Watch Greener Grass: Cuba, Baseball and the United States on Hulu
The history of Cuban-American relations is brought into focus through the lens of baseball in Greener Grass. The passion for the sport on both sides of the Straits of Florida was evident in 1999, when a historic two-game series pitted the Baltimore Orioles against the Cuban National Team. For the first time in 40 years, a Major League team played in Havana, and the Cuban team traveled to Baltimore. In packed stadiums, cowbells and fans, protesters and conga drums provided a backbeat for the series. But, behind the excitement lay a complex history of competition and cooperation that stretches back to baseball's origins.
Covering more than a century of baseball history, the documentary illustrates the ways in which the game has served as both a common ground and a test of strength between politically estranged countries. It also reveals how baseball is a microcosm that reflects divergent national identities, as well as the underlying tensions of race, democracy, and opportunity.
Greener Grass: Cuba, Baseball and the United States, by Aaron Woolf, Rudolph Callegari and Nancy Roth, was first broadcast on PBS in 2000, and re-broadcast on the ITVS series Global Voices in 2008. The new season of Global Voices premieres on May 9th (check local listings).
Watch Greener Grass: Cuba, Baseball and the United States on Hulu >>
Topics
From our blog
-
ITVS Responds to Rescission Vote
July 18, 2025[July 18, 2025] Carrie Lozano, President and CEO of the Independent Television Service (ITVS), issued the following statement in response to Congress' vote clawing back congressional approved funding for public media.Congress’ decision to pass the rescission package that removes the $1.1B of previously approved federal funds for the Corporation of…
-
Protecting Our Future and Charting the Course Ahead
June 4, 2025We are sharing the sad and difficult news that ITVS is reducing its staff by 13 individuals across the organization. For a staff so committed to our mission and to each other, this 20% staff reduction is a painful moment. Our dedicated staff have made important contributions that are part of ITVS' legacy and success story. In the past few months, ITVS has…
-
ITVS Documentary "Greener Pastures" Honored by the Television Academy
May 1, 2025The Television Academy announced that the ITVS-supported, Independent Lens documentary Greener Pastures will be celebrated at the 18th Television Academy Honors. Established in 2008, the Television Academy Honors Award recognizes “Television with a Conscience” and seeks to celebrate programs that inspire, motivate, and harness the power of…