D-backs Justin Upton has thumb re-evaluated, DL a possibility
PHOENIX – D-backs outfielder Justin Upton had his jammed left thumb re-evaluated by hand specialist Dr. Don Sheridan on Tuesday afternoon, making a trip to the disabled list a real possibility.
“It could be, I don’t know,” D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. “At some point you have to think long-term. If he’s keeps beating on it, it’s not going to get better. Then that’s something we would probably consider.”
Upton jammed his thumb while sliding into second base to break up a double play in the seventh inning against the Giants on April 8 and has not been the same since. The D-backs are waiting on the results of Tuesday’s MRI on the thumb and a recommendation from Sheridan before they decide what to do with the All-Star outfielder.
“He’s not swinging the bat well and I think it hurts him,” Gibson said. “He tried to fight his way through it. He slid the other night and he pounded it again. He gets jammed when it hits the bat a certain way. Just imagine if you had a bruise on your arm and somebody came by a couple of times and hit it. It’s not going to go away. That’s what we are up against.”
Upton went 2-for-6 with a double, two walks, and two runs scored before jamming his thumb and he’s gone 5-for-24 since the injury. Upton has not hit a home run or driven in a run all season.
Should the D-backs place Upton on the disabled list the club could slot Gerardo Parra into Upton’s spot in right field with Chris Young in center and Jason Kubel in left field.
“I’d rather have J-Up in the linup,” Gibson said. “I’d rather not use depth. We know what he is capable of doing and we have to get him to that point. We’ll discuss it. The doctor just came out of surgery, examine him, probably give him an MRI and see what he recommends.”
Gerardo Concepcion on the radar
Free agent pitcher Gerardo Concepcion worked out for the Rangers in front of a contingent that included owner Nolan Ryan at the team’s complex in the Dominican Republic on Monday and the club is among the favorites to sign the Cuban left-hander.
The Rangers, Yankees, Cubs and White Sox have expressed the most interest in signing the left-hander, according Concepcion’s agent Jaime Torres. The Marlins, Phillies, Giants, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Royals have also shown interest.
Concepcion has one offer on the table and is expected to sign a Major League contract during the next two weeks, the agent said.
“Everything is great. I really don’t know how to describe it,” Concepcion, 18, said by phone from the Dominican Republic. “All the training and exercise I have done is paying off. I’ve worked so hard to get here. I’m so happy. It’s like a dream come true.”
Concepcion, who was named Rookie of the Year in the Cuban Serie Nacional in 2010-11 after posting a 10-3 record and a 3.36 ERA in 21 games with Industriales de la Habana, defected from Cuba last June during the World Port Tournament in the Netherlands. He later established residency in Mexico and was declared a free agent last week.
He has been working out in the Dominican Republic and starred in a showcase for Major League scouts on the island last Thursday.
– Jesse Sanchez
Dotel down to two teams
Veteran reliever Octavio Dotel is close to signing and has narrowed his list of choices down to two teams.
The Reds, Cardinals, Brewers, Tigers and Mets have all inquired about the reliever, according to an industry source. The Tigers and Brewers were among the first to meet with Dotel’s representatives at the Winter Meetings in Dallas and could be the front runners.
Dotel, 37, went 3-3 with 3.28 ERA during the regular season in 29 games for the Cardinals and 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 games during the postseason. He was acquired by the Cardinals from the Blue Jays in late July but the club declined his option at the end of the season.
Eyeing Octavio Dotel
The market for veteran reliever Octavio Dotel continues to take shape.
The Reds, Cardinals, Brewers, Tigers and Mets have all inquired about the reliever, according to an industry source. Dotel’s representatives have already met with the Tigers and Brewers.
Dotel, 37, went 3-3 with 3.28 ERA during the regular season in 29 games for the Cardinals and 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 games during the postseason. He was acquired by the Cardinals from the Blue Jays in late July but the club declined his option at the end of the season.
