Search the Community

Interesting story - great guy. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/sports/baseball/randy-arozarena-rays.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20201017&instance_id=23240&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=83141946&segment_id=41361&user_id=20e2ef107d129c8068f6a6f86ee4c0a5 How Mexico Became Home for Tampa Bay’s Cuban Star “I’m Cuban, but it’d be an honor for me to represent Mexico,” said Randy Arozarena, the rookie who has taken the postseason by storm. Randy Arozarena, 25, has emerged as the Rays’ best hitter and has powered them to within one win of the World Series.Credit...Ashley Landis/Associated Press By James Wagner Oct. 16, 2020 SAN DIEGO — Randy Arozarena was born in Arroyos de Mantua, a small town on the northwest coast of Cuba, a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Havana. He has fond memories of dancing in the streets and playing soccer, his first love, with his brothers and his friends. He remembers his father watching him play for the Vegueros de Pinar del Río, a professional Cuban baseball team. His nickname is El Cohete Cubano (“The Cuban Rocket”). Make no mistake, Arozarena is Cuban. But deep down, his heart has become intertwined with the country only 30 minutes away from San Diego’s Petco Park, where he has starred over the past two weeks and powered the Tampa Bay Rays to within one win of the World Series. Mexico is where Arozarena, 25, found a home after fleeing Cuba on a small boat five years ago, where his daughter was born two years ago and where he started a journey that vaulted him to the major leagues last year. And one day, he hopes to wear the country’s uniform in international competitions. “I feel like I represent Mexico,” he said in Spanish during a recent interview. “I have a daughter in Mexico, and I’d do it in honor of her and for the part of my career that I spent in Mexico, and for all the friends I’ve made in Mexico.” Arozarena’s experience is familiar to many of his fellow Cuban-born players in Major League Baseball. The island is their homeland, but dozens have escaped the communist country to chase their dreams, often putting their lives in the hands of smugglers or taking harrowing boat rides. After Arozarena said his father died unexpectedly of an allergic reaction to shellfish in 2014 and he began feeling alienated by his team in Cuba — he was left off Pinar del Río’s roster for the 2015 Caribbean Series in Puerto Rico despite hitting .291 as officials feared he might defect — he decided that he needed to leave to provide for his mother and two younger brothers. “At 19, I earned more than my mom,” Arozarena said. In his first season in Cuba, he said, he made $4 a month and then eventually $38 a month. So in June 2015, Arozarena said, he took an eight-hour boat ride and saw waves over 15 feet en route to Isla Mujeres, just off the coast from Cancún. Defecting Cuban baseball players must establish residency in a third country before they can be cleared by the U.S. government and sign as free agents with an M.L.B. team. From where Arozarena lived in Cuba, Mexico was the shortest journey. The list of people he knew in Mexico upon his arrival: “No one.” Through an agent, Arozarena was eventually connected to Guillermo Armenta, then a scout for the M.L.B. Scouting Bureau who also oversaw player development for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican professional baseball league. The first time Armenta worked with Arozarena, in Mérida — the largest city on the Yucatán Peninsula, not far from where Arozarena first arrived — he saw the athletic potential. Armenta said a skinny Arozarena first ran the 60-yard dash in 6.9 seconds, as fast as an average major league player. He eventually improved his time to 6.38 seconds. “He ran like a lighting bolt,” Armenta said. After being asked to train Arozarena a few more times, Armenta convinced him that he should come to Tijuana to develop at the Toros’ academy, which had sent other prospects to major-league organizations. At the academy, Armenta said, Arozarena had so little to his name that he shared cleats and batting gloves with another prospect during workouts. He grew frustrated as M.L.B. teams scouted him and gave him looks in private work outs but declined to sign him. One day, Armenta jokingly gave Arozarena what he thought was an impossible challenge: A team will sign you, he said, if you can walk on your hands from home plate to first base. Arozarena announced that he had done gymnastics in Cuba, flipped onto his hands and did it. “I thought, ‘Wow, this kid is a super athlete,’” Armenta said. Arozarena said he did 300 push-ups a day while in isolation this summer after a positive coronavirus test.Credit...Ezra Shaw/Getty Images After struggling in his brief Mexican League debut with the Toros — five games in 2016 — Arozarena starred for their feeder team, the Toritos, winning a batting and stolen bases title, and refining his power stroke. The St. Louis Cardinals signed him to a $1.25 million contract. Arozarena made his major-league debut with St. Louis on Aug. 14, 2019, and hit .300 in 20 at bats over 19 games. Tantalized by Arozarena’s talent, the Rays traded for him, coughing up their top pitching prospect at the time. His Rays debut this year was delayed until Aug. 30 because of a positive coronavirus test. While isolating, he said, he loaded up on chicken and rice — all he knew how to make — and did 300 push-ups a day. And although he wasn’t an everyday player upon his return, he earned regular duties by hitting .281 with seven home runs in only 23 games. “He came here without anything that he has now,” Armenta said from Tijuana in a phone interview. “But look at him now. That’s Randy.” In the postseason, Arozarena has been by far the best hitter in the Rays’ offense. He blasted three home runs in five games to help topple the Yankees in the American League division series. And in a celebratory dance competition set to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” after Tampa Bay won the series, Arozarena beat his teammate Brett Phillips by busting out the moves — including spinning on his head — that he used to do with his brothers and friends back in Cuba. It was the type of joy that has come to exemplify the Rays and Arozarena this postseason. “Life is too short,” he said. “And that’s what how we do it: enjoying every moment that life brings.” In the the A.L. Championship Series against the Houston Astros, Arozarena has crushed three more home runs. His six postseason home runs tied the record for the most by a rookie in major league history, matching Evan Longoria’s mark with the Rays in 2008, the last time Tampa Bay had advanced this far. “Everybody is just in awe every time he steps into the box,” Rays catcher Mike Zunino said of Arozarena. Rays Manager Kevin Cash said Arozarena’s accomplishments were more impressive given that he had no previous experience against many of the pitchers. Arozarena wouldn’t be doing this if not for his formative time in Mexico. At the Toros’ academy, he grew not only as a player but as a person. Teammates and staff members there helped him buy his first cellphone and open social media accounts (he is now active on Instagram and hosts Facebook chats with fans). Before the Rays swept Toronto in the best-of-three first round of the 2020 playoffs, Arozarena posed for a photo with a friend he hadn’t seen since their days together at the Toros’ academy: Alejandro Kirk, a Mexican catcher with the Blue Jays. Arozarena with Alejandro Kirk before a first-round postseason game.Credit...Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Rays “He’s Mexican because of his love of the homeland,” Armenta said of Arozarena. If Arozarena had his way, he would still play in the Mexican winter leagues, as he did for the Mayos de Navojoa in Sonora in three previous off-seasons. He said he loves living in Mérida because it is tranquil and the warm weather year round reminds him of his native island. His family is around, too: his brother, Raiko, plays for the Cafetaleros de Chiapas, a third-tier Mexican soccer team, and his mother makes him Cuban food often — although he still indulges in his favorite Mexican dish, carne asada tacos. “It’s like living in Cuba,” he said. But of course, Arozarena is not. The only bond he feels with his homeland, he said, is the family and friends he left behind and the little town where he was born “where everyone knows me and everyone loves me, and where they loved my dad and I’m proud of being from.” He added that “the situation in Cuba is bad.” Last year, President Trump reversed an agreement negotiated by the Obama administration in which M.L.B. and the Cuban Baseball Federation had eased the path for players to compete in the United States without defecting. Arozarena said he still hopes conditions will improve one day for all Cubans, including ballplayers. “There’s a lot of Cuban players that want to represent Cuba, for example, in a World Baseball Classic or an important tournament, but because of politics, they can’t,” he said, adding later, “For my part, I wouldn’t represent Cuba until everything changes.” Until then, Arozarena has a few more goals: Win a World Series, have his mother watch him play in the major leagues in person, and become a Mexican citizen. He said he had already taken the citizenship test and was waiting to hear back in order to apply for a passport. He has time: The World Baseball Classic originally scheduled for 2021 was tentatively postponed two years because of the pandemic. “I’m Cuban, but it’d be an honor for me to represent Mexico,” he said, “and for my daughter.”

