NewsWhore
07-08-2011, 04:30 PM
A commentary in the Wall Street Journal highlights the influence Dominican ball players have on Major League Baseball. It then releases a forecast: "the Dominican influence is about to grow." The focus is on how the new baseball recruit evaluation system now in place in the Dominican Republic is much more efficient and is expected to encourage more hiring of Dominican talent.
"We are in this for the duration," said Carlos Alfonso, director of international operations for the Tampa Bay Rays. "This is where the vast majority of international talent comes from."
There were 86 native Dominicans on opening-day rosters of MLB teams this season. The WSJ report highlights 10% of all players are Dominicans, and with 1,723 minor-league players, it accounts for 24% of baseball's farm system.
The forecast is also based on the fact that all 30 major-league teams operate academies in the Dominican Republic to train young aspiring ballplayers. Even the Milwaukee Brewers, who decided to cease operations in 2003, re-opened their academy last year. The academies replace the organized structure of US scholastic and travel baseball and provide ample chances to scout players.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303544604576431984202154592.html
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)
"We are in this for the duration," said Carlos Alfonso, director of international operations for the Tampa Bay Rays. "This is where the vast majority of international talent comes from."
There were 86 native Dominicans on opening-day rosters of MLB teams this season. The WSJ report highlights 10% of all players are Dominicans, and with 1,723 minor-league players, it accounts for 24% of baseball's farm system.
The forecast is also based on the fact that all 30 major-league teams operate academies in the Dominican Republic to train young aspiring ballplayers. Even the Milwaukee Brewers, who decided to cease operations in 2003, re-opened their academy last year. The academies replace the organized structure of US scholastic and travel baseball and provide ample chances to scout players.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303544604576431984202154592.html
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)