Juan Diaz'
Cuban Odessey
Juan Diaz embarked on a baseball career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1996. Nine years, one fake wife, an invalid contract and a curveball from 9/11 have left this Cuban slugger a man without a country, or a team.

Spanish Language Translation (en Español) Available on This Article

Jim Mandelaro
MLNSportsZone.com

Slugger Juan Diaz has developed a rep in scouting guides as a big bat that excites but doesn’t ignite.  Yet Diaz has never been in the positon to set off that spark.  His journey from Cuba in search of a major league career is the stuff of Greek tragedy. It is also a tale of how politics and immigration reform have changed the trajectory of careers.

Setting Sail for Adventure

Diaz defected from Cuba and Fidel Castro’s dictatorship to the Dominican Republic.

 

“It was something I wanted badly to do,’’ he says, “but it is hard being away. I miss my family."

When he left his native land, he says he “cried for three months.”

Diaz’ dreams of a major league career were fueled by a visit from a messenger from the baseball gods wearing Dodger blue.

The Dominican Wife

The Los Angeles Dodgers scouted Diaz playing amateur baseball in Cuba when he was 20.  They were willing to sign him, if they could get him out of the country.

There were published reports that they had a woman pose as Diaz’ Dominican wife in order to ease his defection, but he says that’s not entirely true.

“She was a friend and she went to Cuba for knee surgery,” Diaz explains. “She told (Cuban officials) we were both from the Dominican and were going back.’’

Diaz says the Cuban government didn’t question his departure and gave him a one-month visa to the Dominican Republic.

That was 10 years ago.

“If I was playing for the national team they might worry,’’ he says, “but I wasn’t. They said, ‘OK, you want to go away? Go.’’’

He moved to Santo Domingo, signed with the Dodgers in May of 1996 as a first baseman and joined their Class A club in Savannah, Ga., in 1997.

Coming to America

He was amazed at the differences between playing in Cuba and America.

 

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