Other » The next generation of Cuban baseball stars may have a much easier.

Cubans can sign under rules similar to what players from Japan http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-boog-powell-jersey , South Korea and Taiwan face, according to an agreement among Major League Baseball, its players’ association and the Cuban Baseball Federation announced Wednesday. Players from Cuba would be allowed to sign big league contracts without defecting.For decades, Cuban players have arrived under mysterious circumstances, and stories have surfaced of the harrowing lengths they’ve gone to come play in the United States. Here are a few prominent examples:GARBEY ARRIVESBefore Cuban stars like Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes were even born, Barbaro Garbey made his major league debut for the World Series-winning Detroit Tigers in 1984. He’d come over during the 1980 Mariel boatlift, when some 125,000 Cubans were allowed to flee the island.A quarter-century later, Garbey told USA Today he had to try multiple times to join the boatlift.“The first three times, they recognized me Pat Neshek Jersey , and said it was not for me,” he said. “The fourth time, the guy still recognized me, and he said, ‘OK, you want to go, get the hell out of here.'”NATIONAL TEAMERSThe influx of Cuban defectors really began in 1991 when pitcher Rene Arocha, in the United States with the Cuban national team, walked away from teammates at a Miami airport. Slick-fielding shortstop Rey Ordonez scaled a fence when he left the Cuban team at the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, New York.Pitcher Rolando Arrojo was in Georgia with the Cuban Olympic team in 1996 when he sneaked out of a hotel http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-lenny-dykstra-jersey , jumped in a vehicle and was off to Miami. He became an All-Star for Tampa Bay in 1998.THE HERNANDEZ BROTHERSThe Cuban national team was training in Mexico in 1995 when Livan Hernandez walked off from a hotel and was able to take a flight to Venezuela. Two years later, he was the MVP of the World Series for the Florida Marlins.Orlando Hernandez, Livan’s half-brother, was banned from Cuban baseball after Livan’s departure. Orlando was able to escape with a small group via boat in December 1997. He made it to the Bahamas and eventually joined the Yankees. He was part of three World Series winners in New York, and also won a World Series with the White Sox in 2005.PUIG’S JOURNEYPuig defected from Cuba in 2012 after several failed attempts. He was smuggled out of Cuba by traffickers linked to a Mexican drug gang, according to court testimony.The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ star said in a statement Wednesday that he is happy to know future Cuban players won’t have to go through that type of ordeal. LOS ANGELES — As pitching matchups go, it would be hard to tilt the scales any more in one direction than they will be when the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers meet Saturday evening in Los Angeles.The Padres will go with right-hander Brett Kennedy and his three career starts. The Dodgers will counter with Clayton Kershaw and his three Cy Young Awards.Kennedy (0-2, 8.36 ERA) has yet to win his first major league game, although he finally looks to be getting comfortable with his surroundings. After getting crushed for a combined 11 runs on 20 hits over his first two big league starts, Kennedy held the Arizona Diamondbacks to two runs on six hits over five innings Sunday.Article continues below ...Without a blazing fastball to work with Rhys Hoskins Jersey , Kennedy has to rely on pinpoint control. Even though he was better in his start against the Diamondbacks, he did issue three walks. He will now face a Dodgers team that typically is disciplined when it comes to the strike zone.“He definitely threw the ball better; I thought his secondary stuff was better last time out,” Padres manager Andy Green said about Kennedy. “(The Dodgers) team will be a real challenge for him. They will load (the lineup) down with lefties and he’s going to have to execute to pitch well against them. I look forward to him rising up to meet that challenge, but it takes a while for some guys to get their footing in the big leagues and he’s starting to find it.”Pitching opposite Kershaw could present an intimidation factor, although Kennedy already has dealt with pitching against an ace. Zack Greinke was the Diamondbacks’ pitcher when Kennedy last took the mound.Meeting Kershaw at Dodger Stadium, though, is a different level entirely. And Kershaw (6-5, 2.40) has been as good as ever lately, going unbeaten over his last five starts with a 1.82 ERA over 34 2/3 innings in that stretch.Kershaw last lost a game on July 21, and even then he gave up just one earned run. The defense let him down to the tune of three unearned runs that day against the Brewers. Since June 23 http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-carlos-santana-jersey , when Kershaw returned from his second stint on the disabled list, he is 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA.Add to the mix an increased sense of urgency from Kershaw and the Padres figure to be in a tough spot Saturday.“I don’t know how many games we’ve got left, but it’s now or never,” Kershaw said, according to mlb.com. “We better start playing, we better get good.”Kershaw is 18-6 with a 1.89 ERA in 33 career starts against San Diego, and he pitched six scoreless innings in his only start against the Padres this season.The Dodgers’ inconsistent offense roared back to life Friday in an 11-1 victory over the Padres, with Chris Taylor, Justin Turner and Max Muncy hitting home runs. Muncy moved one home run away from No. 30 on the season.The victory helped the Dodgers gain a game on the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks as they moved 3 1/2 games out of the division’s top spot. The Dodgers also moved 2 1/2 games behind the second-place Colorado Rockies.