Existing comment:
Luis Tiant signed baseball jersey
Luis Tiant's career spanned 20 years, most notably with the Boston Red Sox from 1971 to 1978. Cuban-U.S. diplomatic relations broke down in 1961 and ballplayers had to choose between continuing their careers or returning to Cuba. Luis Tiant Jr. signed with the Cleveland Indians. Because of U.S. embargoes on travel to Cuba, 15 years passed before he would see his family on the island.
The Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution of the 1950s left diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States strained. Cuban baseball players who chose to play professionally in the United States had to defect and could not return to Cuba; exit visas were often denied to their families. |