PETER BJARKMAN HEADS HOME

Cuban baseball was a mystery for most fans in the United States. The end of United States-Cuba diplomatic relations in 1961 had put Cuba’s grand baseball tradition out of reach for baseball enthusiasts in the States.

Peter Bjarkman’s work over the past 30 years unraveled much of that mystery and enhanced our understanding of Cuban baseball.

His seminal book, Baseball with a Latin Beat: A History of the Latin American Game, became the bible for many young Latino writers, broadcasters, and historians.

Bjarkman, a well-regarded historian who became a featured contributor to La Vida Baseballsince our launch in March 2017, passed away after suffering a heart attack at the Havana airport on Monday morning after finishing a baseball tour of the island.

“He wasn’t well the week before the trip, but he wanted to go. He died a happy man,” his wife Ronnie Wilbur said.

UN AFICIONADO

Knowing Cuban baseball was truly Bjarkman’s sweet spot.

He educated us all through passionate writing, authoring over 40 books on sports history, from academic studies to picture books.

Few could rival Bjarkman’s knowledge of Cuban and Latin American baseball. None surpassed his passion for the subjects.

Bjarkman, a native of Hartford, Conn., traveled the world to see the Cuban national team. He witnessed their games on the Caribbean island and also in Japan, Holland, Italy, and other parts unknown to most baseball fans.

Bjarkman romanticized players and events. He also gave Cuban and Latino players their proper due and helped changed the narrative about the history of the game.

Peter was well known for his passion and knowledge of Cuban baseball that when Anthony Bourdain headed to Cuba to film “No Reservations: Cuba” episode, his production company called on Peter to be Bourdain’s baseball guide in Havana.

The pairing of Bourdain and Peter was more than just a television producer’s dream. It was smart because the two were so similar.

Both were passionate about what they knew and eager to learn more about what they didn’t. The two were willing to travel pretty much anywhere to acquire that knowledge. Upon reflection, it is hard to say who was luckier in that pairing. There was no one you’d want to spend time with at a Cuban ballpark more than Bjarkman.

Peter was insistent that we not divorce the Cuban baseball story, especially its post-revolutionary era, from the history of baseball in the United States.

He had seen so many Cuban greats perform, including legends Omar Linares, Orestes Kindelán, German Mesa, Lourdes Gurriel and Pedro Lazo.

He also saw José Abreu, Yoenis Cespedes and Aroldis Chapman play before they became Cuban baseball defectors and starred in the major leagues.

He worked to help us understand the place in history of these Cuban ballplayers, of Cuba’s baseball tradition, and of the impact that Major League Baseball’s desire for Cuban talent had on the future of Cuban baseball.

His passion came through loud and clear, both in his writings and in person.