– Jesse Sanchez
Grady Sizemore: Sizing up the Market
Free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore expects to be completely healthy by the start of Spring Training and is keeping his options open for 2012.
On Monday, the Indians announced they were declining Sizemore’s $9 million option for 2012 and instead choosing to pay the $500,000 buyout. On Thursday, Sizemore’s agent Joe Urbon said the interest in his client’s services is best described as “steady” and he has heard from a number of clubs.
Urbon declined to name the clubs that have inquired or the parameters of a deal his client is seeking. He added that there is not a timetable for a decision.
Sizemore has been mentioned in reports as a possible target for Washington, San Francisco, and Milwaukee, among other teams.
“The minute they chose not to exercise the option we informed Grady that we will find the best opportunity to allow him to show his health and that he is the elite player that everyone was used to seeing from 2005 to 2008,” said Urbon, co-head of CAA Baseball. “It’s rare for a two-time Gold Glove winner to have the power and ability to produce like a corner outfielder. It’s rare and rarely exists.”
One option for Sizemore could be shifting from center field to left or right field for 2012 if it’s the right fit. The outfielder could also seek a one-year incentive-based deal for 2012 that would make him a free agent at the end of the season. Sizemore might believe his value will increase for the 2013 season with improved health and full season under his belt.
One thing is certain: Sizemore will be ready and looking to rebound. He hit .224 with 10 homers, 21 doubles and 32 RBIs in 71 games for Cleveland this past season and has not played a full season since 2008.
He has had two knee surgeries — one on each knee — in the last year and a half, including microfracture surgery on his left knee last year. He also suffered a sports hernia and a right knee injury. He is recovering from an Oct. 3 arthroscopic procedure on the right knee, which had a bone bruise and was part of the reason he was off the field for most of the second half of the season.
“The microfracture is not an issue,” Urbon said. “He’s as structurally sound as you can be and nothing he has suffered is chronic. He missed parts of three years. I’m not going to dismiss health nor should it be, but it will all be cleared up by due diligence.”
As of Monday, the Indians had not ruled out Sizemore’s return to Cleveland.
“We will still stay in touch with his representatives and Grady throughout the offseason and remain hopeful he will remain part of this organization,” Indians GM Chris Antonetti said. “I think both parties remain open-minded to continuing the relationship. It’s just not at the option value.”
Angels, Kendry Morales avoid arbitration
The Angels and first baseman Kendry Morales have agreed on one-year deal for $2.975 million to avoid salary arbitration, according to a source.
The deal also includes a $50,000 bonus for 550 plate appearances.
Morales was hitting .290 with 11 home and 39 RBIs in 51 games before he suffered a season-ending leg injury when he landed wrong on home plate after a walkoff home run on May 29.
He placed fifth in the American League’s Most Valuable Player balloting in 2009 after hitting .306 with 34 homers and 108 RBIs.
Latinos in the big leagues: What would Roberto Clemente think?
It’s been nearly four decades since Roberto Clemente’s deadly plane crash, but his legacy still resonates with Latinos.
Clemente represents an image of dignity, a strong Latino proud of his culture and language who embraced his ties to the community. In life, the Puerto Rican star was a better man than ballplayer, which says a lot because he was a Hall of Famer. In death, Clemente has emerged as a symbol of hope and goodwill among Latinos across the U.S. and Latin America.
Next month, Major League Baseball will honor one player with the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for contributions on and off the field. Over the next month, MLB will join the rest of the country in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Ceremonies will take place at ballparks around the Majors.
The upcoming celebrations come at a time when Latinos are strong in numbers and influence in the clubhouses and in the stands.
“Dad would be happy with all the progress we’ve made, but he would also make sure that the Latinos who have jobs in the Major Leagues would have a mission and think about the big picture,” said Luis Clemente, reached at his Puerto Rican home. “He would want them to represent themselves well but also give back to the community. He was an activist for equality, and I know he would still defend the rights of people.”
