The Dominican Republic is the country with the highest number of active players in the Major Leagues, with the exception of the United States. In the Opening Game in 2021, the MLB rosters included 98 Dominicans, for an average of more than three per team.
The dream of a major league career includes a complex system of development and identification of talent in the Dominican Republic, which is carried out before each professional signing. In the same way, the Dominican players start with little chance of reaching the Big Top, in the same way as the rest of the young people from all over the world. It is crucial to have the infrastructure that will develop future generations of fans, coaches and the rest of the community linked to the sport.
The Major League League took an important step toward that goal on Wednesday, with the league announcing a $ 300,000 donation for the construction or renovation of 30 baseball fields in underprivileged areas throughout the Dominican Republic.
Jorge Pérez-Díaz, MLB vice president in charge of international affairs, was in Santo Domingo for the official announcement, along with island officials, including Junior Noboa, Dominican baseball commissioner, and Francisco Camacho, the country’s sports minister. The country’s goal is to create an impact in all 31 provinces.
“We are excited about it,” Pérez-Díaz said in an interview with MLB.com. “The Dominican Republic is very important to Major League Baseball, and Major League Baseball is very important to the Dominican Republic. There has been a great relationship between both parties over the years ”.
“We also know that the conditions in the places where these guys play are not always the best. Sometimes they play in an empty corner. We are trying to improve the experience ”.
Pérez-Díaz said that Dominicana and MLB officials will work to identify the fields that may be available to members of the community and local baseball groups, apart from the academies where various prospects train.
The island government will work on these lands with an emphasis on public access and local leagues.
“The idea is to make these lands an important part of the community,” said Pérez-Díaz. “In the Dominican Republic, the irony is that there are not many places where the community and children can play.”
“Not all children will be Pedro Martínez, so the idea is that the new generation have safe places to play, close to their homes and that they do so in an organized way.”
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