MLB Could Be Returning to Cuba

Now that President Obama has been working with Raul Castro to improve the relationship between the United States and Cuba there has been plenty of speculation that Major League Baseball may be returning to Cuba. I say returning to Cuba because the Cincinnati Reds once had their Triple-A affiliate in Cuba, the Havana Sugar Kings, and the Major League Baseball Player's Association President Tony Clark may be open to seeing the game return there.

Not to get too political here but it is going to be a slow healing process between the US and Cuba after tensions were so high for so long. Major League Baseball may be the common ground between these two countries and could act as an olive branch from our side of things. Cuba is worried about how the new relations, and laws, could affect their league the Serie Nacional. There are now talks of Spring Training games heading to Cuba in the near future with the eventual goal of playing MLB games and having minor league affiliates there.

Major League Baseball is a global game and this is the next step in its expansion of that goal. This is a great time to be a fan of MLB and a great time to be alive in my very humble opinion.

All Players to Undergo Mandatory Domestic Violence Training

All players eligible and on the team’s 40 man roster will have to attend a mandatory education program on domestic violence sometime during this spring training. San Francisco’s based Futures Without Violence program will be conducting the training for all players after Major League Baseball and the Player’s Union agreed earlier in the week.

It’s simple, learn from Ray Rice. Don’t beat your wife, don’t beat your children. If you do then I personally believe you are a lesser human being and you don’t deserve to showcase your God given talents on a Major League Baseball field. That’s your training. Beat your wife, lose your contract.

Rob Manfred Expects Domestic Violence Policy By 2015

The new commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred is doing something that neither the NBA nor NFL are doing, being proactive about domestic violence. Manfred expects there to be a policy in place written into the Collective Bargaining Agreement before the beginning of the 2015 season regarding domestic violence by the players representing MLB. Good for Manfred and great news that MLB seems to be the new morale police in the sports world, and that may sound sarcastic but I assure you that it’s not.

Manfred claims that negotiations are already underway between the players union and the league on a new domestic violence policy and expects the policy to be in place before the start of next season. Manfred has been quoted as saying “the tones have been very positive” by USAToday.com and assures the fans that they will take their time and get it right rather than simply put something out there for the sake of putting something in place.

They may not admit to this but this policy has to be reactionary from the NFL and Ray Rice situation that happened this offseason. Rice struck his wife in an elevator and the entire thing was caught on camera. The NHL also suspended Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov indefinitely after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence even without being formally charged with anything. Sports are cracking down on domestic violence and all I have to say is that it’s sad it has come to this but it is about damn time that it gets done.

A big thank you goes out to Commissioner Manfred, the players union, and everyone involved in the process that are keeping the players’ families, wives, and children safe.