The act of scheduling two baseball games might seem simple enough, but the negotiations were very complicated. The two sides had to agree on a plan to distribute the proceeds of the event to charity, since that was a condition for state department approval. The Major League Baseball Players Association, represented by former player Tony Bernazard and active Orioles player B.J. Surhoff, had to sign off on the playing conditions, which was no small matter, and there were all sorts of logistical aspects to be worked out for each team to travel to the other's home country.