The Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy will holds it second annual “Making A Difference In The Dominican Republic” on June 29 at 6  p.m. at the 809 Club, 112 Dyckman Street, New York, NY.

The event will include a special tribute to Lou Melendez, a senior executive with Major League Baseball, who is retiring at the end of the year after 29 years with the league.  Co-hosting the fundraising event are the Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation, the New York Dominican Officers Organization, and Dominicans on Wall Street.

Melendez has held the position of Senior Advisor to the International Baseball Operations Department in the Office of the Commissioner for Major League Baseball since January.   Prior to assuming that role, he was Vice President of International Operations, responsible for oversight of  Major League Baseball’s satellite office in the Dominican Republic which he established in December of 2000.  He also administered the Winter League Agreement between Major League Baseball and four countries that make up the professional winter baseball leagues, regulated Major League Baseball teams’ activities outside the United States, and assisted in assembling teams of Major League Baseball players that participate in international events including the Olympics.  Throughout his career, Melendez has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to player education and community outreach programs.

The mission of the DRSEA is to educate young and gifted student athletes in the Dominican Republic, help develop their baseball skills, and give them the tools to succeed in life on and off the field.  Through a rigorous educational component, the DRSEA will prepare young boys to have the opportunity for scholarships at U.S. colleges and universities.

“Lou Melendez embodies the mission of the DRSEA,” said Harold Mendez, co-founder and chairman of the DRSEA Board of Trustees.  “His pending retirement from Major League Baseball brings mixed emotions to us at the Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy.  On one hand, he has had a long and distinguished career, and deserves a well-earned ‘vacation.’

“On the other hand, we are going to miss his involvement in the development of baseball internationally, but particularly in the Dominican Republic.  From the very beginning, he has been a source of public and private support in the development of the DRSEA and has provided valuable insight and advice that has been crucial to the dream soon becoming reality.”

The event will also include a panel discussion by experts on the status of Dominican baseball, including the prospect of an international draft. “The discussion of an international draft is yet another issue that directly affects the future of baseball in the Dominican Republic,” said Charles S. Farrell, co-founder and project manager for the DRSEA. “Baseball spends upwards of $125 million annually on developing Dominican prospects, but we believe there is an incumbent social responsibility, including providing educational opportunities since only two out of 100 prospects has even a remote chance of success playing baseball.”

For additional information on the event, as well as sponsorship opportunities, go to www.drsea.org.

DRSEA and FIU College of Law Sports & Entertainment Law Society (SELS) Present Special Screening of “El Play” Documentary on Dominican Baseball

Florida International University College of Law
April 19, 2012
3 pm

The Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy (DRSEA) will present a special screening of “El Play,” a documentary on Dominican baseball on April 19 at the Florida International University College of Law, 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, Florida. The screening, followed by an expert panel discussion on Dominican baseball and a VIP reception, is part of a fundraiser for the DRSEA, whose mission is to educate young and gifted student athletes in the Dominican Republic, help develop their baseball skills, and give them the tools for success in life on and off the field. Among the panel experts is sports writer Frances Robles with the Miami Herald. Co-hosting the event are the FIU College of Law Sports & Entertainment Law Society (SELS) and the Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation.

“El Play” is produced, directed and written by Pablo A. Medina, an assistant professor at Parsons, the New School for Design in New York. The film’s main character is Jairo Candelario, a young aspiring baseball player from the town of San Pedro de Macoris, a small city in the Dominican Republic famous for producing some of the best players in the majors, including New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. The film follows Jairo’s dream of signing a professional contract and includes conversations with his family, interviews with professional scouts, coaches and a baseball historian.

The DRSEA is a non-profit organization with a pending 501(c)(3) application. All of the proceeds from this event will be used toward the  organization’s mission of building a state of the arts sports and education complex in the Dominican Republic. Through a rigorous educational component, the DRSEA will prepare Dominican teenagers at this facility to have the opportunity for scholarships at U.S. colleges and universities.  We invite you to learn more about the DRSEA at our website, www.drsea.org.

Currently, there are about 3,500 young Dominicans in baseball camps throughout the country. Half of Minor League Baseball is Latino, the bulk of them Dominicans. Ninety-eight percent will fail to have professional baseball careers. Most are uneducated or undereducated, without even a high school diploma in a country where there is a strong need for a skilled and educated workforce. Most drop out of school after the 5th grade! The Academy will not guarantee anyone a professional career, but will hopefully put them in a position where options are available. In the event that a graduate is unable to secure a career as a professional athlete, the Academy and/or a college education will give them the educational tools to pursue other careers, many of which could have explicit impact on the future of the Dominican Republic as a whole.

For ticket and sponsorship information, please contact Adam Wasch at adam.wasch@fiu.edu or
call (561) 271-7868.

In both Cuba and the Dominican Republic, the cigar industry has long employed readers to entertain the cigar rollers while rolling and cutting the tobacco leaves. The lector reads aloud from newspapers and novels to help while away the hours. The readings came to be regarded as a social and cultural right, and spurred many cigar rollers to learn to read, and also to social activism.

Children International’s programs benefit over 340,000 poor children and their families in 11 countries around the world, including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States. Pérez was the first head of operations at Major League Baseball’s office in the Dominican Republic when it opened in 2000; while there, he established standards for all MLB academies in the country. His oversight of Major League Baseball operations in the Dominican Republic ended when he left for the New York Mets in 2005.

With the Mets, Pérez was responsible for the team’s operations in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, coordinating the Winter Leagues, and developing an international education program as well as special international projects. He returned to his original post in the Dominican Republic a few months ago. Pérez has long understood the value of education. After graduating from high school in the Dominican Republic, he went to Chipola Junior College in Marianna, FL, transferring to the University of South Alabama where he finished his college baseball career while obtaining a degree in accounting. He then played for two seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. After a stint with an international software company, Pérez became a consultant with the Toronto Blue Jays, advising players on transitioning to playing baseball in the United States.

