Even before the US military operation early this year that resulted in then-President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest, Venezuelan players have straddled two very different situations: political and economic turmoil in their native land, and a professional home that celebrates their talents but offers regular reminders of their foreignness.
“You live a double life,” says Boston's Wilyer Abreu, through a translator. “A life inside the ballpark, inside the lines, that everybody gets to see, and then you live this other life, the one that is away from the field."
Despite ranging in age and coming from different parts of their homeland, the Red Sox' Venezuelan players all grew up ensconced in the game.
The allure of professional baseball — though open to only a select few — grew as economic hardship and political repression took hold under the regime of Hugo Chávez.
Read Alex Speier's full story at BostonGlobe.com/Sports. | 