Latino players have come a long way since the days of Clemente, who died in a plane crash at the age of 38 while delivering food and supplies to earthquake-torn Nicaragua in 1972. Since then, the influence of Latinos has grown in nearly every way. Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic nationally, and their impact is felt in businesses, schools, non-profits and in the Major Leagues, where Latinos make up about 30 percent of players and comprise many of the game’s highest-paid and most-celebrated stars.
Major League Baseball, under the leadership of Commissioner Bud Selig, has made an institutional commitment to sound hiring practices and diverse participation at all levels of the game, and Latinos are making strides in Major League front offices. Angels owner Arte Moreno and Linda Alvarado, a member of the Rockies’ ownership group, are of Mexican descent. Mets general manager Omar Minaya and Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. also are Latino. Young front-office executives like Moises Rodriguez in St. Louis, Manny Colon in Florida, Rolando Fernandez in Colorado, Eddie Romero in Boston and Rafael Perez, who oversees International Player Development with the Mets, could be future general managers.
In the dugout, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is from Venezuela, Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez is Puerto Rican and Indians skipper Manny Acta is from the Dominican Republic.
They follow the path set by managerial predecessors such as Mike Gonzalez, Preston Gomez, Cookie Rojas and Felipe Alou.
“On our side of it, what guys like Felipe Alou and Ozzie Guillen have done, and then [former Marlins manager] Fredi Gonzalez and myself getting a chance and now Edwin Rodriguez in Florida — it gives the rest of the guys a chance,” Acta said. “They say, ‘Hey, it’s possible. Those guys did it, we can do it.’ It’s got to come from us. You work hard, and people will notice you if you earn your peers’ respect, regardless of where you come from.”
Could the number of Latino managers be higher? Of course. But as with everything in life, the likelihood of more Latino managers hinges on the union of opportunity and skill. As the numbers of Latino players and retired Latino players grow, the numbers in managerial positions should grow, too. White Sox bench coach Joey Cora and Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo are among the Latinos waiting for the opportunity to manage in the big leagues. Longtime coach Juan Samuel served as Baltimore’s interim manager this summer until he was replaced by Buck Showalter.
“Baseball is an extension of society,” said Rodriguez, the first Puerto Rican-born manager in the Majors. “If you look around, there are more Hispanic people living in the United States. That means there are going to be more Spanish-speaking people playing baseball. So chances are you are going to see more Latinos or Hispanics becoming managers. I think the baseball industry is very knowledgeable about it. The number of Hispanic players have been increasing every year in professional baseball. So that has to be a factor whenever they decide who is going to manage where.”
Major League Baseball, through the MLB-Dominican Development Alliance/USAID Incentive Fund, matches grants to carry out development projects in players’ hometowns and communities where big league teams have academies. As of this month, the MLB-DDA has directed more than $840,000 to support 16 projects in the D.R.
The number of Latino players could increase in the future. Major League Baseball’s expansion into Latin America now includes Panama, Nicaragua and Colombia. The Atlanta Braves have explored baseball options in Spain, while the Tampa Rays have made connections with Brazil.
“I am very pleased with the progress Latinos have made in baseball in terms of players, and it will keep growing because clubs have made a tremendous investment in Latin America,” said Lou Melendez, MLB’s vice president of international baseball operations. “But you can never get comfortable. There is still room for growth, growth in more significant roles in the industry, especially in policy-making roles and decision-making roles. We are all aware of Arte Moreno, and I’d like to see other Latinos consider purchasing teams and becoming part of the industry.”
A big part of Clemente’s legacy is the emphasis on charity. He encouraged veteran Latino players to take care of younger Latinos in the clubhouse. He would be proud to know that those traditions are still honored in communities and stadiums across the country.
The examples are everywhere.
As teammates in Arizona, Livan Hernandez used to buy Miguel Montero suits, shoes and provide advice on the life of a professional ballplayer. In Texas, a young Carlos Pena was moved out of a local hotel and into Alex Rodriguez’s Dallas mansion until he adjusted to life in the big leagues. Rodriguez later mentored Robinson Cano during his first few years in New York.
In Cincinnati, Francisco Cordero’s primary job with the Reds is to close games, but he’s also served as the bridge between the English-speaking world and Spanish-speaking world in clubhouses for a decade. Several Latino stars, including San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez, St. Louis’ Albert Pujols, Boston’s David Ortiz, Guillen, Acta, Carlos Delgado and Pedro Martinez have created non-profit foundations to help their communities in the United States and Latin America.
The Roberto Clemente Foundation, established 1993 to help the youth in Pittsburgh, is still going strong, and The Roberto Clemente Sports City for young ballplayers in Puerto Rico is under renovation.
“Like everything, there is good and there is bad, but it’s better than what it was before,” Luis Clemente said. “There are a lot of Latinos that have been giving back to the game, a lot of great players that bring a lot of fans to the game. They’ve become role models. Latinos have been a real good influence on baseball, but there is still a lot that can be done.”
Time of Lima
There are countless memories of Jose Lima being shared at this very moment and that should surprise no one.
Lima always brought people together. He did it in life. He’s doing it in death. Here’s my moment in Lima Time and I’m happy to share it. One day, I’ll share it with my son.
My first meeting with Lima was one to remember. It came in October of 2003 in Washington D.C. while waiting in the security area just outside of The White House.
It was raining.
How we all ended up there is a story in itself. President George W. Bush, a former Rangers owner and huge baseball fan, had gathered a large group of Hispanics in the U.S. to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with him at the biggest white house on the block. I covered the Rangers. I was/am Hispanic. Boom, I’m invited along with Rangers manager Buck Showalter, Rafael Palmeiro, other players and Rangers officials. First thought: “I’m outta my league.” It’s my third year on the beat and at this point in my life, I’m old enough to have a clue about some things but not mature enough to understand what it all means. But hey, I’m going to the White House and I’m going to write about it.
I looked lost when I arrived in the secure area near the Casa Blanca because I was. Everyone was. It’s crowded and all you hear is Spanish being spoken with a little English sprinkled in. It’s cool. We are here, but wow. I see a famous television personality/sportscaster at the security gate and she pretty much ignored me and blew off this group of young scholars when we ask her the whats, whens and hows of getting into this fiesta. What was her problem? Whatever. What happened next made up for it.
One by one, some of the biggest Latin players in baseball starting showing up. Carlos Beltran showed up with his wife. A short-haired Magglio Ordonez arrived. Rafael Palmeiro and family, Omar Minaya, Tino Martinez and family were dropped off with us poor saps in the rain.
Vladimir Guerrero made a slow walk to our area. Other players began to arrive.
Everyone smiles at each other and embraces. Listening in, it doesn’t take long to realize that everyone feels like a fish out of water just like I do. Everyone. And that feeling brought us all together.
Then the chatter among players begins:
“Wait, is that Celia Cruz’s husband? Oh my goodness, it is. That guy over there, I’m pretty sure he’s Puerto Rican salsa singer Victor Manuelle.”
“Do you think Miss Universe will be here? I think she’s Venezuelan. Venezolanas always win that contest don’t they? Oh yeah, she’ll be here.”
“Hey, is that Buck Showalter? What is he doing here?” “Oh right, he manages the Rangers. Bush and Showalter are probably friends. Claro que si.”
One player asks if A-rod is going to show up. “He’s Dominican. He’s American. He plays for the Rangers so why wouldn’t he?”
Then somebody else chimes in: “Because it’s raining. Alex don’t do rain.”
Out of nowhere, another player jumps into the conversation. The voice is booming and raspy. I would later find it to be one of the most recognizable voices in the game.
“Listen guys, if Alex was here it wouldn’t just stop raining, it would start raining upwards. He’s so good he changes the weather.”