Prior to the reading event, Sonia Betances Lora, national director for Children International in the Dominican Republic, gave Perez a tour of the community center in Boca Chica, complete with dental and medical facilities, a computer room, arts and crafts, a library, and, of course, a baseball field. But the group of children – eager for the reading – quickly took center stage, and Pérez did not disappoint.

With a room full of what surely are at least a couple of potential baseball stars, Pérez immediately grabbed their interest by invoking the national pastime, soliciting responses for favorite teams and favorite Dominican stars. “Yankees! Cincinnati! Cubs! Pedro Martinez! Alex Rodriguez! Albert Pujols!” The passion for baseball among Dominicans is evident even at a young age. Sitting in a rocking chair, Pérez read from a Disney book entitled Aprendo a Leer Con Los Cuentos (Learn To Read Stories), complete with questions pertaining to what he read. Hands flew in the air as the children clamored to respond, their imaginations fueled by the characters Pérez brought to life.

While it was more than evident that the children were enthralled with Pérez’ oration, he later admitted his own delight. “I realized how much I enjoyed doing things like that,” he said. “I also realized that I need to take the time every so often to participate more in activities like that one.” Pérez also proved that hitting a home run is not always reserved for the baseball field.

Photos: Emery Graham

The first DRSEA reading program was in September 2009 and has since been held several times in Santo Domingo and Santiago. If you would like to support the program, send a donation to DRSEA, 600 Anita Street #16, Chula Vista, CA, 91911. You can also donate school supplies: Charles S. Farrell/DRSEA, EPS X-25801, 8260 NW 14th Street, Doral, FL 33126.

Charles S. Farrell
DRSEA Contact Information in the Dominican Republic
Address: Calle 19 de Marzo, #103, Suite 305, Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic
Phone: 829-505-299
Website: www.drsea.org
Myspace: Myspace.com/drseaorg
Twitter: Twitter.com/drseaorg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/drseaorg

The Venezuelan Connection - The Dominican Republic is second only to the United States in delivering players to Major League Baseball, but coming in third – and gaining – is Venezuela.  The dynamics of Venezuelan baseball are shifting, increasing the importance of the Dominican Republic in the development of Latin American players.

Last season, 86 Dominican players were listed on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters; Venezuela contributed 62. The previous year the Dominican Republic supplied the same number, 86, while Venezuela had 58.

At one point, 23 Major League Baseball teams had training facilities in Venezuela; today the number is down to just four – the Philadelphia Phillies, the Detroit Tigers, the Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays.  For a variety to reasons, the other MLB teams have opted to bring Venezuelan prospects to the Dominican Republic where all 30 teams train players.

Rafael Pérez, head of Major League Baseball Operations in the Dominican Republic and Latin America, said the chief reason for the change is economics; it cost four times more to train a player in Venezuela, more to house and feed players, more to bring in supplies and equipment, more to pay coaches, trainers and staff.  “It is just cheaper to scout players in Venezuela,” he said, “and bring them to existing facilities in the Dominican Republic.  The cost of operating an academy is a fraction.”

Rafael Pérez

Several people I talked with played down the safety issue, but there is no doubt Venezuela is a dangerous country.  It leads Latin American countries in the number of murders committed annually, with a figure four times higher than Mexico, twice as high as Columbia.

The fact that a Major League Baseball player from Venezuela, Wilson Ramos, a catcher with the Washington Nationals, was kidnapped a few months ago and held for ransom, certainly didn’t add to the appeal of the country.  Ramos was rescued unharmed by the Venezuelan army.

Add to that what Rene Gayo, the Pittsburgh Pirates director of Latin American scouting, described as an anti-American attitude and the Venezuelan exodus is further explained.  “With the anti-American sentiments and [Venezuelan President] Hugo Chávez, and radical dialogue,  people are moving out,” he said.

The Pirates closed down their Venezuelan academy last year because of the political climate and the danger factors, according to Gayo.  “Hoodlums would come on payday,” he said, “and rob everybody at the academy. Over the years, little by little, ever since Mr. Chávez took power, indications are that things are going in an opposite direction.  Either Chávez gets out of power, or he will make it into the Cuba of the 21^st Century.”

Rene Gayo

He added, “Our owner made a significant investment in the Dominican Republic.  We wanted to streamline, so it was economically intelligent to do what we are doing.  By certain measures, all that really matters is how well the players play.”

Major League Baseball recently hosted a talent showcase featuring the top 25 unsigned prospects from both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic; those players can be signed July 2.

Gayo said that forcing players from the two countries to compete head-to-head hasn’t created additional concerns or problems.  “There has always been a sense of nationalism of competition in Latin America,” he said, “particularly at the entry level.  But they come to the U.S. united by common obstacles of language and culture, so they are equal there.”

The four teams with operations in Venezuela did not respond to requests for comment.

Same Name Game – Dominican authorities have arrested yet another Dominican baseball player on charges of faking his identify, this time for more than 11 years.

Fausto Carmona, a pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, was outside the U.S. consulate in Santo Domingo when he was busted for falsifying both his name and birth date when he was signed as a free agent in 2000.  Carmona’s real name is Roberto Hernández Heredia and he is 31 years old, three years older than he reportedly led the Indians to believe.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Indians placed Carmona/Heredia, who was released on bail, on baseball’s restricted list pending the outcome of his case; he will not be paid until free of his legal predicament.  He was schedule to earn $7 million in the upcoming season.

Carmona’s arrest comes only a few months after Florida Marlins pitcher Leo Núñez  – who is actually Juan Carlos Oviedo – revealed he played under an assumed name and age for 10 years.  He was arrested briefly but released after authorities in the Dominican Republic said he would not be charged in the investigation of his use of fake documents.  He was also placed on the restricted list.

