Breathing Freedom

After several months, YirsandyBlogs is back, stronger than ever...

First, I want to wish you a happy new year. May all your projects—or at least the most important ones—come true. Never lose faith. Eight months ago, I wrote what became one of the saddest posts of my life as a blogger, bidding an indefinite farewell to this newsletter that had become one of my favorite sites. Today, by the grace of our Almighty Lord, I am thrilled to announce that we are back. The curtain will rise on YirsandyBlogs very soon!

There is much to tell, but what fills my heart is simple: WE ARE FREE. Finally, my wife and I are free. Free from the atrocious Castro dictatorship and the yoke of the Cuban regime. We are now outside of Cuba, and this past Christmas felt like our first in a decade of marriage.

I thank God for allowing us to embrace freedom, despite all the challenges and the sadness of being physically separated from family and friends. Life is so short and yet so incredible. Upon leaving Cuba, life regained that indescribable, shimmering color of hope.

Thank you all for your well wishes, especially to those who were concerned about us and never stopped encouraging us. YirsandyBlogs and all my personal projects will return stronger than ever.

I still can’t believe I went months without writing here. Time is never recovered, but we can recover our strength. My desire to write and share my vision with you never wavered. However, we had a much more important purpose: we longed to be free. After so many years, that dream has come true. It feels like a rebirth. If you are an immigrant, if you have chosen to leave your country and break the chains of a dictatorship—especially one like Cuba’s, which has lasted nearly seven decades—you will undoubtedly understand this incomparable feeling.

The journey was long, dangerous, and challenging, but it was worth it. So here we are again, and I know you will be surprised by all the new ideas we will bring. Expect a couple of new columns. I plan to cover the entire National Series season and follow the final stretch of the Winter Leagues. I’ve enjoyed watching LIDOM every day like never before!

I’ve followed almost every game over the last two weeks. The current champions, the Leones del Escogido, started strong in the Round Robin. The Toros del Este have displaced the struggling Águilas Cibaeñas. The Gigantes del Cibao have lost their first nine games, making this feel like a three-team battle for the final.

Whoever makes it, the fight for the throne will be exciting, though it feels strange enjoying Dominican baseball without my favorite team, the Tigres del Licey.

This was my second time in the Dominican Republic since 2018. Baseball is always in the air, so I couldn’t wait to chat with my friends who are die-hard fans of the Tigres del Licey. When we took this picture, we were still hoping to make the postseason. By the way, the Yankees cap was a gift from my good friend Geordano Borrayo, a lifelong Yankees fan.

Regardless, a champion will be crowned. That’s what this great game is about: teams playing to conquer baseball glory. And our journey doesn’t end there. We will continue to the Caribbean Series, take a break for Spring Training, and then pack our bags for the World Baseball Classic.

No matter where you are, we will meet here to enjoy our favorite pastime together again. I have several projects in mind that I’ll reveal soon—you’ll always get the scoop. If you wish to support my work, you can do so with a monthly or annual subscription.

If not, don’t worry. There will be room for everyone. I will always appreciate you giving us a few minutes of your time.

And the best part, as you know, is that baseball never stops.