The Oakland Athletics surprised many when they took a gamble and signed 26-year-old Cuban phenom Yoenis Cespedes to a $36 million contract in February.
Oakland isn't exactly known for shelling out that kind of money, especially for an unproven foreign player who's price is being driven up primarily by potential.
Two weeks into the season the A's are proving they made a good investment, as Cespedes' towering home runs have begun to terrorize opposing pitchers.
Like many Cuban ballplayers from the Castro era, this centerfielder comes from humble beginnings but with loads of hype.
Yoenis Cespedes was born in Campechuela, Cuba in 1985
He comes from an athletic background. Cespedes' mother, Estela Milenez, pitched for the Cuban national softball team during the 2000 Olympics
Source: NYT
Cespedes began turning heads as soon as he hit the Cuban baseball league. He led his team to the playoffs with a .300 batting average as an 18-year-old centerfielder
Source: Wikipedia
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