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<\/p>\nKit and Bob Krieger are Cubaballistas. The designation is reserved for those intrepid travelers and baseball aficionados who have visited Cuba on one of the 18 annual baseball tours organized by the Krieger brothers since 2001.<\/p>\n
Tour participants attend games of the Cuban National Series, whose graduates include Orlando \u201cEl Duque\u201d Hernandez, Jose Contreras, Jose Abreu, Aroldis Chapman, Alexei Ramirez, Yeonnis Cespedes and Kendrys Morales. They visit baseball academies where Cuba develops its baseball talent, meet with old-timers, including the handful of Cubans who played professional baseball in the US prior to the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Until his death in 2014, Cubaballistas visited Conrado \u201cConnie\u201d Marrero, the former Washington Senator whose nearly 103 years is second only to Red Hoff among former big leaguers. Cubaball donates baseball equipment to baseball academies and National Series teams.<\/p>\n
On the first trip, the Cubaballistas discovered the grave of Martin Dihigo, the\u00a0 Negro League legend and member of five Halls of Fame, who is considered the greatest all-around player in baseball history. They visit his grave each year and meet with his oldest son, Martin Jr., who played in the Reds organization with Pete Rose and Tony Perez.<\/p>\n
Over the years, the Cubaballistas have worked to provide much needed support to their Cuban friends, including Luiz Zayas. Zayas, 81, is the last surviving member of the fabled Havana Sugar Kings residing in Cuba. They also help two of Cuba\u2019s leading baseball writers who speak to the group each year.<\/p>\n
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Connie Marrero sandwiched between Clem–Cubaball tour leader, and Kit, tour founder<\/p><\/div>\n
You can make a contribution to this worthwhile cause and win one of three prizes offered by the Kriegers: a box of Cohiba Robusto cigars, the Cuban National team jersey give to Connie Marrero on the occasion of his 99th<\/sup>\u00a0birthday (it has #99 and Marero\u2019s name on the back, and an original baseball-themed cartoon by Bob Krieger, who was the editorial page and Sports cartoonist for the Vancouver Province for more than three decades.<\/p>\n A sample of Bob Krieger’s drawings<\/p><\/div>\n The Krieger brothers are hoping to raise $2,500. If they exceed this goal, the remaining funds will be directed toward the restoration of a monument erected in Havana\u2019s Cristobal Colon cemetery in 1942 by the Christian Association of Players Managers and Umpires. Cuban baseball historians have located the gravesites of 150 Cuban players, including Adolfo Luque, Miguel Angel Gonzales and Hall of Famer, Jose Mendez. In the crypt of the monument, the Cubans discovered an ossuary containing what are believed to be the remains of Cristobal Torriente, the Negro League slugger and member of Halls of Fame in Cooperstown, Kansas City and Cuba. Tests are being carried out in an attempt to confirm that the remains are those of Torriente.<\/p>\n![\"Sample](\"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Marlena-72-dpi-copy-220x300.jpg\")