What a long, tough, rewarding trip it’s been for Rockies shortstop Jose Iglesias.
In July 2008, at age 18, he was traveling with Cuba’s national team to a tournament in Canada. That’s when he defected and eventually became a United States citizen.
Saturday, Iglesias celebrated 10 years of service time in Major League Baseball, one of only three current Rockies players to touch that milestone. The others are outfielder Charlie Blackmon, who made 10 years of service time earlier this season, and right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, who hit the 10-year mark last season.
“I left my family, left my parents, left my country, left my culture, and left everything behind to make my dream come true and try to be a big-league player,” Iglesias said before the Rockies hosted the Giants at Coors Field.