Eddie Oropesa

Edilberto Oropesa (born November 23, 1971), is a Cuban former professional baseball pitcher and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2001), Arizona Diamondbacks (2002–2003), and San Diego Padres (2004).

Oropesa defected from the Cuban national team at the World University Games in Buffalo, New York in 1993, climbing over a fence while the rest of his team was warming up. He was the second active Cuban player (after René Arocha) to defect to the United States. He first played as a professional in the U.S. with the independent St. Paul Saints in 1993. He was then drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round of the 1994 MLB draft. He was a replacement player for the Dodgers during spring training in 1995 during the ongoing strike. After his playing career, he was hired by the Dodgers to work with newly signed Cuban player Yasiel Puig and had a similar role with Yoan López of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He then coached in the Diamondbacks minor league system from 2016 to 2018.