I have been told that more than two dozen current major league and minor league players from the Dominican Republic are in the same fix as Carmona/Heredia and Núñez /Oviedo, and, like them, failed to come forward when MLB offered amnesty in 2008 to players who admitted falsifying their names or ages.

Major League Baseball has been plagued for years with age and identity fraud problems in the Dominican Republic and initiated a major reform movement nearly two years ago.  While the problem has been curtailed, it has not been eliminated as the Núñez and Carmona cases demonstrate.

Major League Baseball rules provide a year suspension for minor leaguers who commit identity fraud; major leaguers are penalized at the discretion of the commissioner’s office. But the legal issue of a forged identity can bar a player from receiving a U.S. visa, effectively ending his career.

Volume IV, Issue 9: A Publication For Your Reading Enjoyment

Major League Baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, and its potential impact on international baseball, has caused quite a stir in the Dominican Republic as many fear it could spell the beginning of the end for the current development system.

Under the terms of the new agreement, beginning with the July 2012-June 2013 signing season, teams that sign players in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela will pay a luxury tax on signing bonuses over $2.9 million.  In June 2013, those teams that spent the most in exceeding the threshold will be capped further.

While richer teams will undoubtedly be able to conduct business as usual – at least in the first year – the new rules likely will spell an end to signing bonuses like the record $5 million given this year to 16-year-old Nomar Mazara by the Texas Rangers, who also signed Ronald Guzman, a 16-year-old outfielder, for $3.45 million.

While the new collective bargaining agreement places limits on domestic signings as well, the impact in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela is far more threatening, say those who have followed the development of baseball in Latin America.  Many feel it is a precursor to an international draft that would eliminate the current “free agent” system that allows teams to compete to sign players.  “This new system, at least on paper, puts everybody on the same level, and if that is true, a draft seems inevitable,” said one talent evaluator.

The prospect of an international draft is being studied by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, following the appointment of a committee to evaluate the concept.  One member of that committee is Sandy Alderson, the New York Mets general manager who once served as reform czar for MLB in the Dominican Republic.  Though he originally supported – at least publicly – the concept of an international draft, his time in the Dominican Republic reportedly softened his position; the Commissioner’s office has voiced continued support.

Alderson will work with Tampa Bay Ray’s executive vice president Andrew Friedman and Kim Ng of the Commissioner’s Office.  Robert Manfred, MLB executive vice president, will co-chair the committee with Michael Weiner, executive director of the MLBPA. The committee will begin deliberations early next year.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig flanked by Robert Manfred, left, and Michael Weiner

I believe the landscape in the Dominican Republic will change initially with the advent of caps on signing bonuses. Evaluators are going to have to become more selective as well as accurate with their talent assessments; no longer can most teams afford to take multimillion-dollar risks on locking down talent.  The whole point of developing talent in the Dominican Republic is that teams can sign a dozen players for the same amount they would for a handful of players in the U.S.  Now, the margin for error will be more finite.   As a result, many signees are going to have to take far less in bonuses than they might have in previous years.

But even while Major League Baseball postures on an international draft, I don’t believe it will happen anytime soon, if ever.  Teams now sign players in the Dominican Republic at age 16; the baseball draft age in the U.S. is 18.  The question would be whether an international draft would be truly international, subjecting players in the U.S. and Dominican Republic to the same team-by-team, round-by-round selections.

If so, then baseball would have to consider a universal age for such a draft, and a universal age for an international draft would eradicate the Dominican system, penalizing teams that have had success developing players in the country.  No team is going to want to sign a player to one of its development academies, develop that player for a couple of years, and have him subject to an open draft where competing teams can cherry pick.

I suspect that teams that have benefited most from the Dominican development system will fight against a draft.  The irony is that those teams historically have been able to pay the most in signing bonuses, a practice the new luxury tax is aimed at curbing.

What’s In A Name?

I used to chuckle when my mother would sometime look at me quizzically and ask, “When were you born?” My reply was generally, “You were there, weren’t you?”

But as I continue to ponder the ongoing dilemma that Major League Baseball faces in the Dominican Republic concerning age and identity fraud among young prospects, my mother’s occasional memory lapse has become increasingly understandable, particularly in a country where record keeping is often lax.

Major League Baseball recently revealed that of the 500 prospects a year it investigates; more than a third are rejected because of inconsistencies about who they are or when they were born. I am convinced more and more that a substantial amount of the identity questions are not because of deliberate attempts to mislead, but part of a cultural anomaly. But it is virtually impossible to separate the intentional from the unintentional, further exacerbating the dilemma.  Baseball has taken to labeling such cases as “inconclusive,” but still locks questionable prospects out of the game.

In a recent case, Juan Carlos Paniagua, who had signed a $1.1 million contract with the New York Yankees, had his contract voided by MLB –  and the right-handed pitcher with a 95 mph fastball was suspended for a year – after his identification paperwork was deemed faulty.  This came after he was suspended for a year in 2010 for providing false identification to the Arizona Diamondbacks under the name of Juan Collado.

According to The Miami Herald, Paniagua’s problems began when his grandmother registered his birth, declaring herself as his mother. A new birth certificate was issued under his correct name, listing his real mother, but then baseball investigators said his school registry appeared altered and he was ruled ineligible, his coach Dario Moreno Martes said, explaining, “He has never had a different date of birth.  If he is not Juan Carlos Paniagua, then tell me who he is?”

Who he is – and dozens of others like him – is an ongoing problem. “We try to be as comprehensive as possible,” Major League Baseball Senior Vice President Dan Mullin told the Herald. “We try to be as fair as possible and try to help the player prove he is who he says he is. But if you can’t prove who you are, you can’t get a visa to come to the United States.”

