HAVANA • There is a spot in Old Havana that has, over time, become known as the Esquina Caliente, or Hot Corner, for the vivacious debates about baseball that inspired the name, and on Thursday afternoon the crowd gathered to talk beisbol was being set up.
Two officials from Major League Baseball’s goodwill tour to Cuba arrived to scout the corner for a visit from some VIPs. Bennett Shields, senior coordinator for club relations and scheduling, and Andres Betancur, of MLB International, wanted to see how crowded it was and whether some of the players traveling with them would be overwhelmed if they visited.