It was happenstance that the Cuban defector and the former U.S. Navy Lieutenant were at the same place at the same time.
Both were at the St. Louis Cardinals’ spring-training facility in Jupiter, Fla., last year working their way back from injuries. Pitcher Mitch Harris was trying to return from a right elbow strain, while catcher Brayan Peña was rehabbing a knee injury.
When the two crossed paths in the clubhouse in Jupiter, they soon learned they shared a passion that eclipsed baseball: a love for the United States of America.
Peña, who signed a minor-league deal with the Royals in February, felt so deeply about giving back to his country that on a June day last year, he called a U.