The Duke of Havana: Baseball, Cuba, and the Search for the American Dream

You cant put it down until you finish. This is a fascinating book, that you read almost as a good crime novel. The story of Orlando Hernandez is extraordinary to everybody, but very typical for the common Cuban living in the island. Talented professionals who live in very modest and minimalist conditions, while in another country they could make much more money than that. The authors are sharp with the interviews, they got exactly what they needed to spice up the book. And find the exact analogy to make any ordinary passage a notorious one. 5 stars all the way!!

Fidel Castro controls everything in Cuba. He governs not only the political aspects of the country, but also dictates every detail of life for the people under his leadership. Steve Fainaru and Ray Sanchez describe Castro's influence on baseball in their book, The Duke of Havana: Cuba, Baseball and the Search for the American Dream. Baseball serves as the ultimate venue for Castro to execute his power over Cuba because the sport incorporates the politics, economics, religion and entertainment for the country. For the participating professional athletes, baseball is not only a game, but also a way of life for them and their families. The sport separates the athletes from the rest of society by paying them higher salaries and providing them with nicer homes along with other advantages.Fainaru uses the story of El Duque's defection to evoke sympathy for Cuban baseball players willing to take any risks to live out their dreams in the American Major League Baseball. However, the special treatment given to the athletes in the Bahamas further illustrates how sport sets its competitors away from the rest of society. Allowing the Cuban baseball players to leave while the other passengers remain in the Bahamian detention center emphasizes an overlooked injustice that exists in countries with professional athletic teams. The Duke of Havana: Cuba, Baseball and the Search for the American Dream leads readers to believe baseball operates as the great equalizer. It plays upon the image of a poor, black Cuban rising above all odds to come to the United States and win the World Series. The underlying themes in the book, however, are far more thought provoking. The separation between professional athletes and the rest of society speaks volumes about the values of the different countries. In this area, the United States and Cuba are far more alike than either country would like to admit. Many hurdles subside along the road to becoming a professional athlete and individuals who achieve this goal should be rewarded even though the exponential rate at which players receive validation for their hard work undermines the contributions of others. Unfortunately, nothing will change until people open their eyes to inequality they perpetuate with their own pocketbooks.

This is a great book for anyone that loves baseball or cuban political and cultural topics. It was a great first hand depiction of what was happening in cuba before and after the great number of baseball defections in the early nineties. By examining the occurance of world class baseball outside of the framework of commercialism, capitalism and general exploitation, it provided a candid, emotional and alternative look at the sport of baseball iteself. I loved this book.

Even casual baseball fans know the story of Orlando "El Duque" Hernández's escape from Cuba and his eventual rise to success with the world champion New York Yankees. In their excellent book, Fainaru and Sánchez focus on El Duque's amazing story, but they also shed light on the back-door deals and behind-the-scenes espionage necessary to bring such defections about. They provide the reader with enough historical and political background to understand the economic pressures confronting Cuban baseball players, many of whom could be earning millions of dollars in the United States. Many of the stories are heart-wrenching, as families are divided and dreams are put on hold. Most interesting, though, are those players who remain loyal to Castro and the oppressive Cuban system. El Duque's story, however, stands above all others. His journey from abject poverty to the World Series within a span of only ten months wouldn't play in Hollywood, but it does in the Bronx.

Loved this book and couldn't put it down! Steve Fainaru and Ray Sanchez take you inside Castro's Cuba and clearly document the dilemmas faced by its' athletes. This book is a suspenseful, gripping narrative which delves into the political intrigue surrounding El Duque's life in Cuba and escape from the island. It is enough to make a die-hard Red Sox fan appreciate El Duque and his fellow defectors. Thank you Steve Fainaru. You 'da man!