Hi Guys, Opening Day is just around the corner! I've been running a fantasy baseball league with fellow smokers since 2006 or so. It started at the Cigar Aficionado forum and have shifted to the FOH forum for the last 3 years or so. For 2018, we already have nine of 12 members, looking for three more. The buy-in is $50 with payouts to 1-3 (56.67%/26.67%/8.33%) and best regular season record (8.33%). This is a head-to-head custom 5x5 league over at Yahoo. If you are interested, please take a look at the detailed settings and let me know. Draft is this Sunday March 25, 8:30pm CST. Thanks for reading! League ID#: 45764 League Name: 2018 FOH Fumadors Auto-renew Enabled: Yes Draft Type: Live Standard Draft Draft Time: Sun Mar 25 8:30pm CDT [ Add to My Calendar ] Live Draft Pick Time: 1 Minute Cash League Settings: Entry Fee $50.00 Payment Deadline: March 21, 2018 Number of Teams: 12 First Place: $340 (56.67%) Second Place: $160 (26.67%) Third Place: $50 (8.33%) Best Record: $50 (8.33%) Cash League Contest ID: f3f6255b Max Teams: 12 Scoring Type: Head-to-Head Player Universe: All baseball New Players Become Available: As soon as Yahoo adds them View List of Forced Players Max Acquisitions for Entire Season: No maximum Max Trades for Entire Season No maximum Trade End Date: August 26, 2018 Allow Draft Pick Trades: No Waiver Time: 1 day Waiver Type: Continual rolling list Waiver Mode: Standard Allow injured players from waivers or free agents to be added directly to IR: Yes Can't Cut List Provider: None Trade Review: League Votes Trade Reject Time: 2 days Post Draft Players: Free Agents Max Acquisitions per Week: 10 Min Innings Pitched: 40 Weekly Deadline: Daily - Tomorrow Start Scoring on: Week 1 Playoffs: Week 22, 23 and 24 (8 teams) Note: Week 24 runs 7 days from Sep 17 to Sep 23 Playoff Tie-Breaker: Best regular season record vs opponent wins Playoff Reseeding: No Lock Eliminated Teams: Yes Divisions: No Make League Publicly Viewable: Yes Invite Permissions: Commissioner Only Send unjoined players email reminders: Yes Roster Positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, Util, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL Batters Stat Categories: Runs (R), Home Runs (HR), Runs Batted In (RBI), Stolen Bases (SB), On-base + Slugging Percentage (OPS) Pitchers Stat Categories: Strikeouts (K), Earned Run Average (ERA), (Walks + Hits)/ Innings Pitched (WHIP), Quality Starts (QS), Saves + Holds (SV+H)

