-DATE-
19880910
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REMARKS
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO PRAISES PLAYERS PATRIOTISM
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA TELE-REBELDE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19880912
-TEXT-
Praises Players' Patriotism

FL1009160888 Havana Tele-Rebelde Network in Spanish 1300 GMT 10 Sep 88

[Text]  Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz has held a fraternal meeting
with the members of the undefeated baseball team, which has just won the
world championship in Italy.  Some of the topics discussed were memorable
moments during the close games, the characteristics of the strongest teams,
the current level of baseball, and the high degree of technical preparation
evident in the results obtained.

[Begin Castro recording]  The spirit with which our athletes, our baseball
teams, play is very praiseworthy.  They are not seeking advantages,
benefits, money, wealth.  It would be very hard to find people who are as
modest, devoted, loyal, principled.  They are not lured by temptation, by
the desire for wealth.  I feel that they are completely devoted to sports.
I think of all those factors when I think of our athletes.  I believe all
this gives an indication of their quality.

The quality of our baseball players can be measured in many ways.  It
involves a number of things, not one single thing.  It is not only that
they are brilliant in the game they play.  They are also brilliant in their
pride, dignity, honor, courage; in the morals they observe at all times.  I
feel that they are also brilliant as revolutionaries and as patriots.  You
see many things coming together in this team.  We salute them with few but
very sincere words.  We congratulate them because they deserve it.
[applause]  [end recording]
-END-