The "DR - Roundin' Third and Comin' Home: Part 1" Story

It was ordinary day. Checking cable channel HD847 to see what the latest news on the Phillies may be. Found they have a Grapefruit League game against the Yanks this afternoon. First broadcast of the year, so I have to make sure I tune them in. Their slugger, Ryan Howard, was interviewed about his foot and another story talked about the majors and the connection they have with the countries in the Caribbean, especially the Dominican Republic (DR). I have never been to the DR, but if I did go I know I would have to find the Phillies facility and make a visit. A year or two ago we took a cruise through the Panama Canal and after passing through from the Pacific to the Caribbean, we stopped at the islands Aruba and Curacao. As soon as the ship started to pull into the cruise terminal in Curacao you could see the baseball fields that dotted the landscape. Wow, I knew I liked this place immediately. Well, the Phils have three players on their roster from the DR; pitcher Antonio Bastardo from Hato Mayor, utility player Michael Martinez from Santo Domingo and third baseman Placido Polanco, also from Santo Domingo. Last year there were 139 players in the major leagues. Many big name players in the past, such as Juan Marichal, Sammy Sosa, and Vladimir Guerrero starred for their teams and in 1963, the Alou brothers, Felipe, Manny and Jesus, all played in the outfield at the same time for the San Francisco Giants. Today the names have changed to Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano, Jose Bautista, Hanley Ramirez, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and Jose Reyes, to name a few. Supposedly the first player from the DR was Ozzie Virgil from Monte Cristi who played for the New York Giants in 1956. Since that time Major League Baseball (MLB) has invested close to $76 million in the DR, of which $15 million is used in the operation of local, official MLB baseball academies, which are usually "training facilities." 28 of 30 teams have facilities in the DR and will allow boys as young as 14 years old to enter the academies. Wow, If I would have had the chance to play baseball all day, every day when I turned 14, I may have been a star! Not! The Phillies have a "training facility" in Boca Chica South where the outfielder, 17 year old Andres Corporan and the pitcher, 17 year old Eudy Seybo are the top prospects. But, will they ever make it to the majors when less than 1% of the 800,000 kids who play baseball in the DR ever sign a major league contract. What are the reasons for the success of baseball in the DR as compared to the USA; (1) the boys have dynamic joint range of motion and their frame is lean and long, (2) their muscles work with each other, not independently, (3) the emphasis is on speed, not muscle mass, (4) coachability, most of these guys have nothing else, and (5) the desire to succeed. I naturally had to "Google" the Phils and baseball in the DR in particular and found a tremendous amount of material that talks about baseball and the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region, which is occupied by the nation of Haiti on the western one third and the Dominican Republic on the eastern two thirds. I have a few interesting photos that I found and a pretty neat story to tell tomorrow about my passion, baseball, and the DR. It was another extraordinary day in the life of ordinary guy. PS - photos from the top are: Curacao from the cruise ship upon arrival showing one of the many baseball stadiums, Antonio Bastardo, Michael Martinez, and Placido Polanco