In planning a trip down to the island I was looking at attending a baseball game. Afterall, I am starting to see more and more Cuban stars in the MLB. I was wondering if anyone has attended a game down there and has any advice of seeing a game from either Havana or Varadero? I understand one of the best teams is in Matanzas that is accessible from Varadero? Are there any good teams near Havana? How to the logistics of getting to and from a game work? What is the game experience like? What is the best way to get tickets? Do the games sell out?

Cuba has for decades been a David amongst Goliaths in the International Baseball and Boxing communities. The last few years have seen some decline here, especially in the area of baseball players defecting. However there is still quite a bit of respect due for what they have been able to accomplish. I was unable to catch a baseball game during my last trip for a number of reasons, but it is at the top of the list for my next trip. I will post the photos I was able to get of Latino Americano Stadium later. I have been unable to find anything, at all, regarding boxing within the country itself. I am assume that all boxers on the island are "Amateur" which would preclude any inter island leagues or matches like we see for baseball. I know that Horse Racing and Cock fighting both have long histories on the island. But facilities for both were systematically removed during the revolution. Some have tried to push Cricket, others Soccer/football but without much success. I know there has been scattered post regarding some of these items in the past, I will locate what I can and copy links here for what already been posted, but if anybody has new info, drop it here!

Hi Everyone, March is here which means two things, March Madness and baseball! I have a $50 buyin league at Yahoo setup with people I've encountered on the old cA forum and FOH. We have 10 so far and in need of 2 more (possibly 4 more as 2 have not yet paid their dues). You pay Yahoo when you register and gets paid by Yahoo after the season, so no worries about being stiffed. This is a 12-team 5x5 heads up league where the top 3 gets paid after the playoffs. The regular season champ also gets something for their troubles. For a full list of settings, please see below. Please PM me if interested. Thanks for looking! Draft Type: Live Standard Draft Draft Time: Sun Mar 26 8:00pm CDT [ Add to My Calendar ] Live Draft Pick Time: 1 Minute Cash League Settings: Entry Fee: $50.00 Payment Deadline: April 2, 2017 Number of Teams: 12 First Place: $300 (50.00%) Second Place: $180 (30.00%) Third Place: $60 (10.00%) Best Record: $60 (10.00%) Cash League Contest ID: 98b526af Max Teams: 12 Scoring Type: Head-to-Head Player Universe: All baseball New Players Become Available: As soon as Yahoo adds them View List of Forced Players Max Acquisitions for Entire Season: No maximum Max Trades for Entire Season No maximum Trade Reject Time: 2 Trade End Date: August 27, 2017 Allow Draft Pick Trades: No Waiver Time: 2 days Waiver Type: Continual rolling list Waiver Mode: Standard Allow injured players from waivers or free agents to be added directly to IR: Yes Can't Cut List Provider: None Trade Review: League Votes Post Draft Players: Free Agents Max Acquisitions per Week: 10 Min Innings Pitched: 40 Weekly Deadline: Daily - Tomorrow Start Scoring on: Week 1 Playoffs: Week 22, 23 and 24 (8 teams) Note: Week 24 runs 7 days from Sep 18 to Sep 24 Playoff Tie-Breaker: Best regular season record vs opponent wins Playoff Reseeding: No Lock Eliminated Teams: Yes Divisions: No Make League Publicly Viewable: No Invite Permissions: Commissioner Only Send unjoined players email reminders: Yes Roster Positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, Util, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL Batters Stat Categories: Runs (R), Home Runs (HR), Runs Batted In (RBI), Stolen Bases (SB), On-base + Slugging Percentage (OPS) Pitchers Stat Categories: Strikeouts (K), Earned Run Average (ERA), (Walks + Hits)/ Innings Pitched (WHIP), Quality Starts (QS), Saves + Holds (SV+H)

Another exciting year of Baseball and the season is now one-fifth of the way through. How is your team going? Some highlights so far.... The Chicago Cubs have the best record in Baseball so far, 25-6. This is their best start to a year since 1907. Can they finally claim the World Series after 107 years (the last time was 1908) and put their 1945 loss, the "Curse of the Billy Goat" and the "Steve Bartman Incident" behind them? I must say, December 2015 was quite amazing for the Cubs, with the acquisition of John Lackey, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward. Their pitchers, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester have been outstanding so far. If you are a Chicago White Sox fan, their record is currently 23-11. Left-armer Chris Sale is dominating every time he goes on the mound. It's a good time to be a Chicago Baseball fan! Is Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz's announcement of his final season premature? Especially in light of the season he is having so far? Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals superstar hitter, is continuing to spook teams who are refusing to pitch to him in the strike zone. The Cubs walked him 13 times in their recent 4-game series, and in one of those games he reached base 7 times without a hit! (6 walks and 1 hit-by-pitch) Are the Mets grateful that Yoenis Cespedes chose to stay? 11 home runs and 31 RBI's to lead the National League so far.

I've heard of inventive methods for curing batting slumps in Baseball, but Anthony Rizzo using Matt Szczur's bat and Addison Russell wearing Matt's underwear must sure rank right up there. And furthermore, Matt Szczur donated his blood marrow to help a toddler in Ukraine in 2010. Seriously, what a guy! All this and he didn't make the postseason roster for the Cubs this year!

