CubaDugout on the Baseball Bucket List

The Baseball Bucket List podcast interviews baseball enthusiasts and insiders on what makes the game so special to them. I recently sat down with host Anna to discuss my journey to and through Cuban baseball culture. We talked about the genesis of CubaDugout and my short film ‘Have Malleta Will Travel’ which was screened at the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Check out our discussion and follow The Baseball Bucket List for fascinating chats with baseball lives you might have never explored before.

194. Jane Leavy: Writing the Greats, Baseball as a Love Story, & a Commissioner’s Vision The Baseball Bucket List Podcast

Jane Leavy is an award-winning sportswriter and acclaimed author of biographies on Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle, and Babe Ruth. Jane has just released her newest book, Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It, where she lays out her vision for the future of the game.We talk about her baseball beginnings, including time spent at her grandmother’s apartment just a block from Yankee Stadium, and how those early memories shaped her love of the sport. Jane also shares her thoughts on baseball’s current challenges, the impact of recent rule changes, and why she still believes the game is, at its heart, a love story. Find Jane Online: Twitter: @janeleavy1BlueSky: @ballgirl.bsky.socialInstagram: @leavyjaneFacebook: jane.leavy.2025Website: janeleavy.comFind Baseball Bucket List Online:Twitter: @BaseballBucketFacebook: @BaseballBucketListInstagram: @Baseball.Bucket.ListWebsite: baseballbucketlist.comThis podcast is part of the Curved Brim Media Network:Twitter: @CurvedBrimWebsite: curvedbrimmedia.com
  1. 194. Jane Leavy: Writing the Greats, Baseball as a Love Story, & a Commissioner’s Vision
  2. 193. Dylan Faraci: A Yankee Stadium Farewell, Ballpark Landmarks, & A Rekindled Fandom
  3. 192. Kaleo Pahukula: Island Roots, Custom Cards, & Baseball’s Aloha Spirit
  4. 191. Meagan Hillengas: Yankee Games with Grandma, Being a Baseball Road Warrior, & Dreams of “Taking Meowt to the Ballgame”
  5. 190. Alex Lowman: T-Ball, Tailgates, & a New Love for Baseball Adventures

My Short film ‘Have Malleta Will Travel’ was screened at the Cooperstown Hall of Fame in 2017. It resides in the Baseball Hall of Fame archive and chronicles my introduction to Cuban baseball. The title is a play on words with the Last Name Malleta bearing similarity to Maleta the Spanish noun for suitcase. Alexander Malleta would represent a unique bridge in playing for Industriales of Havana and in the Canam League in Ottawa. Join me as I share my unique baseball sojourn.

Phil Selig

Canada’s Top Expert on Cuban Baseball. I first ventured to the island in 2012 with camera in hand and captured some of the future baseball stars of the world. I have returned many times immersing myself in the game and culture. Get inside the Dugout for a unique look at Cuban Baseball.