A Cuban teenager hauling sugar bags was signed for a bonus of exactly $2.50, the administrative cost of a visa and a plane ticket to Florida. This deep dive explores how Tony Perez survived isolation and the lowest rungs of the minor leagues to become the beating heart of the Big Red Machine.

Forced to move to third base when a young Pete Rose took his position, Perez became a clutch legend and a stabilizing clubhouse leader, all while enduring painful separation from his family in Cold War Cuba.

• Hit a 15th-inning home run to win MVP of the 1967 All-Star Game
• Drove in 90 or more runs for 11 consecutive seasons
• Cincinnati’s dynasty faded immediately after trading him following their 1976 title
• Hit a grand slam at age 44, breaking a 70-year-old record held by Honus Wagner
• Was fired as manager just 44 games in for accepting a sportswriter’s winning tip