On Day 2 of MLB's goodwill trip to Cuba, Clayton Kershaw did something he always does this time of year, but when he did it this time, it proved to be an emotional experience for those surrounding him.
Despite being on the mission, the diligent Kershaw took some time to throw on Wednesday with former major-league outfielder Jose Cruz in Havana's Hotel Nacional as the sun set.
A throng of Cuban civilians flocked around the scene to watch the three-time Cy Young Award winner throw.
According to MLB.com, Cruz heard people weeping as he played catch with Kershaw.
"It was a bit surreal," Cruz told MLB.com. "It was beautiful."
MLB's three-day trip to Cuba is its first since diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the island country were rekindled last year, and it has had a profound impact on the Cuban people and MLB representatives on the trip alike.
"It kind of put it in perspective, how important baseball is here," Kershaw said. "Just the passion that the Cuban people have for baseball, and then maybe the significance of this trip, too."
Kershaw spent Wednesday teaching 150 children how to pitch, instructing them to hold their leg at the top of their wind-up and pause for a few seconds before driving towards the plate just like he does in his iconic delivery.
Later in the day, Kershaw and the other MLB players on the trip (Miguel Cabrera, Jose Abreu, Nelson Cruz, Alexei Ramirez, Brayan Pena, Jon Jay, and teammate Yasiel Puig) visited a local church, where dozens of children gathered to thank them, MLB, and the MLBPA for a $200,000 grant by performing a song for them.
"It's amazing to see where baseball can take you," Kershaw said. "An opportunity like this doesn't come along very often. Just to be a part of this trip and to kind of be the outsider, just to see how the different players interact and just how important it is for them to come back, it puts a lot of it in perspective. Baseball is just a game, obviously, but it means a lot to a lot of different people."
Cool scene in Havana. Caritas Cubanas kids sing to @MLB players & they get on stage. Check out Miguel Cabrera. #Cuba pic.twitter.com/IwVj6wsA6H
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) December 17, 2015