The proof is often a mystery that resists unraveling, whether there is deliberate intent or not to deceive.  Very often in the Dominican Republic, births are not registered until years after, when memories have become sketchy with regards to exact dates, locations and circumstances.  A relative could take a child to register the birth and not recall the exact date, or be provided incorrect information by the mother and father who may be juggling the birth dates of several children in their heads.  But, it would be a stretch of the imagination to believe that someone would falsify the identification of a 6-year-old in anticipation that 10 or 11 years hence that lie would benefit them in getting their child signed to a professional baseball contract.

Dominican birth certificate

Also, people in the Dominican Republic traditionally carry the last name of both the mother and the father, but in general usage prefer one over the other.  Over years, if one parent is absent, a name that appears on a birth certificate could be dropped from use, but become questionable when an identity search is made.  With that parent unavailable for verification, the matter could end as inconclusive.

I have also seen identification further compromised by the spelling of a name.  In the U.S., I would generally call someone “Jimmy,” but in the Dominican Republic, it might be written “Gemmy.” Or, in many cases, someone has been called a nickname – Chico – all their lives; in school records, hospital records – and that becomes who they are – not Joaquin.  But over the years, people would write “Jimmy” to the point that it would become the accepted spelling – until the question of identity surfaces.  And Chico turns out to really be Joaquin when baseball checks his identity. While there was no deliberate attempt to confuse anyone, red flags go up in a system where there are so many covert efforts to conceal identity.

And, further adding to the problem, according to one development academy owner who had three prospects’ contracts voided by identity questions, there is a cultural lack of understanding about the problem.  “They figure if the birth date is close, or the name is close, what’s the big deal,” he said. “They know it is their son, so they don’t understand why it is a problem.  We really have to get parents – and these kids – to understand that their identities have to be solid, have to be accurate, or we can’t get them signed.”

But there are certainly those who forge their identities to profit in a baseball world where 16-year-olds become instant millionaires while an 18-year-old with the same skills commands far less or could go unsigned.  Since I have been in the Dominican Republic, I have gotten to know Edgar Ferreria, one such casualty of growing old.  At 19, his value was dropping quickly until he was convinced to forge a new identity, that of a 17-year old, in part by paying off a local school to say he attended.  With a new age and identity, he was offered a $75,000 contract with the Anaheim Angels.

Edgar Ferreria (Where Baseball Is Born photo)

When the lie fell apart, Edgar’s contract was voided.  At 23, he now works as a trainer at a development academy, his big league dreams shattered. “I am worthless — an old man who nobody wants to sign,” he says, his sad, empty eyes reflecting his pain.

Baseball has embraced numerous investigative techniques – including fingerprinting of prospects as first advocated in the INFORMER two years ago – and now uncovers more of the fraudulent cases.  And, as the Dominican Republic adapts new measures to register births, the record keeping is becoming more accurate and less subject to tampering.  But it will be years before those with the new accurate records reach 16 – the magic age when MLB teams can sign Dominican players.  In the interim, baseball is saddled with the task of sorting out who is who, whether the prospect planned a deception or not.

The case of the Florida Marlins Leo Núñez – who is actually Juan Carlos Oviedo – is an example of just how pervasive identity fraud is.  Nunez played under his assumed name – and an older age – for 10 years before coming clean, and I am told there are more than two dozen current major and minor league players in the same fix.

Recently, a television feature on Dominican baseball referred to me as a critic of Major League Baseball, an evaluation I have worked hard to avoid because it positions me as an adversary.  I have never considered myself as an opponent of Major League Baseball, merely an advocate for education of the talent baseball mines in the Dominican Republic.

I avoid criticism in favor of observation and, based on those observations and my experience here, offer my opinions on problems in Dominican baseball that have become increasingly documented by others as well.  These include the use of steroids among prospects, abuses at the hands of greedy flesh merchants, and most recently the errant age and identify fraud that undermines the integrity of the game.

The major problem leading to age and identification fraud has been and will continue to be the devaluation of Dominican players as they age.  A 16-year-old with a 90 mph fastball is more valuable than a 19-year-old with the same skills, and with lax record keeping and a culture so rabid for baseball, the temptation to become someone younger, to fit the mold, is often irresistible.

I also try to offer viable solutions to the problems that plague Dominican baseball. I said it before and I will say it again that it seems to me that some of the age fraud could be avoided if these baseball Methuselahs could get a legitimate shot at the stardom all Dominican baseball players crave.   Logic dictates that if a 19-year-old believes he still has a chance to reach his dream, he will be less likely to lie about his age. Sure, you would still be getting what many consider an aging diamond in the rough, but the upside is a more mature, more focused 19-year-old man as opposed to a 16-year-old boy.

I suggested more than a year ago that baseball teams in the Dominican Republic offer a combine similar to what the National Football League uses to evaluate talent prior to its annual draft, but only for those players 19 and over.  Once, twice a year bring these so-called over-the-hill players to a location for workouts to assess their skills; make those workouts open to all teams who can then select promising players directly or via a special draft.

These players can easily be identified by the baseball’s expanded scouting bureau that now covers all of Latin America, and giving those 19 and over one last shot at a baseball career can only help eliminate their need to lie about who they are and when they were born.

Changing Of The Guard

Rafael Perez, the first head of operations at Major League Baseball’s office in the Dominican Republic, is returning to that post, the INFORMER has learned.

Rafael Perez

The return of Perez, who was Director of International Relations for the New York Mets, may signal a new, even tougher attitude towards reform in the Dominican Republic   As a Dominican who came through the system, he has an intimate knowledge of its complexities.   When he originally headed MLB’s office in the Dominican Republic, he fought to curb the influence of buscones, the flesh merchants who peddle prospects to MLB teams and often encouraging age and identity fraud and the use of steroids, problems that have plagued Dominican baseball.

After graduating from high school in the Dominican Republic, he went to Chipola Junior College in Marianna, FL, transferring in 1987 to the University of South Alabama where he finished his college baseball career while obtaining a degree in accounting.  He then played for two seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

After a stint with an international software company, Perez became a consultant with the Toronto Blue Jays, advising players on transitioning to playing baseball in the United States.  In 2000, he took over Major League Baseball’s new office in the Dominican Republic.  While there, he established standards for all MLB academies in the country.  His oversight of Major League Baseball operations in the Dominican Republic ended when he left for the Mets in 2005, despite an offer to remain in Santo Domingo.

