Other than Canada and Mexico, Cuba is the closest neighbor to the United States and the Cubans love baseball. Despite the 50-year embargo with Cuba, the island nation has unwillingly been one of the best sources of talent in the MLB. Unfortunately, most of the players from Cuba have to involve themselves in dangerous escape plans to leave Cuba and to enter the United States.
Players like Jose Iglesias, Yoenis Cespedes, Alexei Ramirez, and Brayan Pena had to be smuggled out of Cuba so they could play in the major leagues.