifying for Tokyo 2020, they have revamped the country's domestic championship to make it more competitive and have begun remodeling its main stadiums.