Everybody bursts into laughter. Was he mocking Rodriguez or was he complimenting him? Nobody knew and nobody cared. Lima went on for the next 10 minutes cracking jokes about the rain, weather in Latin America and pretty much anything he could think of. The next scene was right out of prom night. Everybody starts taking photos with each other. Couples, friends, strangers. Everyone. This all takes place in the middle of the security area (basically, a parking lot) and it was hilarious. It was a pre-party before the official celebration had even started and Lima was in the middle of it. He was the life of the party, any party, but specifically, the party of life.
During the ceremony President Bush mentioned Lima by name and the crowd erupted into applause.
I took a photo with Lima and made a friend that day. Every time I would see him throughout the years that followed I would think back to that day in DC. I think he did too. The whole thing was too bizarre not to remember. What were all of us really doing there? Look how far we had all come. The White House, really? Yes, the White House. Players salaries didn’t matter that day. Millionaires stood next to underpaid teachers. Strangers shook hands like old friends and everyone nodded in silence at each other for a job well done. We were all tied together by our humble roots, language and baseball. We were all the same, just from different parts of this country and different parts of other countries. Lima was part of the glue.
Nelson Figueroa still brings it up.
Years later, I ran into Lima at Shea Stadium. He was with the Mets and he was sitting at his locker in silence. It would be his last year in the big leagues but he didn’t know that at the time. Small talk led to deep talk. He said something that I’ll never forget. He says, “Don’t ever worry about me. I’m fine. I’ll never get down, never. I am always going to be ok. Always.”
He was right. I saw Lima pitch a few more times in the Dominican Republic during the Winter Leagues and in Puerto Rico during the Caribbean Series. It seemed like he was always singing the national anthem and then getting on the mound a few minutes later. He was a fan favorite for everybody and he meant so much for the people in The DR. He was loved by so many and he loved them back. It was beautiful.
The last time I saw Lima we were in the seats near the dugout at Dodger Stadium. We were watching batting practice and he was telling me that he almost originally signed with the Dodgers as a teen but all that changed one night at camp when he accidentally came across a Dodgers prospect doing something illegal. The prospect chased Lima with a machete and he ran all the way home. Lima never came back and he later signed with the Tigers. We laughed and laughed. He went on to tell more stories, talk about his band and relive the old days in The DR.
When I tell my son about Jose Lima, I’ll tell him about a man that enjoyed every moment of his life and he inspired others to do the same. Lima will be missed by many, including me, but he will live on in hearts across the world, especially those who believe what he believed: Don’t worry because everything is always going to be ok.
Troubles in Mexico stretch to MLB
Former Major League pitcher Ismael Valdez used to tell a story that sounded more like a joke than a warning.
As the story goes, Valdez was driving near his Ciudad Victoria home in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas when a band of criminals ran him off the road. The bandits drew guns and tied the pitcher’s hands behind his back.
Valdez’s mind raced. He was being robbed or kidnapped or worse.
Then one of the bandits recognized him. The gunman was a Dodgers fan. Valdez spent the next 15 minutes signing autographs and posing for photos with the assailants. They then apologized for the trouble they’d caused.
Valdez drove away unharmed. Eventually, he learned to laugh off the incident.
Nobody is laughing now.
Mexico is experiencing an unprecedented rise in crime, kidnapping and violence as drug cartels and Mexican authorities fight for control of the lucrative drug routes across the border into the United States.
The violence has affected millions on both sides of the border, who fear they could get caught in the crossfire. It’s hit home, too, with many Mexican Major League players no longer feeling safe in their own hometowns.
“The truth is that it’s pretty scary,” said Angels infielder Freddy Sandoval. “Living in Tijuana is a pretty tough place to be, and I have not gone back for the simple fact that the crime is so high. Everyone always says that if you don’t mess around with the bad guys that they won’t mess around with you, but it’s still scary. There are innocent victims all of the time, so for a lot of us, it’s hard to believe that saying.”
Mexico City’s Reforma newspaper reports that the country had 6,587 drug-related murders in 2009, up from 5,207 in ’08 and 2,275 in ’07. Drug-related violence has claimed the lives of more than 3,300 this year.
