Rays minor-leaguer reunited with family on Cuba trip
The Tampa Bay Rays’ trip to Cuba to play an exhibition game against the Cuban National team has significant implications outside baseball, coinciding with President Obama’s official visit to the country. He is the first sitting U.S. president to step foot in Cuba in over 50 years and Obama will be in attendance at Tuesday’s game.
For Rays minor-league outfielder Dayron Varona the implications were much more simple: it meant he could see his family again. Varona defected from Cuba in 2013 and signed with Tampa Bay in time for the 2015 season, where he hit .286 with a .324 on-base percentage across two minor-league levels. He has not seen his family since he left.
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Varona isn’t on the Rays’ 40-man roster, but as the club’s only Cuban player it was a no-brainer that he was included on this trip. He’s even going to lead off and start in right field for Tampa Bay, after his teammates suggested it. That’s great, but even a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate won’t top how Varona felt when he finally returned home.
When the Rays landed in Havana, members of his family were there waiting for him at the aiport. There were more waiting when he arrived at the team hotel.
This is an often overlooked reality in a Cuban player’s journey to the major leagues. They must leave their family and friends behind with no guarantee of ever being reunited. These are the kind of restrictions placed on the Cuban people that we take for granted living with our freedoms.
[Related: Baseball’s role in improved relations between Cuba, U.S.]
Regardless what happens in Tuesday’s game, these images of Varona and his family back together again are what will define the Rays’ time in Cuba.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
