Dominican Republic baseball facts.

Player Development

The Dominican passion for baseball is evident on sandlots cut into the parks, sugar cane fields and other patches of sun-scorched earth where Dominican boys learn to emulate their homegrown heroes like Miguel Tejada and Vladimir Guerrero. These boys dream of making it to the majors and once they complete their mandatory educational commitment – fifth grade – many turn their attention to developing their baseball skills.

More than 800,000 children play organized baseball in the Dominican Republic – nearly 10 percent of the population. Teams can be found in every town, barrio, and crossroad. Formal leagues, traveling teams, and government-sponsored tournaments provide many venues for players to develop their skills and showcase their talent. Most of the activity is under the watchful eye of a coach, a sponsor, or a scout…everyone looking for the next “big thing”.

Private coaches or buscones work tirelessly and compete frantically to develop that one great player that will produce a life-changing financial windfall – for player and coach. In some ways they mirror the larger Dominican society – they have identified a need or opportunity and then work relentlessly to improve their standing in life. Outside the purview of the Major League Baseball player draft, all Dominican players are free agents – available on the open market to the highest bidder. Some buscones “hide” their prize players in remote locations to keep competitors away and to prevent MLB scouts from signing the player before an optimal price can be obtained.

The ultimate destination for any young player is a Major League Baseball academy, which serves as their proving ground and ultimately the provider of an “admission ticket” to the United States. The core mission of the academies is to take raw talent and refine it into minor league capabilities.