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The All-Time Baseball Team: Edición Dominicana

Since 1956, there have been 563 major leaguers born in the Dominican Republic, almost exactly double the number of Venezuelans (286) and more than three times…

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The oft-told tale is that US Marines introduced the game to the Dominican Republic when the occupation of the country began in 1916. However, the dominant local team of the era, los Tigres de Licey, was established in 1907. Far likelier is the probability that Cuban immigrants brought the game over with them in the last years of the 19th century.

However it happened, it's certain that beisbol wouldn't have caught on so hard, so deeply, without the help of Rafael Trujillo—a ruthless and strong-armed righty with a penchant for high, hard stuff and plenty of blood on his hands.

Under Trujillo, a national league began, modern ballparks were built, and star players from the American Negro Leagues like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were lured to the island to play ball. The dictator even operated his own Santo Domingo team called, appropriately, los Dragones. A group of them barnstormed the Midwestern US under the name Trujillo's All-Stars.

The result was immediate and long-lasting: Since 1956, there have been 563 major leaguers born in the Dominican Republic, almost exactly double the number of Venezuelans (286) and more than three times as many Cubans (173). 

So it isn't very surprising that, in choosing an all-time Dominican team, I found a wealth of talent at pretty much every position. Even Sammy Sosa didn't crack the starting nine. 

And, honestly, with a starting nine that includes César Cedeño leading off in center, Hanley Ramírez at short, Albert Pujols at first, Manny Ramírez batting cleanup and playing left, David Ortiz as the DH, Vladimir Guerrero in right, Robinson Canó at second, and Adrían Beltré at third, as well as Pedro Guerrero, Alfonso Soriano, José Reyes, and Rico Carty riding the bench next to him, Sosa would have a hard time getting much playing time—regardless of whether or not he brought along his corked bats and syringes.

Pointing out the flaws in this team, one runs the risk of seeming altogether greedy—like complaining that the car your parents got you was the wrong model Alfa—but it is my solemnly sworn duty to call it like it is: The catching is a bit thin.

I mean, Tony Peña is a perfectly fine starter, but he's in there mainly for his glove and arm. Batting ninth in this lineup, he wouldn't see a lot of breaking balls, is all I'm saying. And Carlos Santana (no, not that Carlos Santana, the Indians' catcher) may be a good little hitter, but with only two full seasons under his belt, he could use a few more bona fides.

The only other complaint one might voice is utter lack of lefties in the pitching staff. Not that there's anything wrong with the righties that are there: The starting five includes four pitchers who have twelve 20-win seasons between them (Juan Marichal, Pedro Martínez, Joaquín Andújar, and Bartolo Colón) as well as José Rijo, the 1990 World Series MVP. The pen is impressive, too. Neftali Feliz, Rafael Soriano, José Valverde, Armando Benítez, Francisco Cordero—not a slouch among them. 

But also: not a single lefty. How does that happen? Do the buscones beat the southpaws into turning righty as well as stealing their signing bonuses? How very Trujillo of them.

Bill Vourvoulias writes about culture and sports for Al Día Café. He is a writer, editor, and a self-described "pocho" from Guatemala, living in New York City. He has worked and/or written for The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Playboy, Men's Vogue, Radar, ESPN The Magazine, the New York Times, and Interview, among other publications. Read more of his columns about Latinos in sports at v.asinvictor.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bvourvoulias.

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