With the Mets, Perez was responsible for the team’s operations in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, coordinating the Winter Leagues, and developing an international education program as well as special international projects.

While Perez is returning to old familiar places, the move can be viewed as a natural progression in the reform movement that started almost two years ago.  Sandy Alderson, currently the Mets’ general manager, originally led the reform effort in the Dominican Republic; he was also responsible for establishing MLB’s office in Santo Domingo.

Alderson turned the reins over to Jorge Perez-Diaz, a lawyer from Puerto Rico who reportedly will continue as a legal consultant with Major League Baseball.  Perez’ familiarity with Dominican baseball makes him a great fit a this juncture of the reform movement; I believe he also brings with him a healthy respect for the value of education, having received a college degree, as well as working with several international education organizations.

Education, in my mind, has to be a top priority of Major League Baseball if true reform in Dominican baseball is to be achieved.

Pomp And Circumstance

I recently had the honor and privilege of attending graduation ceremonies for a group of young Dominicans receiving their high school diplomas.  What made the event unusual was that it was held at the Pittsburgh Pirates Dominican Republic baseball academy and the graduates are all Pirates’ prospects.

The Pirates are the only Major League Baseball team in the Dominican Republic that provides a mandatory education program for its prospects, and the ceremonies – the second since the program was instituted – reflect what can be accomplished if MLB teams make a commitment to education.

It was not the first time I visited the Pirates academy, a state-of-the-art complex that includes administrative offices, recreation facilities, a spacious kitchen, and a dormitory. The baseball facilities have a modern weight room, training room, locker room, film room, and more, and immaculately groomed fields.  There are large classrooms that include computers and video setups.  When the facility opened, the Pirates vowed to offer educational programs to all players and not only have they been promise keepers, they have set a standard all Major League Baseball teams need to emulate.

At the graduation, I met face-to-face for the first time with Trevor Gooby, senior director of Florida and Dominican Operations for the Pirates, who told me awhile back that the Pirates embrace a philosophy to develop the whole player.  “This means physically, mentally, educationally and culturally,” he said.

He added, “I truly believe that it is our duty to develop the person.  We can’t be blind to it………Realistically, many of our (prospects) will never make it to the majors. They will go back to their towns and villages.  We want them to be productive members to their community and not a burden on the society.  I truly believe that our educational program will assist them in their post-baseball lives.”

The program is not without a price tag – estimated to be around $75,000 a year – which may be why the Pirates are the only Major League Baseball team with such an education program, but Gooby says the Pirates believe the money is an investment in the future.  The education program is conducted by CENAPEC, a nonprofit education company hired, in part, because the organization understands and incorporates Dominican education requirements into its curriculum.

The recent graduation ceremonies were held in a batting cage converted for the day into center stage. An array of fans circulate the air on a humid day as the graduates, and their fellow students, filed into the building in their baseball uniforms, accompanied to the strains of the Chariots of Fire theme song.

The graduates donned traditional cap and gown as beaming parents and friends gathered behind them to cheer  their success –  not on the baseball diamond – but in the classroom, a place many of them left years ago in pursuit of a dream.

The scene was inspiring as the graduates crossed the stage to receive their degrees, the sense of pride – of accomplishment –  etched in their faces.  They appeared to have a renewed swagger as they exited the stage, clutching their diplomas.  One student, Yunior Antonio Valdez, choked back tears as he expressed his appreciation for the opportunity afforded him and the others, opportunity unavailable to the majority of Dominicans seeking the pot of gold at the end of the baseball rainbow.

Yunior Antonio Valdez

Life is a process of growth and learning, and education is a crucial component in that process.

The promise of education is to empower its recipients with knowledge, with confidence, to raise self expectations and expand the promise of a successful future.

That the Pittsburgh Pirates understand that gives me hope that other teams will follow their lead, and also gives me renewed confidence that the DRSEA mission is a sound one.  I commented to Gooby that next year the team should invite baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to attend.  I think he would be as inspired as I was.

  “Some men know the value of education by having it.  I know its value by not having it.”

– Frederick Douglass, U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, 1890-91.

Volume IV, Issue 7: A Publication For Your Reading Enjoyment

The strange case of the Florida Marlins Leo Núñez – who is actually Juan Carlos Oviedo – may be just the tip of the iceberg if what some baseball insiders are telling the INFORMER is true, following the revelation that the Dominican Republic pitcher played under an assumed name for years and is older than he claimed when signed.

Several people have told me that as many as 30 current major league and minor league players from the Dominican Republic are in the same fix as Núñez /Oviedo, and, like him, failed to come forward when MLB offered amnesty to players who admitted falsifying their names and/or ages.

“It would be naive to think that Núñez  is the lone culprit in this,” one person told the INFORMER . “Major League Baseball really only intensified its crackdown on age and identity within the past two or three years; before that it was kind of hit or miss, and if you were missed, the chances of avoiding discovery, obviously, are pretty good.”

Leo Núñez

Núñez, who was a reliever for the Marlins until last week, has admitted his transgressions – he is also 29, a year older than was thought – and was placed on the Marlins’ restricted list.  He has since returned to the Dominican Republic where authorities here now say he will not face charges for identity fraud.  The Marlins acknowledged they have been aware of the situation for several months, but gave no further explanation of why he was allowed to continue to pitch.

Meanwhile in Santo Domingo, police arrested Hector Bienvenido Pena Diaz and charged him with obtaining fake identity documents for Núñez before he signed his first pro contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000.  In 2002, in a post-September 11 security blitz , Núñez  was not among the 180 Dominican baseball players outed for playing under an assumed name, nor was he among the players who came forward in 2008 when Major League Baseball gave amnesty to players who admitted falsifying age and/or identity.

