With no future other than misery as a slave to the communist Castro dictatorship, two young Cuban baseball prospects have fled the island in pursuit of professional careers in the Major Leagues. The two boys join dozens of other Cuban athletes who have made the decision to flee communism and seek freedom elsewhere.
National Baseball Series in a tailspin: Two more baseball players leave Cuba
Cuban baseball is one of the areas where the migratory crisis Cuba is suffering continues to be manifested. The constant exodus of players increasingly puts the already lackluster National Baseball Series in an even worse situation. In this sense, the most recent losses came to light this week, with Sancti Spiritus pitcher Edelvis Pérez and Granma outfielder Ernesto Santi.
Both players are 18 and have left to the Dominican Republic to try and seek a professional contract, according to baseball journalist Francys Romero who shared the news.
Edelvis Pérez, who recently competed in the National Under-18 Youth Championship with Sancti Spiritus and can pitch at 90 MPH, “could increase the velocity of his pitches in Quisqueya with new training methods, as well as perfecting his command and repertoire,” Romero said.
For his part, Ernesto Santi, “if he manages to demonstrate all his tools to talent evaluators, will have no problem entering the MLB system.”
Last week, it was reported that Villa Clara second-baseman Magdiel Alfredo Gómez and Guantanamo pitcher Alexander Valiente left the 62nd edition of the National Baseball Series.
In the case of the Villa Clara player, who played in six national series, it is because he will be leaving Cuba soon, as confirmed by his team’s director, Ramón Moré. Meanwhile, Alexander Valiente, who has participated in two National Series and played this year in the Caribbean Series in Venezuela with the Agricultores team, cited “personal problems” to request his withdrawal from the sports authorities, whose response he is “waiting for.”
With this situation and its impact on the National Baseball Series, Francys Romero believes it has become a tournament that is “uneven, old and without an audience,” similar “to an old Development League when compared to world talent.”