By James Wagner, The New York Times
When Ubaldo Jiménez was 16 in his native Dominican Republic, he wanted to accept the New York Mets’ signing bonus offer of $20,000 and immediately begin his journey to the major leagues. His mother, however, said no. She wanted him to finish high school, which many boys on the baseball-mad Caribbean island forsake to chase their dreams and earn life-changing money for their families. Jiménez yearned to do the same.
But after securing his high school degree 1 year later, Jiménez was met with another condition from his mother.