Major League Baseball has been plagued for years with age and identity fraud problems in the Dominican Republic and initiated a major reform movement a year and a half ago.  While the problem has been curtailed, it has not been eliminated and the Núñez case may be an indication of a more insidious problem – rooting out long-time players who lied about their identities.

“You are talking about people who have avoided detection, some of them for years,” said another person familiar with the situation. “Do you risk coming forward now, perhaps subjecting yourself to arrest and possible termination of your baseball career?”   Major League Baseball rules provide a year suspension for minor leaguers who commit identity fraud; major leaguers are penalized at the discretion of the commissioner’s office. But the legal issue of a forged identity can bar a player from receiving a U.S. visa, effectively ending a career.

According to The Miami Herald, Núñez called the Dominican consulate in Miami on Sept. 7, revealing he was playing under an assumed name and wanting to resolve the problem.  Dominican Consul General Manuel Felipe Almanzar called his country’s attorney general’s office and the Dominican Central Elections Board, which documents identity papers.

“[ Núñez] came in and made a sworn declaration saying that he was not from Jamao al Norte but from Bonao, a town in the Dominican Republic, and that when he was young, still a minor and a prospect about to be signed, a coach who managed his league recommended that he assume another name, one of a person a year younger, so that he could get a better contract,” Almanzar told the newspaper. “So he became Leonel Núñez Morales, who was his best friend since childhood. That made it easier for him, because Leonel was 16, which was an appropriate age for a Dominican baseball player.”

Manuel Felipe Almanzar

Félix Suriel, who heads the Dominican Elections Board office in Miami, told the Herald, “Major League Baseball should be investigating these documents and checking whether the name is fake.  It seems to be negligence by the very people who receive the fraudulent birth certificate. If a person came here to my office with a fake I.D., I’d put their name in a computer and immediately see the face of the other person. The teams don’t have a company they can hire to do these things? It’s a big problem with all the players, not just from the Dominican Republic but all over Latin America.”

Indeed, while I am told that at as many as 30 Dominicans on major and minor league rosters are imposters, I was also informed there are a slew from Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries who are playing the name game.  But the Dominican Republic, outside the United States, provides the most players to professional baseball and if the tide is not stemmed here, it will never be.

The problem has been and will continue to be the value placed on a 16-year-old Dominican prospect, the youngest that can be signed by an MLB team, and the devaluation that takes place as a prospect gets older.  Many are encouraged to lie about their age in order to command more money. During the post-September 11 crackdown, over 500 players, most of them from the Dominican Republic, were found to be using false names and/or ages, testament to the enormity of the problem.

This latest bombshell on the Dominican baseball reform battlefield is going to be difficult to diffuse.  On one hand, baseball has made strides in addressing age and identity fraud among its young prospects, doing a consistently better job in policing the intake process.  Cooperation from Dominican authorities has also helped and there is currently greater faith that a 16-year-old is indeed exactly who he says he is.

But weeding out those who have slipped past the guardians of the gate is going to be difficult, maybe impossible, particularly depending on what happens to Núñez.  He certainly deserves some punishment for not only his initial lies, but also for maintaining the rouse even when he didn’t have to, when he would have been home free simply by admitting guilt in 2008.

I find his adult transgressions more indigestible than those of his youth; adults take responsibility for their actions, which Núñez  did not until recently, and, if the estimates provided me are accurate, there are others who have been playing professional baseball for years who are not who they appear to be.

The major difference between a 16-year-old prospect changing his age and/or identity and a veteran playing under an assumed identity is that the veteran has amassed statistics that are now part of the eternal baseball record book. You can assail the home run records of those suspected of taking performance enhancing drugs, but you can’t erase them, nor can you erase the records of those who have batted, pitched or stolen a base in Major League Baseball.

Núñez’ stat line is solid.  This year he was 1-4, with a 4.06 ERA, 55 strikeouts, 21 walks and 36 saves, ranking him seventh in the National League in saves.  The right-hander has 92 saves for the Marlins, placing him third on the team’s all-time list.  His statistics are now part of baseball history, but the fact that deception is involved taints his record and undermines the integrity of the game.

People go to a New York Yankees game expecting to see Alex Rodriguez playing third base, not someone pretending to be Rodriguez. The same principle applies to Núñez and others like him.

By the way, Núñez earned $3.6 million this year and stood to make $5.8 million next year.  Some are questioning whether the timing of Núñez’ admission has anything to do with the fact that he would have become a free agent after next season, and if that factored into his decision or the Marlin’s decision to keep the matter under wraps for months.

Only time will tell how the tale of the pitcher formerly known as Leo Núñez unravels, and its larger implications on baseball.  For now, it is just another conundrum in the ongoing saga of Dominican baseball. And, it gives a new twist to “Who’s on first, What’s on second, and I Don’t Know’s on third.”

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

The Hit Parade

A tip of the batting helmet to Vladimir Guerrero who recently set the record for career hits by a Dominican-born player.   Guerrero, who plays for the Baltimore Orioles, hit a single in a 6-3 win over the Boston Red Sox to break a tie with Julio Franco and collect his 2,587^th hit.

It took him 16 seasons to do it, compared to 23 for Franco. “I played a lot of years, so it felt very good, satisfying to get that hit,” Guerrero said after reaching the milestone.

DRSEA INFORMER

 Volume IV, Issue 6: A Publication For Your Reading Enjoyment

The accelerated signings of Dominican baseball prospects, coupled with a record signing bonus by the Texas Rangers, appears to be an indication that Major League Baseball teams have increasing faith that efforts to curb age and identity fraud in the Dominican Republic are working.

