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A way out Baseball providing a new life for Latins -- and vice versa
Posted: Saturday November 27, 1999 04:37 PM
SAN CRISTOBAL, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Here's Jose Rijo, sprawled atop grandstand seats in the shade of a palm-thatched roof. Hand-rolled cigar in hand, the former Cincinnati Reds ace is enjoying a pedicure. Below, in an outfield carved out of tropical forest, teens in Reds jerseys chase grounders at Rijo's new baseball academy, the "Loma del Sueno" -- "Hill of Dreams." "I want to be like him: Relaxed, not worried about money, investing it in stuff," said Edwin Joan Perez Pena, a hefty 18-year-old right-hander. Such hunger for success, and the increasing number and visibility of stars like Rijo, are driving forces behind Latin America's astonishing presence in the United States' national pastime. Latin players are reinvigorating the game that until a few years ago seemed to be in decline. Nearly a quarter of players on 1999 rosters were Latin Americans -- and many of them were standouts. Nine of the top 10 American League batters last season were Latin or U.S.-born Hispanics. Boston's Pedro Martinez, a Dominican, won his second Cy Young Award. From Puerto Rico, Ivan Rodriguez was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player and Carlos Beltran AL Rookie of the Year. The World Series MVP was Yankee closer Mariano Rivera of Panama. Cubans religiously follow Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who has been one of the Yankees' best pitchers since his 1997 defection. And the Latin presence will only increase: Their children are playing in record numbers. More than 3,000 Little League teams play in 32 Latin American and Caribbean countries, alongside countless other, less formal, leagues. Perhaps the most remarkable contribution is made by the Dominican Republic, which provides almost half the Latins in the majors, including stars like Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa and Martinez. Dominican baseball historian Emilio "Cuqui" Cordova -- a local legend who is impressively fit at 70 - cites several reasons: Pro ball has been played for decades in the region; former dictator Rafael Trujillo promoted baseball to take people's minds off their economic woes; and year-round play in the warm Caribbean climate. Cuban outfielders Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida were the first Latins in the majors this century, arriving from the island together in 1911 to play for the Cincinnati Reds. They began a proud exodus of talent: Hiram Bithorn, Minnie Minoso, Rico Carty, Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda. In later years came Rod Carew, Fernando Valenzuela, Luis Aparicio. "You had great Latin ballplayers in the '40s and '50s, but they didn't get any recognition," said Toronto star Carlos Delgado, a Puerto Rican. He spoke of a time when Latins felt unwanted "in a white man's sport." "Now we're just opening some doors, opening some eyes, and we're doing it with numbers," he said. Latin players say there's another reason they're doing well: hunger. In relatively poor nations such as the Dominican Republic, young boys have long seen baseball as the way out. Eye-popping contracts such as Martinez's six-year, $75 million deal with Boston and symbols of wealth such as Sosa's new $5 million mansion in Santo Domingo intensify the desire. "Sosa, me -- people look at us every day in the street and can see what we drive. See what we are," Rijo said. "That's motivation." Kansas City pitcher Jose Rosado of Puerto Rico said: "For Americans, it's a game. But for us, it's like we have to. I can say we try a little harder than our American friends." There is a downside because only a limited number among the many thousands of hopefuls will ever reach the majors. "The sad thing is, there's no education," Rijo said. "You don't need to learn to read to play ball." His state-of-the-art academy - four diamonds still under construction, dormitories, infield practice boxes - hopes to change that. Recruits are told that few of them will make it, and so getting an education is paramount. "Ninety-nine percent of these kids have no education, come from poor families, bad situations," Rijo said. "Some of them have an attitude problem. It's not because they were born that way. We try to work through that here." Rijo, whose camp is shared by the Reds, and the Dominican Republic's 14 other academies also try to impose some order in the chaotic chase for baseball talent. Besides Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, Latin American players aren't subject to baseball's amateur draft. Teams can sign as soon as players turn 16. It's not uncommon for players to lie about their age: The Los Angeles Dodgers might lose their third baseman, Dominican Adrian Beltre because he signed at 15. "I've got kids I've known since they were 8 years old," Rijo said. "I know they won't lie to me." Bill Gayton, a scout for the Colorodo Rockies, found the Dominican Republic as frustrating as it is promising, especially because record-keeping on his prospects is so poor. "They give you lists of names and their numbers, but no records, no stats," Gayton said. "You could have five Pedro Martinezes out there and you'd never know it!" Increasingly, Latin stars say, scouts will. "It all boils down to business," Delgado said. "Owners are going to make money. If they know Latino players can play, we're going to get paid. We're going to get the opportunity." Young Edwin Perez sure hopes so. "My dad said, 'Look, there's money there, that's where you've got to go.'"
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