How Baseball started in the Dominican Republic-Early History

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The historical backdrop of baseball in the Dominican Republic began when English settlers in the mid nineteenth century played cricket.Cricket ended up plainly famous for past time. In the 1870s when the Cubans escaping the island because of the Ten Years' War relocated to the country carrying with them the session of beisbol[1]. During this time Cricket began and that is the thing that the Cubans called beisbol. Cricket is the means by which baseball began in light of the fact that they are comparative in ways however that is the manner by which baseball began in the Dominican Republic.The nation's first expert class was established in 1890. In 1890 they began with two groups Ozama and Nuevo. In any case, because of a ton of political circumstances and the amusement simply being a past time to the nation it flopped early. November 7, 1907 the Tiges del Licey was established in Santo Domingo. The following fourteen years this group turned into a powerhouse. By the 1930s, it had developed into a major cash brandish where proprietors dug the nation for gifted young people whose guardians frequently worked at sugar refineries. In 1937 a group, keep running to a limited extent by the tyrant Rafael Trujillo, procured Negro League stars from the United States, including Satchel Paige. Mr. Trujillo fabricated the main present day stadium, finish with lights, in the mid-'50s. That was when star Dominican players initially graduated to the majors, starting with the utility infielder Ozzie Virgil[2]

Modern Era (1951-present)

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This Era did not begin until 1951 but as a summer league. It did not move it's schedule until the 1955-56 season. That year it joined the professional association. Since then the league has attracted many top players from the major leagues from the Dominican Republic. Since the 1955 season the Dominicans have created a international performance so big that it has attracted attention all over the world[3]. Baseball players in the Dominican Republic are like musicians — or, more recently, sprinters — in nearby Jamaica: so much talent for such a tiny island. Juan Marichal, David Ortiz, Robinson Canó, Sammy Sosa and Albert Pujols are from here. As of opening day 2015, Dominicans made up 83 of baseball’s 868 players[4].

The Best Known Professional Players from Dominican Republic

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Pedro Martinez

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Pedro Martinez had a great career and influenced a lot of Dominican Republic because he proved to every Dominican that making it to the big leagues is a reality. Pedro Martinez made his major league debut in 1992. He played for five teams but best known when he was with the Red Sox and helped them win the World Series in 2004. He was the first Latin America pitcher to have at least 300 strikeouts In a season, also 3,000 in a career. Pedro Martinez was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Sammy Sosa

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Sammy Sosa was born on November 12, 1968, in San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican Republic. Sammy Sosa was a slugger and had his best years while he played for Chicago Cubs. Sammy Sosa influenced a lot of Dominicans and is best known for his record breaking season, when he had 61 home runs in a season.

David Ortiz

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David Ortiz had a rough start when he made to the major leagues in 1997. He experienced a lot of injuries that set him back and made it where he could not perform as well. David Ortiz signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2003 but did not get to play much until he became the permanent DH hitter later in the year. In 2004, David Ortiz became known all around the world and especially in the United States and the Dominican Republic for the season he had. He hit 41 home runs and had 139 RBIs while batting .301. He helped lead the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series Championship.

  1. ^ "The Official Site of Major League Baseball". MLB.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  2. ^ "Baseball Encyclopedia of MLB Players | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  3. ^ "MLB Stats, Scores, History, & Records | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  4. ^ Knopper, Steve (2015-10-29). "The Lure of Baseball in the Dominican Republic". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-13.