Almendares — Cuban-American Lifestyle & Food Blog — My Big Fat Cuban Family: A Cuban-American Blog

{Disclosure: This post is not compensated by any organization, nor affiliated in any way with the Los Angeles Dodgers. I, personally, just have some extra tickets that I'd love to give away.}

Cubans and Baseball. A Love Affair.

The Cuban love of the game of baseball is legendary. From the late 1800's when the Almendares began playing baseball in earnest, we Cubans embraced baseball as part of our own national identity.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I remember going to Dodger games with my brothers-in-law. They would bring transistor radios with them to the game so they could hear the legendary Vin Scully calling the play-by-play as they watched the game live.

Personally, I don't really enjoy watching baseball on TV, but a live game....The Best. Plus when we go watch the Anaheim Angels play at Edison Field, we get to wear red. (It's the little things.)

And my 99 year old mom? She still gets totally excited about the World Series every year. I know. Shut up.

So, last month my kids, Jonathan and Amy Kikita went to a Dodger game to watch Yasiel Puig play (also, we look really great in Dodger Blue, too), but sadly he had gotten hurt and it didn't happen. But they had a fantastic time sitting with a large group of noisy Cubans (is there another kind?) out behind right field.

In case you haven't been following the story, Puig defected from Cuba last year and started his rookie season this year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's young and brash and a little cocky and okay, maybe not too bright, but that kid can hit!

Viva Los Dodgers!

Anyway, the Dodgers are hosting Cuban Heritage Day next Sunday, September 1st at Dodger Stadium and we Darbys are all going to be there, because hey, it's Cuban. Heritage. Day. (Actually, for reasons unbeknownst to me personally, they're now calling it Viva Los Dodgers Day and I'm okay with that. The tickets still say Cuban Heritage Day, but that's not important right now.)

There will be a pre-game shindig pachanga with the salsa band, Charanga Cubana and a meet and greet with another fabulous Cuban player, Paco Rodriguez. The party starts two hours prior to the game 11:00 am where we will celebrate our Cuban culture and love of all things baseball with music, games and entertainment.

After the game, everyone is invited to stay to enjoy a special screening of the baseball movie The Sandlot. (The kid who played Benny in The Sandlot? Also Cuban. We're everywhere!)

My big, fat, Cuban family will be there all day on Sunday and we'd love to have you join us. I have two tickets to Sunday's game (in the Cuban section, of course) to give away to some lucky (?) reader.

If you live here in Southern California, or will be here next weekend and would like to hang with me and my big, fat, Cuban family at Dodger Stadium, here's your chance.

To enter this drawing for Two Tickets to the Los Angeles Dodgers Viva Los Dodgers Day, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions: