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(ESPN) No One Walks off the Island - Yasiel Puig's CRAZY Story


RonArtest15

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This is absolutely insane.  I had no clue about his backstory when he defected from Cuba.  Honestly, I wonder/worry about his safety in the near future.  There is a trail of pissed off criminals, not to mention the Mexican cartel, who all want a piece of Puig's earnings.  You have to hope that things work out for him, but it does make you wonder....after reading this, it's amazing how he can focus (for the most part) at the park.  There is a cloud of uncertainty over his head on a day to day basis.  I just read that Mattingly is worried about Puig due to all the death threats. 

 

This is a very long read, but it's worth it.

 


No One Walks Off The Island Two years ago, Yasiel Puig fled Cuba in the hands of black-market smugglers. This is the story of how the cost of the defection journey - in money and human lives - shadows him still.

by Scott Eden

Chapter 1 The Escape

Just before dawn one day in late April 2012, four young Cubans stood on an otherwise deserted beach, peering hard into the Caribbean darkness. They were trying to escape their native country, and they were waiting for the boat that would take them away. Thirty minutes passed, then 60. Still no boat. Three men and one woman, the group had arrived at the designated spot close to the appointed hour: 3.a.m. By design, the rendezvous point was located on one of the most isolated coastal stretches in a country famous for nothing if not isolation -- so remote it could be reached only by foot.

 

Rest of Article in Link

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The big issue could be the gambling angle. If Puig still owes money to drug cartels(who surely have to have ties to gambling), what is to stop them from getting Puig to throw a game(as much as one player can throw a game in baseball)to cover some of his debts?

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Read the whole thing & was blown away. Puig comes off as a selfish prick-what happened to his girlfriend he brought with him?

This wouldn't have to happen if the US ended the embargo with Cuba-which could have been done after the "fall" of communism in the early 90's or when China opened it's market. That left no legitimate communist backers of Cuba in case of war, without help Cuba might be able to sustain an attack or defense for maybe a month at most.

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If this situation gets more intense, you have to wonder what the Dodgers' intentions will be with him.  There is a trail of unpaid debt...but it's not just that.  It's WHO the money is supposed to go to.  Cartels are no joke.  So many pissed off people between Cuba, Mexico, and LA. 

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If this situation gets more intense, you have to wonder what the Dodgers' intentions will be with him.  There is a trail of unpaid debt...but it's not just that.  It's WHO the money is supposed to go to.  Cartels are no joke.  So many pissed off people between Cuba, Mexico, and LA. 

 

Definitely raises questions about any long-term deals for him.

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I found this quote to be interesting...

 

In the words of Mike Brito, the legendary Dodgers scout, born in Cuba in 1934, he of the perpetual Panama hat and pencil-thin Mambo-King mustache, who played a key role in landing Puig for L.A.: "How he got from Cuba I don't care. I don't wanna find out either. I never ask any Cuban player that. And even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. Only thing we care about is when a guy is in a territory where we can sign him. Sign players and keep my mouth shut. The less you talk, the less you get in trouble."

 

If you think about it, the whole thing is messed up. 

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