Stories
English editions of the Recta Al Pecho articles: the stories behind the interviews.
Forgotten Champions
Piro Barreiro: 44 scoreless innings for Cuba and a peso a day
The Defections
Pipe Torres: 94 mph, two boats and the signing a lawyer blocked
The Erased
Fidel asked for him, he lost one game and never returned to Team Cuba
The Erased
Kicked out of baseball at 25 for not being from Havana
Myths & Analysis
“The old-timers were better”: the myth that mistakes an empty league for a lesser generation
The Defections
The decision no one signs
Forgotten Champions
Braudilio Vinent turned down millions, stayed in Cuba, and this is what he got
Myths & Analysis
The aluminum myth: the “dead” ball that flew 400 feet
Myths & Analysis
Ohtani, Ruth and Bonds: the numbers that dismantle the “greatest ever” myth
Forgotten Champions
He has a place in Cooperstown. In Cuba, his pension buys a pack of chicken and an inhaler
They Said No
A scout walked into his hotel at night with a briefcase: “Here’s $50,000, and two million is waiting for you.” Antonio Scull said no
They Said No
The Orioles told him “you’re going to be a millionaire.” Cuba summoned him to a State Security office for studying the Bible
Forgotten Champions
Lázaro Junco sat down with Recta Al Pecho before he died. This is what he wanted on the record
The Defections
He took off his Team Cuba belt, handed it to a teammate and climbed a wall topped with broken glass
Myths & Analysis
“He plays for the crowd”: the myth of Germán Mesa, the best shortstop Cuba never measured
The Defections
Jorge Soler was thrown off the ballfield one block from his house
The Erased
He posted a 0.00 ERA in the first World Baseball Classic. Today he delivers packages in Miami
The Erased
Cuba promised him a car in 1992 and never delivered. In the United States he has owned seven
The Erased
They took four years from him over a phone call. He still doesn’t know who gave the order
Myths & Analysis
The myth of the invincibles: that Cuba didn’t dominate the big leagues — it dominated college kids
The Defections
The Bicycle Seats That Changed the History of Cuban Baseball
Myths & Analysis
Linares or Gurriel? The Myth of the Superstar Who Was Never Tested — and the Champion Who Was
The Erased
The Man Who Froze Cuba With One Swing Rode His Bike Home From the Ballpark
The Erased
Rey Vicente Anglada's Last Out
The Defections
Ariel Prieto: The Leap of Faith and the Fastball of Justice
The Defections
José Ariel Contreras: The Titan Who Beat the Silence, and the Legacy Reborn in Brazil
The Defections
Between the Diamond and Freedom: A Conversation With Liván Hernández
The Erased
Tito Fuentes: The Glove Time Couldn't Age and Oblivion Couldn't Erase
Jun 8, 2026
Venezuela: The Heart of the Diamond and the Legend of Yusmeiro Petit