Despite the situation in Cuba, I had a chance to play on the national team; and compared to other baseball players and other people in Cuba, I had the opportunity to live at a level that was not very high class but in the middle.

I had a chance to play for the Cuban national team during the 2009 World Baseball Classic, but at the time I never thought about leaving Cuba.

My life has changed in many ways, both on an economic and personal level. All major league players are accorded the respect they deserve. In Cuba, it was not that way. National team players were not respected. The treatment was not adequate.

In Cuba, I didn't even have a bicycle.

The national team comes before everything.

I told all the players I had last summer on the national team to look at their uniforms, they said 'USA' across the front. That's always something special. But it's going to be even more special now since chances are being taken away from us. I'm not going to give up hope that somebody is going to come to their senses on this.