4 PR Lessons Sports Leaders Can Learn from MLB’s Return to Cuba

In our last post, my colleague provided a brief history and his personal account on the Cuba-U.S. relationship, as well as context around the recent decision to open diplomatic relations with the island and what that could mean for the future of baseball.

No matter where you stand on the Tampa Bay Rays vs Cuba National Team baseball game, it’s evident the occasion opened up a world of possibilities for both the athletic talent on the island and sports businesses, organizations, and teams in the United States. Many reporters have noted there’s a different wind on the island; a feeling that maybe the way sports interact with Cuba is ready to change. For many, that maybe is a source of hope.

For sports organizations managing their brands and looking to find talent or business opportunities in Cuba or abroad, that may need a little guidance to navigate the political climate and avoid the reputational risks that may arise. As reputation managers, here at AIM we are highly interested in finding insights that better position our clients during unexpected situations.

Here are four scenarios that impacted the MLB, Cuban athletes, and government that can serve as valuable lessons to help avoid reputational harm when engaging abroad.

1.) Negative media coverage and/or social media conversation due to illegal prospecting

In Feb. 2016, certified MLBPA agent Bart Hernandez was indicted by a grand jury in Miami on charges of human trafficking related to smuggling Seattle Mariners outfielder Leonys Martin out of Cuba and into the United States in 2010. Hernandez specialized in representing Cuban defectors such as Jose Abreu from the Chicago White Sox, Adeiny Hechavarria of the Miami Marlins and Jorge Soler of the Chicago Cubs.

According to the indictment, Hernandez conspired with two already-convicted Cuban alien smugglers, Eliezer Lazo and Joel Martinez Hernandez, to bring a Cuban national identified in the indictment by the initials “L.M.T.” into the United States illegally.

The situation cast a negative spotlight on Hernandez and his company Global Sports Management, as several top-tier publications including The New York Times, Yahoo! Sports, Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, and ESPN published stories on the incident.

The U.S. attorney’s office is seeking to recover $1.5 million that it claims Hernandez made from the $15.5 million contract that Martin signed with the Texas Rangers in 2011. If found guilty, Hernandez will also be required to forfeit his earnings from the contracts of two other players, who are thought to be Abreu and Dalier Hinojosa, a minor leaguer in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

2.) Defected player denied access to speak with Major League Baseball executives/agents

In Sept. 2015, up-and-coming 16-year-old Cuban baseball player Lazaro Armenteros missed out on an opportunity to introduce himself to union chief Tony Clark and MLB executives Dan Halem and Joe Torre because he had not been cleared to sign by the league.

Despite being well-known to the international baseball community, scouting directors were unauthorized to speak publicly about the Armenteros as a result of his uncertain status. The Cuban government blocked Lazaro from playing on the junior national team because they reportedly suspected he might defect during tournament play. After being blocked, he defected and established residency in Haiti in hopes to get opportunity to be part of the 2015-2016 international free-agent class.

In 2016, outlets reported he had been declared a free agent by the Major League Baseball, narrowly avoiding the possible consequence of losing his opportunity to play professional baseball in the U.S. Although Lazaro’s case ended favorably, he was denied entry by Ecuadorian immigration officials and sent back to Cuba when he first left Cuba. He then traveled to Russia in hopes to fly to Haiti from Mosco, but he was denied. On his way back to Cuba, he was able to purchase a ticket for Haiti during a layover in Germany, allowing him to make his way inside the baseball community via the Dominican Republic.

3.) A potential defector is injured or loses life at the hands of black-market smugglers

In April 2012, four young Cubans including now baseball player Yasiel Puig and former national-level Cuban boxer Yunior Despaigne fled Cuba in the hands of black-market smugglers. Despaigne had spent the previous year recruiting Puig to defect, under the direction of a Cuban-born resident of Miami named Raul Pacheco. If Despaigne was caught and found, he would have faced serious prison time for aiding and abetting. The lancheros – smugglers on boats – that met the four defectors were the leaders of an alien-smuggling-and-boat-theft-ring with links to the Mexican cartel Los Zetas.

According to Puig, millions of dollars were at play with the cutthroat smugglers and the trip was littered with betrayal and murder, with some lancheros even being shot to death on the side of the road. The smugglers later made death threats against him and Despaigne. According to the boxer, one smuggler pushed him up against his car and pressed a pistol to his liver told him to tell Puig if he didn’t pay them, they would kill him.

Puig has since been involved in lawsuits against the alleged smugglers and, like many other defectors before him, had promised 20 percent of his future contracts. Media coverage appeared in several top-tier outlets, such as The New York Post, USA Today, Seattle Times, ESPN, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, NPR, and more.

4.) Protests occur during a game and/or sponsored event or broadcast

In March 2016, a baseball fan who was apparently angered by the Tampa Bay Rays’ recent trip to Cuba was arrested for making his way onto the field and throwing a full can of beer into the team’s dugout. According to players and Bradenton police, the man moved toward the field from the seats behind third base, shouting obscenities about the Castro regime in Cuba before jumping a short fence and throwing the can at the Rays’, missing the players and hitting the back wall of the dugout.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt and a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates ground crew and Rays third base coach Charlie Montoyo were able to restrain the protestor until the police arrived. The man will be charged with causing a fray, trespassing, and assault.

Bradenton police Lt. John Affolter told outlets that in his 23 years working at baseball stadiums, he’s never seen anything like that. This is yet another example of how politically-charged activists and protestors can cause unprecedented conflicts that require swift decisive action in order to protect the fans, the players and the team’s reputation.

The sports world and political history offer us numerous opportunities for growth in the areas of talent, exposure, investments, endorsements and sponsorships. Sometimes these opportunities are remarkable successes, where risky scenarios fail to gain tractions across media channels. Other times, being unprepared for these scenarios can lead to losing control of your brand’s positioning, mission and values during a time of necessary swift action and response. The challenge of a leader is not to simply make bold decisions, but to be boldly handle unanticipated situations with ease and grace in the public eye.

The MLB, MLB players association, U.S. Government and the Cuban Government are all working together to make sure the four problems outlined do not occur going forward. Brands will have to adapt to legislative changes, some brands may try to influence legislative decisions and diplomatic decisions themselves, including the MLB.

Regardless of what country you are in, if you are looking for counsel or sound advice to help actively manage a crisis or potentially sensitive situation, call AIM Sports Reputation Management at 1-855-AIM-8661, and we’ll help you get the results you need to move forward.