This is amongst the heaviest topics when it comes to the discussion of Cuban baseball, so it will likely take multiple installments to give all of the issues and topics here their proper discussion. Think of this as a prologue to set the stage for the discussion to come, and to get a sense of some of the real people behind the dazzling athleticism and stories of harrowing escapes.
From the moment he could hurl a baseball, Stephen Strasburg seemed destined for an MLB mound. He overpowered his opponents as a high-school pitcher with West Hills in Santee California, and as a fledgling 15 year-old sophomore, he could already top 90 miles per hour with his fastball.