Editorials. Published Thursday, April 27, 2000, in the Miami Herald
One of the most successful and visible aspects of the one-day work stoppage called to protest Elian Gonzalez's forcible removal from the care of his Miami relatives came not in the streets of Little Havana, but on the diamonds of Major League Baseball.
Marlins' manager John Boles deserves a pat on the back for supporting the wishes of six players, two coaches and a club executive to honor the 6-year-old boy by not suiting up.
Although the Marlins lost a heartbreaker, Coach Boles commendably said he had no regrets about his decision. His priorities are straight. Several other Cuban-born players also sat out.
Then yesterday afternoon, the Marlins' Vladimir Nuñez faced the San Francisco Giants' Livan Hernandez as starting pitchers. Both men fled Cuba barely four years ago. Could it be that they know something about the hopelessness of growing up on that island?
Copyright 2000 Miami Herald |