The $5 million signing bonus given 16-year-old Nomar Mazara eclipses the $4.25 million awarded Michael Ynoa by the Oakland A’s in 2008, and was one of several $1 million-plus bonuses awarded young Dominican players after the July 2 date when 16-year-olds are eligible to be signed.  The Rangers also signed Ronald Guzman, a 16-year-old outfielder, for $3.45 million.  Among other notable Dominican signings reported:

• Elier Hernandez, OF – Kansas City Royals, $3.05 million
• Helsin Martinez, OF – Seattle Mariners, $2 million
• Adalberto Mondesi, SS – Kansas City Royals, $2 million.
• Dawel Lugo, SS – Toronto Blue Jays, $1.3 million
• Enrique Acosta, SS – Chicago Cubs, $1.1 million
• Dorssys Paulino, SS – Cleveland Indians, $1.1 million
• Raymel Flores, SS – Boston Red Sox, $900,000
• Manuel Marcos, OF – Boston Red Sox, $800,000
• Miguel Andujar, 3B – New York Yankees, $750,000
• Adelin Santa, 3B – Detroit Tigers, $750,000
• Luis Reynoso, SS – Houston Astros, $700,000
• Miguel Gonzalez, RHP – Minnesota Twins, $650,000
• Dioscar Romero, RHP – Boston Red Sox, $600,000
• Francisco Miguel, OF – Cleveland Indians, $200,000

This does not include agreements reached with players from other countries including Venezuela, Columbia and Panama. International signing bonuses topped $100 million last year and speculation is that when signings are completed this year, they will exceed that total.  All signings are subject to the approval of MLB’s Commissioner’s Office.

Rangers Ronald Guzman was among top Dominican signees
The signings appear to reflect calmer waters in the Dominican baseball ocean after more than a year of tempests that tossed the sport in the country, threatening to undermine its integrity. Widespread allegations of age and identity fraud made many teams cautious in their pursuit of Dominican prospects.

In the wake of the allegations, as well as reports of steroid use by prospects and money skimming charges, baseball launched a major reform movement, beefing up investigations into the fraud, and instituting several measures to curb it, including the use of fingerprints to positively identify prospects, a process advocated in the INFORMER  two years ago.

Jorge Perez-Diaz

Jorge Perez-Diaz, a lawyer from Puerto Rico who now oversees the baseball reform movement in Latin America, told the Wall Street Journal that MLB teams have been subject to “an unreasonable amount of fraud and use of drugs” among Dominican prospects. “We needed to do this to make the industry sustainable here for the long-term,” he said.

My mind still boggles over handing a 16-year-old Dominican kid so much money without putting in place better programs to help them handle their new-found wealth.  Such large sums of money are life changing, but in the hands of the uneducated, as so many prospects are, it is tantamount to putting a loaded gun in their hands. Without supervision the results can be tragic.

Baseball will tell you that financial planning is provided these youngsters, but my belief is that it is insufficient in teaching them how to wisely protect their money, make sound investments for their future and that of their families, and prepare for a life without baseball, which is the fate of 98 percent.  The average signing bonus is around $100,000, and once an “agent” has taken his cut – usually around one-third – the “take home” is reduced.  I know of far too many Dominican prospects who have been handed more money than they can imagine, and within a short time are penniless, having spent the money as if it flowed from an eternal fountain, providing for family that has known only poverty and has been handed a taste of la buena vida.

The same happens to American athletes as well; teenagers suddenly transformed into millionaires, but most are better prepared to deal with the trappings of wealth.  When the DRSEA recently designed an educational program for a development academy here, we first conducted extensive diagnostic tests designed to determine the ability to do such simple things as interpret safety signals, use maps to identify home towns, locate information in television and movie listings, and identify driving regulations.  The majority had very limited ability to read and comprehend numbers, letters and simple words and phrases related to those needs, let alone manage money.

As baseball continues its reform movement, particularly with regards to education for prospects, I think it is critically important that teams provide more intensive financial advice, including budgeting, investments and long-range planning, helping them prepare for the day when a career in baseball is no longer an option – whether they are among the lucky few who have been handed millions or the majority whose riches, at best, are a few thousand dollars.  Wealth is subjective; managing it is not.

And while there is significant proof that Major League Baseball has made strides in addressing age and identity fraud, the problem has not been resolved, as evidenced by the recent suspension of Cincinnati Reds prospect Jonathan Correa for a year for lying about his age.

MLB determined the pitcher supplied an incorrect birth date when he signed in 2008.  Adding to his misdeeds is that after signing, Correa was suspended for 50 games for steroid use.

Volume IV, Issue 5: A Publication For Your Reading Enjoyment

DRSEA Education Program Launched – The Arias & Goodman Academy, one of the premiere baseball development programs in the Dominican Republic, has launched a pilot project developed by the Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy to provide education for its prospects.

“Make no mistake about it,” said Gary Goodman in announcing the program. “We are in the business of preparing young Dominicans for careers in baseball; to help talented young men achieve their dreams. But there is also a social side that must be addressed.  Reality is that most of these kids will not succeed in baseball and we owe it to them to make sure they are prepared for life after baseball.”

The DRSEA designed the educational program to give the Arias & Goodman Academy prospects the tools to succeed in life on and off the field.

In designing the program, the DRSEA wanted to provide options and alternatives to just playing baseball.  While the DRSEA ultimately wants to prepare young Dominican boys to position themselves to qualify for baseball scholarships at U.S. colleges and universities, there are a multitude of others in camps like the Arias & Goodman Academy who need a solid and basic education.  The DRSEA wants to improve lives through the DRSEA experience, and what those lives can ultimately do to improve their country.

The Arias & Goodman Academy education program is custom designed to meet the needs of its prospects whose educational levels vary from minimal to intermediate; many dropped out of school to pursue their dreams.  Added to the challenge is that most of the prospects are only in the Arias & Goodman Academy, located in San Pedro de Macoris, for short periods of time.  The DRSEA had to take all that into account and come up with a program that will not only vastly expand the education levels of all prospects, but also provide them with additional life skills that will make them more complete human beings, and ultimately better baseball players as well, which will make them even more valuable to the Arias & Goodman Academy.

