Tigers’ Sanchez reunited with mother, brother
Published: March 12, 2005
The past eight months have been memorable ones for Detroit Tigers center fielder Alex Sanchez who, in order, became the father of twins, batted a career-high .322 in his first full season in the American League, became a U.S. citizens, signed his first $1 million contract and bought the biggest house he has ever seen.
But all that paled in comparison to what happened Thursday, when he saw his mother and brother for the first time since he left Cuba on a rickety raft 11 years ago.
“For me, it was the best year I’ve ever had,” Sanchez said. “And I think this year’s going be even better.”
Mercedes Sanchez, 54, and her youngest son Jorge, 26, left Cuba in a small boat two weeks ago, landing first in Mexico, then making their way to Texas and on to Sanchez’s new six-bedroom home in Southwest Miami-Dade County. They shared few details of the trip Friday, other than to say it was “very dangerous” and that they preferred a bus instead of a plane for the final leg because Mercedes is afraid to fly.
But then details meant little to Sanchez, who hugged well-wishers and predicted that, with his mother looking on, he’ll finally live up to the promise the Tigers were hoping for when they reluctantly gave him a $1.35 million contract this winter.
“This year is going to be different,” Sanchez said. “I’m going to be playing for me, my family, for my team. I have more responsibility.”
Sanchez, 28, was just a teenager in the summer of 1994 when he saw his mother for the last time, gave her a kiss and told her he was leaving on a raft for Florida. He didn’t make it very far before a Coast Guard cutter swept him and hundreds of other balseros up, taking them to Guantanamo Bay while the U.S. government decided what to do with them.
His mother had given him up for dead by the time he was finally able to contact her eight months later. It would be another eight months before he would leave Cuba for good, this time on a government plane that landed in Miami.
After a few months at Miami-Dade College, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the June 1996 draft and advanced quickly through the minors, stealing 92 bases in his first full season and hitting .330 the next. But the Devil Rays never could reconcile his perceived attitude with his obvious talent and let him go on waivers.
It wouldn’t be the last time his head would overshadow his talent.
In Milwaukee, he clashed with manager Ned Yost so the Brewers sent him to Detroit, where he hit more than .300 and led the American League with 29 bunt hits last season. But his sometimes careless play so aggravated hard-nosed coach Kirk Gibson, some feared Gibson might attack him - especially after he played just 10 games after the birth of his twins in Miami last July. Though the official reason for his absence was hamstring and quadriceps strains, not everyone in Detroit was buying that.
Now, however, he has a chance to show his critics his family can be a positive force in his career as well.
“I’m going to be more patient, more relaxed on the field now that I have less to worry about. I’m going to concentrate more on what I’m doing,” he said. “My dream when I left was to come here, look for a better life, try to play ball and over time, be with my family again.
“My family was always on my mind.”
This week’s reunion was supposed to take place earlier this winter. In fact, when Sanchez heard reports about a boatload of Cubans being apprehended by U.S. authorities in December, he panicked, fearing his mother was in trouble. Days later, he learned she was still safe in Havana.
After their whirlwind reunion, Sanchez returned to the Tigers spring training camp in Lakeland on Friday night.
His mom will rejoin him there later this month, then follow him to Detroit to see him play for the first time in a major-league game.
And, if Sanchez’s luck holds out, maybe she’ll see him play in the All-Star Game in Detroit this July as well.
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: