ARLINGTON, Texas _ He came to this country illegally, and no one took exception because he could hit and catch a baseball.
Now Leonys Martin is basically unemployed, and chances are you are good with both how he, and his entire family, came to the U.S. Because he is good at baseball.
The former Cuban star and Texas Rangers' big league career is nearly over. Two weeks ago, the Cleveland Indians designated the outfielder for assignment, but he opted for free agency.
It doesn't matter. He made it.
What matters most is that a guy like Martin represents the double standard for illegals who want to come to the U.S. and pursue the American dream. If you can ball, no one will fuss if you jumped a wall.
No more does Lady Liberty's promise of "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," apply so freely.
When poet Emma Lazarus' New Colossus was placed on a bronze plaque at the base of Statue of Liberty in 1903 the poem fit; we were a nation of 76 million.
Today, the figure is nearly 330 million, and yet The New Colossus is supposed to fit, despite math that says it needs adjustment. No liberal scholar can convince me otherwise.
And no one on the right can convince me we don't need new people who come into our world, buy stuff and replace the dying population.
Let us update to a New-New Colossus: "Give me your able, willing, young bodied who can hit 3-pointer, throw a ball 101 mph with movement, score one bleeping goal in an international soccer match, win gold medals, and ... learn English and not exploit our social services."
Own it, because we have been OK with this regardless of how that immigrant crosses our border. It's not about how the immigrant arrives but what they do when they make it across.
If that is what our government wants, it should modify the rules for Cuban players who aspire to play ball in the U.S. If not, the human trafficking of ball players continues as an industry.