What constitutes a miracle in your mind? Walking on water? Raising the dead? Feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Bartolo Colon's home run for the New York Mets against San Diego on the weekend, in my mind, constitutes a modern-day miracle. Consider the following... This was Bartolo Colon's first home run at 2 weeks shy of 43 years of age. Colon is the oldest MLB player to hit a first-time home run. He began in the major leagues in 1997. (The previous oldest first-time home run hitter was none other than Hall of Fame pitcher, Randy Johnson who did it just past his 40th birthday) Although he is a pitcher, he's noted for being a particularly ordinary batter over the years, even for a pitcher. He didn't get an extra base-hit until 2014. This home run is just his 3rd, and 21st hit overall in his career (in 228 at-bats so far). Mets batting coach, Kevin Long challenged Colon to hit safely four times in 2015. Colon countered that he'd be happy with three. He ended up getting those before June, ending up with 8 overall. Mets commentator, Gary Cohen's call, "He drives one! Deep left field! Back goes Upton! Back near the wall! It's outta here! Bartolo has done it! The impossible has happened!" references Vin Scully's famous call of another miraculous home run, Kirk Gibson's famous pinch-hit 2-run walk-off homer against Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for the LA Dodgers against the Oakland Athletics, "High fly ball into right field, she i-i-i-is... gone!!...In a year that has been so improbable... the impossible has happened!" I have watched this at least 30 to 40 times. I still can't believe it! It's moments like this that makes me love Baseball...anything can happen, anytime!

Hi guys, we've been running a fantasy baseball league over at the cA forum for the last couple of years. This year, we have one person bail on us at the last minute. If anyone is interested, this is a head-to-head league at Yahoo! with a wager of 5 CCs. More details are at the bottom. PM me if interested. Thanks! Requirements: 1. Stay involved for the entire season, March - September. This is a daily league, so you need to be pretty involved; this is not fantasy football! Smile 2. Each member should be prepared to send 5 CCs unless you are in the top three. The season ends on Sept. 21. You have two months to send out your cigars or you will be put on the ****** list. Settings: Season Type: Full Draft Type: Live Standard Draft Draft Time: Sun Mar 30 7:30pm CDT [Might change] Live Draft Pick Time: 1 Minute, 30 Seconds Max Teams: 12 Scoring Type: Head-to-Head Player Universe: All baseball New Players Become Available: As soon as Yahoo adds them View List of Forced Players Max Acquisitions for Entire Season: No maximum Max Trades for Entire Season No maximum Trade Reject Time: 2 Trade End Date: August 17, 2014 Allow Draft Pick Trades: No Waiver Time: 2 days Waiver Type: Continual rolling list Waiver Mode: Standard Can't Cut List Provider: None Trade Review: League Votes Post Draft Players: Free Agents Max Acquisitions per Week: 10 Min Innings Pitched: 40 Weekly Deadline: Daily - Tomorrow Start Scoring on: Week 1 Playoffs: Week 22, 23 and 24 (8 teams) Note: Week 24 runs 7 days from Sep 15 to Sep 21 Playoff Reseeding: No Lock Eliminated Teams: Yes Divisions: No Make League Publicly Viewable: Yes Roster Positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, Util, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL Batters Stat Categories: Runs ®, Home Runs (HR), Runs Batted In (RBI), Stolen Bases (SB), On-base Percentage (OBP), Slugging Percentage (SLG) Pitchers Stat Categories: Saves (SV), Strikeouts (K), Holds (HLD), Earned Run Average (ERA), (Walks + Hits)/ Innings Pitched (WHIP), Quality Starts (QS)

Hey Guys, Baseball season is almost upon us! A week or so away from opening day. I for one cannot wait. Personally its one of my favorite sporting events to attend live. I'm starting this thread to discuss the mlb season, discuss our teams, standings, games, doped up players, you know the ususal. I'll be keeping an eye on the Blue Jays this year, with their bolstered up roster thanks to Mr. Loria in Miami...(dont get me stated on Loria...) Expectations are high, Its defenitly Playoffs or bust with that team. I've always liked the BoSox as well. Something about that team always had me rooting for them. Pedro Martinez had a lot to do with it I think...Despite what pundits think, I think the Bosox are the second best team on paper in the AL East. I'll be following the Mariners as well since I am a seattle boy...they might surprise a few. All in all, i'll be watching as much baseball as possible. My routine summer time is usually to have a cigar on my balcony with the ball game on the tv in the house, or listen to the games online via a streaming radio. Howbout you guys? what do you think will happen this year? who do you root for? who do you think will be a surprise team? Let the season begin!