To combat the problem, Mexico president Felipe Calderon deployed 45,000 soldiers and 20,000 federal officers to the country’s most dangerous areas to take on the drug cartels. The U.S. State Department has extended its travel warnings to certain parts of Mexico until August.
Calderon is visiting with President Barack Obama this week amid concerns over the escalating drug war and recent immigration legislation in Arizona.
“It’s very hard here. It’s turning wild,” said Oscar Sanchez, a sports writer in Monterrey, Mexico. “Major League players have to keep a low-profile here. Soccer players are more recognizable, but the salaries baseball players have can make them targets.”
Players from Mexico have a deep history with the Major Leagues: since Baldomero Almada played for the Red Sox in 1933, 111 players from Mexico have played in the Majors. Opening Day rosters featured 12 Mexicans.
In the past, Mexican Major Leaguers tried to keep their salaries, addresses and number of children out of the press for security reasons. In the age of new media, that information is easily found and is also often reported by traditional media outlets.
“Unfortunately, the delinquency in Mexico is at levels that we’ve never seen,” said Royals closer Joakim Soria, who is from the state of Coahuila. “I think you have to have faith in God and belief that the country will get better. I’m proud to be 100-percent Mexican and I love my country, and when I get a chance to go back home, I go. You can’t live in fear, but you can’t pretend nothing is happening.”
The northern states of Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua and Baja California have suffered much of the drug-related violence. There have been public shootouts in Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales.
In February, Astros Spanish broadcaster Francisco Romero and his family were caught in gunfire at a U.S. border checkpoint in Nogales. The Romeros were unharmed, but four were killed and 17 injured in the four-minute shootout.
“The shooters were 50 yards to our right, and about 150 yards from the actual border,” he said. “The last three years, it’s something very common in that area of Nogales. You’re aware of it, but you don’t know you’re going to be in the middle of a shootout.”
Last year, Oscar Manuel Robles Arangure, father of former Major League infielder Oscar Robles, was kidnapped for a day in Tijuana. Two years ago, Padres All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, also from Tijuana, was harassed with terrorizing phone calls from Mexico but has said the threats have subsided.
“It’s not like I’m not going to go back to Tijuana, but I think everybody knows what is happening, and it’s part of what’s going on,” Gonzalez said. “You just go about your business, and if you are not doing anything wrong, you will be fine.”
Sinaloa, once famous for baseball, is now infamous as home of the most powerful and ruthless drug-trafficking organizations in the country. The Culiacan, Mazatlan, and Los Mochis baseball teams of the Mexican Pacific League all operate in the state but have not been affected by the escalating crime, according to league president Omar Canizalez.
“Mexico has been and always will be a country full of hard-working people, good people that love sports,” Canizalez said. “Unfortunately, we border a country that many people want to get drugs into. The violence a lot of times is between the people who are involved in that type of trafficking. We don’t have to be worried or be timid doing our business. We are fine.”
Dodgers pitcher Luis Ayala, who was born in Los Mochis, understandably has a different opinion. In January, Ayala and his family were held at gunpoint for 40 minutes after burglars broke into his Culiacan home. The assailants left after they realized they hit the wrong house.
“That was the scariest night of my life. We could have died over confusion,” Ayala said. “There’s just not enough security for players. That’s the biggest problem. You don’t always feel safe.”
Major League Baseball, its security department and investigative wing are all closely monitoring the activity in Mexico and working with the U.S. State Department to make sure the clubs receive the most recent travel warnings and advisories. Security assistance is provided when requested by a player or a club.
“We are very cognizant of what is happening and we make all information available to the central office and the clubs,” said Earnell Lucas, Major League Baseball’s vice president of security and facilities management. “I like to think our clubs and players are sensitive to the issues going down in parts of their countries and they are aware of what’s occurring in the world, but we still reach out to them and they reach out to us. To the extent that baseball can, we want to be a resource for safety awareness.”
