Alexi Ogando: a dream deferred

The Dominican Republic is filled with young boys who dream of playing in the major leagues. Growing up in San Pedro de Macoris, Alexi Ogando was one of them. He threw balled-up socks when he couldn't find baseballs, and as an 18-year-old with a rocket arm he signed with the A's in 2002 for a modest $15,000 bonus.

How he got from those dusty Dominican streets to Rangers Ballpark might be the most improbable path any major leaguer has taken.

To read about the amazing journey of the Rangers' Alexi Ogando, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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Shaun Assael | email

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• Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine
• Author of "Wide Open: Days and Nights on the NASCAR Tour"; the New York Times best-selling "Sex, Lies and Headlocks"; and "Steroid Nation"