By Fernie Ruano Jr.
Is “Brothers in Exile”, ESPN’s 30 for 30 film chronicling the mid-90’s journey of half-brothers Livan and Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernandez from poverty-stricken Cuba to freedom and the riches of the Major Leagues, courageous, heartwarming and inspirational? Yes.
And it’s also a lesson in perseverance, determination and love of country and one which tugs at the heart because my parents are Cuban and I walk the streets of Miami with the pride of a son eternally grateful to have been raised on white rice, black beans and hard work; Mom and dad emptied the tank.
And it’s also a lesson in perseverance, determination and love of country and one which tugs at the heart because my parents are Cuban and I walk the streets of Miami with the pride of a son eternally grateful to have been raised on white rice, black beans and hard work; Mom and dad emptied the tank.
We are loud. We are passionate. And most of us are driven for all the right reasons, even while having to shove aside stereotypes to this very day in order to have a chance at the “American Dream.” That’s why I watched wide-eyed and delighted at 11:49 p.m. last night as Orlando Hernandez tells the interviewer during a sit-down Q/A, “I don’t know if it will be in Haiti or when I’m 65, but I will play baseball.”, when asked if he feared never playing the sport he loved again after being barred for life by the Cuban government, presumably because of Livan’s defection in 1995.
Branded an afterthought and reduced to playing in sandlot games while wearing a Yankees’ T-shirt, Orlando’s frustration grew with each passing day as he watched Livan go from one of the top pitching prospects in Cuba to MVP of the 1997 World Series after winning two games and helping the Florida Marlins defeat the Cleveland Indians.
Feeling as proud for his brother as a brother can be but at the same time harassed and humiliated, Orlando left Cuba in a small boat on Christmas 1997 and less than a year later was pitching the New York Yankees to a world championship.
But while snapshots of Livan Hernandez on his knees and looking up to the sky seconds after the Marlins won the 1997 world championship and of "El Duque" drenched in champagne inside a victorious Yankees' clubhouse serve as validation for the journey at sea, the film also details the culture shock both pitchers encountered when arriving in the United States, especially Livan who quickly developed an appetite for Big Macs and Ferraris.
Directed by Mario Diaz and produced by MLB Productions, “Brothers in Exile” scores in capturing the intimacy of the rags to riches journey and the genuine emotion of all onboard, including Orlando’s wife, Noris Hernandez, who recounts the trip from Cuba to the Bahamas without shedding a tear. There are moments of levity amid those of tears too like when Livan cracks to “stay away from McDonald’s as much as possible” when asked if he had any advice for his older brother at a press conference in which he saw Orlando for the first time since leaving Cuba.
Feeling as proud for his brother as a brother can be but at the same time harassed and humiliated, Orlando left Cuba in a small boat on Christmas 1997 and less than a year later was pitching the New York Yankees to a world championship.
But while snapshots of Livan Hernandez on his knees and looking up to the sky seconds after the Marlins won the 1997 world championship and of "El Duque" drenched in champagne inside a victorious Yankees' clubhouse serve as validation for the journey at sea, the film also details the culture shock both pitchers encountered when arriving in the United States, especially Livan who quickly developed an appetite for Big Macs and Ferraris.
Directed by Mario Diaz and produced by MLB Productions, “Brothers in Exile” scores in capturing the intimacy of the rags to riches journey and the genuine emotion of all onboard, including Orlando’s wife, Noris Hernandez, who recounts the trip from Cuba to the Bahamas without shedding a tear. There are moments of levity amid those of tears too like when Livan cracks to “stay away from McDonald’s as much as possible” when asked if he had any advice for his older brother at a press conference in which he saw Orlando for the first time since leaving Cuba.
These kinds of stories are all occasionally overly-dramatized for special effects, but this one stays the course for its duration. It rings real; too real. But for all its valor and exposing of a sun-drenched Miami, the film at times comes across as outdated, hastily put together as filler and not just because it premiered on the first week of November when the baseball season has passed.
Aside from appearances from former Marlins manager Jim Leyland and general manager Dave Dombrowski, most of the sit-downs and footage appear old. The Joe Cubas of 2014 is nowhere to be found. And the majority of the film is anchored through the eyes of Steve Fainaru and Ray Sanchez, who co-authored Orlando Hernandez’s autobiography, “The Duke of Havana”.
But in totality, “Brothers in Exile” is a home run; a journey worth losing yourself in, especially if you’re Cuban and proud.
But in totality, “Brothers in Exile” is a home run; a journey worth losing yourself in, especially if you’re Cuban and proud.
Do you want to know more about this 305-reeking, beach-bumming, Cuban food-obsessed dude? Well, then.. You can connect with Fernie @wordbyfernie (Twitter) and Fernie Ruano (Facebook). Who knows? If he really likes you, he might even give you his email.
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