Ayala now lives in an Arizona suburb. Sandoval moved from Tijuana to Arizona last winter and is trying to get his parents to join him.
“My dad comes home from work around 4 o’clock and they just stay home,” Sandoval said. “Their lifestyle has completely changed. You have to think twice before you do normal things like go out to dinner. I call home and the first thing my dad says is ‘They killed five, six, seven, eight or 15 today.’ It’s too much.”
Nicaragua Academy in the works
Is Nicaragua the next hotbed for baseball? A group of U.S. businessmen, including former Major Leaguers Dave Stewart and Reggie Smith, believe it is and plan to build a privately funded academy in the Central American nation.
The International Baseball Association and its affiliate, International Baseball Academies — Central America, announced plans on Thursday to build a state-of-the-art academy in Nicaragua for promising young players.
“We understand that for academies in the Dominican Republic, the primary mission is to find kids to play ball,” said Bob Oettinger, one of the principals of IBACA-Nicaragua “We want to provide Nicaraguan kids that opportunity, but we are also going to incorporate vocational training. They will be getting the best instruction on the field, but also in the classroom. When it comes time to leave the academy, they will have learned skills for other areas.”
About an hour west of Managua near the city of Villa del Carmen, the academy will be built adjacent to the Gran Pacifica Beach and Golf Resort on the Pacific Coast. The academy will be constructed in four phases, with the initial phase including a dormitory for 48 players, two full baseball fields, one half-field, eight pitching mounds, batting cages, a cafeteria, a trainers’ room, locker rooms, a gym and weight room, a classroom with computers, administrative offices, and storage and maintenance areas.
The academy will accommodate 192 participants, most ranging from ages 14-16. Upon entering the academy, players will agree to give a portion of their signing bonuses to the academy if they sign with a Major League club. Fantasy camps and facility rentals for tournaments and winter ball will also provide a source of revenue for the facility.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for early 2010.
“The thing that impressed us is that we would see young people in uniform walking to pickup games in pastures and any place big enough to host game,” Oettinger said. “We were really impressed with the level of play despite the facilities. They showed a lot of skill. We thought that if we can build a facility that’s comparable to the Yankees or Mets, just think what these guys can do.”
Baseball instruction at the academy will be provided by U.S. and Nicaraguan coaches with a staff that includes former Major League players Brad Lesley, Stewart and Smith. Campers will receive classroom instruction in English, computer skills, nutrition, humanities and business.
“We realize that it is an ambitious project, but we feel can pull it off and have the resources to make it happen,” Smith said. “With the passion that they have for the game there, and the fact that it is centrally located, we believe the potential to produce ballplayers out of all of Central America is a tremendous opportunity.”
“We want to accomplish what they are doing in other academies,” Smith continued. “When they are ready to sign, we want the players to be capable enough to go to the United States.”
As part of its research, the group spent time evaluating the baseball academies in the Dominican Republic, and it has worked closely with Major League Baseball’s international office on the project. Although not officially affiliated with the project in Nicaragua, MLB has provided coaching clinics and advice on how to work with players.
“Dave came up to us about a year and a half ago about the idea, and as far as player development is concerned, from a baseball standpoint, it’s a good idea,” said Lou Melendez, MLB’s vice president of international baseball operations. “It’s a good project, and although we are not affiliated, having someone like Dave Stewart lends credibility to it, and I think they will do a world of good in Nicaragua.”
There have been 11 big league players from Nicaragua, with the most recognizable being pitcher Dennis Martinez. In 2009, there were two Nicaraguans — Vicente Padilla and Everth Cabrera — on Opening Day rosters.
“We want it to be profitable venture, but we are just as motivated to do something for their country,” Oettinger said. “We are so impressed with the people down there that we want something that will make a lasting impression on their lives. One of our guiding philosophies after doing our research is that we believe that Nicaragua, with the proper facilities, can be another Dominican Republic.”
Jesse Sanchez
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