Cuban baseball players have provided some of the best rags-to-riches stories of the past decade.
Young Livan Hernandez walks away from a life of poverty in Cuba and signs a $7 million contract with the Florida Marlins, a team he then leads to a World Series title. |  | | Pitcher Livan Hernandez left Cuba and became a World Series hero in his first season with the Florida Marlins in 1997. |
Adrian Hernandez slips out of Havana airport by fooling airport officials, and signs with the New York Yankees for $4 million. Danys Baez, no better than the third pitcher on his provincial team in Cuba, snares a $14.5 million deal with Cleveland.
But as the chart below shows, few Cuban defectors ever discover stardom or riches. Of the more than 50 players who have defected since pitcher Rene Arocha was the first to go 10 years ago this month, barely half of them are currently playing in either the major or minor leagues. Only a handful have enjoyed extended careers in the majors.
Many of them just weren't good enough to play at the highest level. Some hitters from Cuba, where aluminum bats were used until recently, struggled when they had to switch to the wooden bats of U.S. baseball. Some of them defected to countries other than the U.S. in order to achieve free-agent status, and got stuck there due to immigration problems. Some just never made the cultural adjustment to the U.S., and others were lost without family.
Statistically, due to the small sample size, Cuban defectors probably have a higher rate of success than players from other countries. But it's a popular myth that fame and wealth await any player who escapes from Fidel Castro's Cuba.
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CURRENT MAJOR LEAGUER PLAYERS
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Name
|
Age
|
Pos.
|
Organization
|
Notes
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Rolando
Arrojo
|
32
|
RHP
|
Boston
Red Sox
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Posted a 160-80 record with the Cuban National Team, defected days before the Atlanta Olympics and is 33-37, 4.59 ERA with three teams in three seasons
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Danys
Baez
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23
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RHP
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Cleveland
Indians
|
Recently recalled after a stint in Class AAA Buffalo, he has given up no earned runs and struck out nine in five appearances for Cleveland this season.
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Livan
Hernandez
|
26
|
RHP
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San Francisco
Giants
|
The 1997 NLCS and World Series MVP with Florida, he is 6-11, 6.20 ERA with the Giants in '01.
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Orlando
Hernandez
|
30
|
RHP
|
New York
Yankees
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Stellar in post-seasons past, he was 0-5 record with 5.14 ERA before landing on DL with elbow problems in '01. He signed $6.6 million contract after fleeing Cuba in Dec. 1997.
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Vladimir
Nunez
|
26
|
RHP
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Florida
Marlins
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Called up to the majors in '97, he is 9-18, 5.12 ERA since then with Arizona and Florida.
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Rey
Ordonez
|
28
|
SS
|
New York
Mets
|
Won three consecutive Gold Gloves from '97-99, but is just a .240 career hitter
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Edilberto
Oropesa
|
29
|
LHP
|
Philadelphia
Phillies
|
Spent seven seasons in the LA and SFO systems before making his major league debut this season with Philadelphia. He is 1-0, 6.14 ERA in 20 appearances in '01
|
Ariel
Prieto
|
31
|
RHP
|
Tampa Bay
Devil Rays
|
Made only two starts in '98 and missed all of '99 because of elbow problems. He has been on the DL with arm trouble since May.
|
Alexis
Sanchez
|
24
|
OF
|
Milwaukee
Brewers
|
Has played in 14 games since a June 9 call-up, hitting .220-0-2.
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CURRENT MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS
|
|
Name
|
Age
|
Pos.
|
Organization
|
Level
|
Notes
|
| Evel Bastida
|
23
|
2B
|
---
|
Independent Sonoma County
|
Recently signed to showcase talents. Batted .328 for Industriales in Cuba.
|
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Jorge Diaz
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Texas
Rangers
|
---
|
Snagged minor league contract with the Rangers but is dealing with immigration problems in Costa Rica.
|
|
Juan Diaz
|
25
|
1B
|
Boston
Red Sox
|
Class AAA
Pawtucket
|
.269-10-22 in 31 games in '01
|
|
Osvaldo Fernandez
|
32
|
RHP
|
Cincinnati
Reds
|
Class AAA
Louisville
|
'92 Cuban Olympic ace was sent down to AAA-Louisville on July 2.
|
|
Osmani Garcia
|
26
|
3B
|
Texas
Rangers
|
Class AAA
Oklahoma
|
Promoted to AAA in mid-June, he has hit .178-0-2 in 14 games with Oklahoma.
|
|
Adrian Hernandez
|
26
|
RHP
|
New York
Yankees
|
Class AAA
Columbus
|
He is 6-3, 5.21 ERA in Columbus but showed promise in two rookie appearances with New York Yankees this season.
|
|
Michel Hernandez
|
20
|
C
|
New York
Yankees
|
Class AA
Norwich
|
.206-1-3 in 29 games this season.
|
|
Hansel Izquierdo
|
24
|
RHP
|
Florida
Marlins
|
Class A
Brevard County
|
8-1, 1.63 ERA with Brevard County and Class A Kane County in his second stint in the Florida organization.
|
|
Maikel Jova
|
20
|
OF
|
Toronto
Blue Jays
|
Class A
Auburn
|
.241-1-5 in the short-season Penn League thus far in '01
|
|
Andy Morales
|
26
|
3B
|
New York
Yankees
|
Class AA
Norwich
|
Defected with 10 others on a small boat, he's hitting .231-1-14 in his first season in American baseball.
|
|
William Ortega
|
25
|
OF
|
St. Louis
Cardinals
|
Class AAA
Memphis
|
Signed as an undrafted FA in '97, he has spent his entire career in the Cardinals organization. He is hitting .259-4-35 with Memphis in '01.
|
|
Brayan Pena
|
23
|
OF
|
Atlanta
Braves
|
Rookie
Danville
|
Playing his first season in American baseball.
|
|
Josue Perez
|
23
|
OF
|
Philadelphia
Phillies
|
Class AA
Reading
|
Hit .168-1-6 in 50 games before going on the DL June 27.
|
|
Nestor Perez
|
24
|
SS
|
Tampa Bay
Devil Rays
|
Class A
Bakerfield
|
A former member of the Cuban Junior National Team, he married a Spanish woman to obtain an exit visa and was signed in '97.
|
| Mayque Quintero
|
22
|
RHP
|
---
|
Independent Sonoma County
|
Recently signed after establishing Mexico residency. Career record of 29-21 for Industriales in Cuba.
|
|
Nataniel Reinoso
|
N/A
|
1B
|
---
|
Independent
Elmira
|
.289-1-12 in 22 games in '01
|
|
Osmany Santana
|
24
|
OF
|
Cleveland
Indians
|
Class AA
Akron
|
On disabled list since April 27.
|
|
Miguel Tejera
|
24
|
LHP
|
Florida
Marlins
|
Class AA
Portland
|
Selected by Florida in '95 FA Draft, he missed all of 2000 due to injury but is 5-5, 3.96 ERA in '01
|
|
Jorge Toca
|
26
|
OF
|
New York
Mets
|
Class AAA
Norfolk
|
Mets' Minor League POY in 2000, he is hitting .276-4-28 in '01.
|
|
Julio Villalon
|
23
|
RHP
|
Tampa Bay
Devil Rays
|
Class A
Bakerfield
|
2-6, 5.47 ERA in 15 starts and one relief appearance in '01.
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ESPN.com Senior Writer Tom Farrey can be reached at Tom.Farrey@ESPN.com. Chart was compiled by ESPN.com researcher Rico Longoria.
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