A familiar place for Dominican Republic: 2012 Caribbean Series Champs

El Barrio, NY – As anyone with access to the internet will see, the final standings of the Caribbean Series has the Dominican Republic winning the 2012 title.  Winning the Caribbean Classic (not withstanding that it has become mostly a rookie roster series devoid of established MLB Stars) is a familiar place for the Dominican Republic as they have been champions 19 times since 1970 and 13 times since 1990.

So this year’s standings are as follows with two teams tied for second place.

Dom. Rep. 4 2 .667 -

Puerto Rico 3 3 .500 –

Venezuela 3 3 .500 –

Mexico 2 4 .333

Last year’s champions, Mexico, came last with a 2-4 record beating only Puerto Rico and Venezuela for its two wins. Venezuela who began with a 0-3 record won 3 straight to come up with a .500 record. Both Venezuela and Puerto Rico wrested a victory from the Dominican Republic (4-2).

As noted in my earlier blog, Panama, Nicaragua and possibly Columbia would be participants if it were not for economic woes that keep them from competing and participating Caribbean Series.

Puerto Rico had a similar scenario when its winter baseball was suspended in 2007. The formally named "Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico" (Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico) started with 6 teams in its inception. Now they only have 4.

So, it appears that democracy and capitalism falls short for some countries in having competitive baseball in their winter baseball seasons (winter-cold for us in the States, that is). The Dominican Republic, deemed as a “poor” Caribbean nation does not show the same deficiency as the other countries cited above given the possible correlation of how MLB has set up baseball academies (farms) that churn out a large number of major league baseball players over the years.

So now there is talk of Cuba’s possible comeback into the Caribbean Series, and putting into context some of the above elements of the issues mentioned above would be food for thought – con comida criolla, that is.

First published at 

www.latinosports.com  

Caribbean Series: Tidbits on the eve of showdown between DR and PR

El Barrio, NY- February 4, 2012

So far in their home turf, thru mid-Saturday of day 3, the Dominican Republic team, the Leones del Escogido, has been undefeated as they face Puerto Rico's Indios de Mayagüez (1-1) in the evening game.  In the afternoon game, Mexico’s Yaquis de Obregon (2-1) handed Venezuela’s Tigres de Aragua (0-3) their third defeat in a row in a 4-2 game. 

Except for the Leones del Escogido 5-2 victory over Venezuela on Day 2, the other 4 contexts have been relatively low scoring games. On the same day Mexico’s blanked P.R. 2-0.  The day before on Day 1, the Dominican Republic beat Mexico 2-1; followed by Puerto Rico's Indios de Mayaguez 3-1 victory against Venezuela.

Two pitchers that have been featured by writer Jesse Jackson of MLB are Boricua Nelson Figueroa and Mexican Luis Ayala. These have been two hang-in-tough pitchers who seem to have some of what it takes to pitch in the Majors here and there, but with a struggle of not making their last season their last. In particular, Luis Ayala who had a very good season with the Yankees; He has not been added to their 2012 roster and is looking for the best offer from several teams.

On the other hand, Nelson Figueroa has the distinction of having pitched and won a game for 3 different countries that wind up sending a team to the Caribbean Series. These are Mexico, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Moreover, his winter baseball stint was in the Dominican Republic and with the team that is representing that country in the series: Leones del Escogido. He left them after they won their country’s championship. When the series is over Figueroa is heading for Spring Training where he hopes to get another opportunity with the Toronto Blue Jays.

In another related article, Cuba may play in the 2013 series. Last time Cuba sent a team to the Caribbean Series was in 1960. While it is said that the blame falls on the leadership of the Cuban Revolution for its baseball absence in the Caribbean Series over the last 50 years, more research on this matter is forthcoming as Cuba became a target of U.S. aggression (“Bay of Pigs” invasion) and economic sanctions and blockade. On the other hand, three other nations, Panama, Nicaragua and Columbia have not been able to send a team to the series because of economic hardships in their respective leagues.

More to follow after the showdown between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, a rivalry of sorts made possible by the large Dominican migration to Puerto Rico over the years after the U.S. invasion of the Quisqueya to topple just another Latin American government in 1965.