Why did baseball become connected to Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain?

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Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants swings his bat after hitting his record-breaking 756th home run, with the catcher, umpire, and a cheering crowd behind him at AT&T Park. — History of baseball Giants legend Barry Bonds hitting his record-setting 756th career home run, August 7, 2007.

Baseball became deeply connected to Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain during the last quarter of the 19th century because it evolved into a core component of the Cuban national identity.12

Introduced to the island in 1864 by students returning from the United States, the sport took hold rapidly as a cultural alternative to Spanish influences. As the movement for independence intensified, baseball served as a symbol of Cuban identity and resistance against colonial rule. This association was so strong that Cuban refugees fleeing the independence struggle later helped spread the game throughout the Caribbean and into Mexico.12