The program is heavy on developing conversational English, as well as critical thinking and life skills, but also provides general education in math, history, geography, art, health and nutrition, financial planning and acculturation.  This broad spectrum will allow the Arias & Goodman Academy prospects to develop skills in conceptualizing, analyzing, evaluating and applying information that they are exposed to; to make them better able to handle a multitude of decisions that will be coming their way as they mature.

Figure 2Batting practice at the Arias & Goodman Academy

Goodman said he believes his academy is the first of its kind to offer a comprehensive education program to prospects.  “Investing in the education of our players is important to us,” he said.  “We want to provide them with the skills to succeed beyond baseball. For while it is true that many of them will not make it all the way in baseball, we will try to give them the opportunity to develop skills that will help them throughout their lives.”

“ For many of these young men, they are experiencing their first structured, disciplined environment. It is our hope that in the relatively short period of time they spend with us, they will awaken to the larger world and the opportunities it holds for them.”

Special Screening of Dominican Baseball Documentary – The Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy held a special screening of “El Play,” a documentary on Dominican baseball, on June 21 at the 809 Lounge, 112 Dyckman St., New York, NY.   The screening, followed by a panel discussion on baseball and education in the Dominican Republic, as well as a VIP reception, was part of a DRSEA fundraiser.

“El Play” is produced, directed and written by Pablo A. Medina, an assistant professor at the Parsons New School for Design in New York City, and has won several film festival awards.

Cincinnati  Reds legends Tony Perez and Pete Rose served as honorary co-chairs of the event; panelists for the discussion included: Joel Araujo, a specialist in the International Baseball Operations Department for Major League Baseball;  Pablo A. Medina, producer, director and writer of “El Play;” Charles S. Farrell, co-founder and project director of the Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy;  Julio Pabón, founder of the Latino Sports Writers & Broadcasters Association (LSWBA), as well as founder of Latino Sports Ventures, Inc.; and Alfredo Arias, partner in the Arias & Goodman Academy.

The film’s main character is Jairo Candelario, a young aspiring baseball player from the town of San Pedro de Macoris, a small city in the Dominican Republic famous for producing some of the best players in the majors, including New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Canó.  The film follows Jairo’s dream of signing a professional contract, and includes conversations with his family, and interviews with professional scouts, coaches and a baseball historian.

Figure 3 Alfredo Arias drives home point

Co-hosting the event was the Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation, which focuses its energy on the educational needs of the Dominican community – the largest, and one of the poorest, immigrant groups in New York City.

The event was well attended, and included several Dominican government representatives, former baseball players, and executives from Major League Baseball.

“El Play” was well received by the audience, but the panel discussion was what set the event apart. While a multitude of opinions were shared, everyone concurred that education has to be a centerpiece in the development of young baseball players in the Dominican Republic.

Figure 4  Julio Pabón advocates education for Dominican prospects

The DRSEA is looking to screen “El Play” in other venues before the end of the year. Those wishing to make a donation to the Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy can do so by going to www.drsea.org or by sending a check to the DRSEA at:

Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy

600 Anita Street, #16

Chula Vista, CA 91911

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Arias & Goodman – 908-272-6900

DRSEA –  215-888-9608

ARIAS & GOODMAN ACADEMY LAUNCH EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PROSPECTS

SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – The Arias & Goodman Academy, one of the premiere baseball development programs in the Dominican Republic, has launched a pilot project to provide education for its prospects.

“Make no mistake about it,” said Gary Goodman in announcing the program. “We are in the business of preparing young Dominicans for careers in baseball; to help talented young men achieve their dreams. But there is also a social side that must be addressed.  Reality is that most of these kids will not succeed in baseball and we owe it to them to make sure they are prepared for life after baseball.”

The educational program was designed by the Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy, whose mission is to educate young athletes in the Dominican Republic, help develop their baseball skills, and give them the tools to success in life on and off the field.

DRSEA co-founder Charles S. Farrell said, “We are trying to provide options and alternatives to just playing baseball.  We ultimately want to prepare young Dominican boys to position themselves to qualify for baseball scholarships at U.S. colleges and universities, but there are a multitude of others in camps like the Arias & Goodman Academy who need a solid and basic education. We want to improve lives through the DRSEA experience, and what those lives can ultimately do to improve their country.”

Farrell said the Arias & Goodman Academy education program is custom designed to meet the needs of its prospects whose educational levels vary from minimal to intermediate; many dropped out of school to pursue their dreams.  Added to the challenge is that most of the prospects are only in the Arias & Goodman Academy for short periods of time.  “We had to take all that into account,” Farrell said, “and come up with a program we believe will not only vastly expand the education levels of all prospects, but also provide them with additional life skills that will make them more complete human beings, and ultimately better baseball players as well, which will make them even more valuable to the Arias & Goodman Academy.”

The program is heavy on developing conversational English, as well as critical thinking and life skills, Farrell said, but also provides general education in math, history, geography, art, health and nutrition, financial planning and acculturation.  “This broad spectrum will allow the Arias & Goodman Academy prospects to develop skills in conceptualizing, analyzing, evaluating and applying information that they are exposed to; to make them better able to handle a multitude of decisions that will be coming their way as they mature,” Farrell said.

* Batting practice at the Arias & Goodman Academy

Goodman said he believes his academy is the first of its kind to offer a comprehensive education program to prospects.  “Investing in the education of our players is important to us,” he said.  “We want to provide them with the skills to succeed beyond baseball. For while it is true that many of them will not make it all the way in baseball, we will try to give them the opportunity to develop skills that will help them throughout their lives.”

“ For many of these young men, they are experiencing their first structured, disciplined environment. It is our hope that in the relatively short period of time they spend with us, they will awaken to the larger world and the opportunities it holds for them.”