March 01, 2007
Friends Reunited
The AP writes a feel good story about two friends who defected from Cuba five years apart being reunited on the Braves:
"We've been playing baseball ever since we were 9 years old," Pena said. "When we started out, he was our No. 1 pitcher and I was his catcher. Then I was the pitcher and he was the catcher. We split the same gloves. One day, the glove lived at his house. Another day, the glove lived at my house. We had only one bat that we had to share. Sometimes my spikes were not in good shape, so I would borrow spikes from him. Thank God we wore the same size."
While Escobar still keeps up intently with news from his country, especially the ill health of longtime dictator Fidel Castro, Pena is more Americanized. He would love to go back home but has made a comfortable life in his adopted country.
"America is America, with all due respect," Pena said. "When you're free, man, you feel like you can do whatever you want. What can be better than that?"
Pena was able to slip away because his guard was chatting up a woman. I wonder what happened to the guard?
Baseball Musings is holding a pledge drive in March.
Guard was probably shot, or at least put in prison.