June 3, 2004
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President-elect Leonel Fernandez would like big-name Dominican baseball players to increase their ties to the Dominican Republic for the benefit of the country. “We believe we can host Major League Baseball games here, as Japan and Puerto Rico have done, because we have quality ballplayers. Also, we are the second country with the most players in the Major Leagues, behind the United States,” highlighted Fernandez. One out of every 4 players in the US major or minor leagues is a Dominican. Fernandez believes the DR has the fans to back the hosting of these games in the DR, which would receive ample promotion abroad.
“We need to see the Quisqueya Ball Park improve its conditions so that the games can be held here,” said Fernandez, who felt that spring training games could be held here by 2005 and Dominican games scheduled on the MLB calendar for subsequent years.
Fernandez also thinks that the La Romana stadium could be upgraded to host MLB games and promised that his government would offer facilities to the teams to increase their participation in the country.
“Our players are ambassadors on a world level because they perform great promotional efforts for the nation,” he said.
President-elect Fernandez met with the press after conferring with visiting presidents of MLB teams John Allen of the Cincinnatti Reds, Andy MacPhail of the Chicago Cubs and Dave St Peter of the Minnesota Twin sat the Fundacion Global Democracia y Desarrollo.
Allen, MacPhail, St Peter and Richard Dozier of the Arizona Diamondbacks are currently in the country for this afternoon’s launch of the Baseball City academy at Km. 25 of the Las Americas highway, where the teams have leased space. Lou Melendez, the VP of operations of the Major League Baseball, is also expected to attend the inauguration of the baseball training camp that features six stadiums and two half plays, a gymnasium, a school and conference rooms for baseball and language classes.
source: www.dr1.com 6/3/04
Man, that would be great...have all the Dominican baseball players from the major leagues play on one team against the American baseball players. Betcha it would be a great game.
