A righthanded hitter, Morales batted better than .320 for his Cuban League career but is best known in this country for his home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the Cuban national team's 1999 exhibition win at Camden Yards. Morales first left Cuba by boat last spring, only to be interdicted at sea by the United States Coast Guard and returned to Cuba. In July, he left again, that time making it to the Marquesas islands off Key West. With Dominguez's assistance, Morales eventually declared residency in Peru, allowing him to avoid baseball's amateur draft and negotiate as a free agent. Previous Cuban defectors have avoided the draft by establishing residency in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.
Morales is currently in the U.S. on a tourist visa.
His wife, Dayana, and year-old son, Yandy, recently joined him in the U.S and are expected to apply for U.S. citizenship. Kevin Baxter is the arts editor of The Miami Herald. Baseball America . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.