Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon has 22 inning scoreless streak

On Tuesday , Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon scortched the Angels for seven innings, only surrendering one unearned run in his final inning of work. That unearned run ended his consecutive scoreless inning streak at 22.1 innings, but he does still maintain a streak of 22.2 innings without surrendering an earned run.

The amazing thing: Colon is in his 15th big league season and is two years removed from major elbow surgery. That surgery in 2011 was under investigation by MLB because it involved injecting his elbow with his own stem cells from his back. The Dominican pitcher Colon was eventually cleared in that case, and he pitched last year with the Yankees. He is back this year with the A's, and is having an even beter year, at 39 years old. Colon has nine wins and a 3.55 ERA in 23 starts and over 140 innings.

The even more amazing thing: according to Fangraphs he is pitching about 90% fastballs. Since Fangraphs began tracking pitches in 2002, no pitcher with over 100 innings has pitched that many fastballs. And Colon's fastball only averages 90 mph. 

How does he do it? He is doing what he has done his entire career, pounding the corners of the zone, and either getting called strikes or getting hitters to swing and make weak contact on pitches outside the zone.

Colon is scheduled to pitch next Tuesday on the road against the Royals, where he will attempt to lengthen his streak. He has a career record 170-122 and a 4.06 ERA. Very respectable numbers for a starter of his quality and longevity.

Bartolo Colon is from Altamira, DR.

Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon, by Keith Allison on Flickr

Dominican player of the week: Albert Pujols

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Albert Pujols was named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending August 5. And anytime a Dominican player gets the player of the week award in either league, he almost always gets the Dominican baseball player of the week here at the Dominican Baseball Guy blog.

It was well publicized that Pujols got off to one of the worst slumps of his career when he joined the Angels this off-season. He seems to have righted the ship since roughly the start of June. It is no surprise that the Angels started playing better ball as soon as Pujols began to hit like he has his entire career. The Angels are now pressuring the Rangers for first place in the American League West and pushing for a wildcard spot. They were five and half games back of the Rangers and just a half game off the wildcard pace Monday.

Last week Pujols batted .424 with five doubles, six home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs scored in seven games played. It was Pujols' 12th career player of the week award and first since joining the Angels.

He is from the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo.

Dominican player of the week Albert Pujols, photo by Marianne O'Leary on Flickr

Futures minor league All-Star game to feature 8 Dominican players

The Futures All-Star game rosters were release Thursday, and both the rosters of the United States and the World All-Stars are packed with future stars.  The United States of course has a whole squad of American players, but on the World side, Dominican players lead the way with eight selections.

The World team has players from eleven different countries.  Dominican players to be featured in the game are the Diamondbacks Alfredo Marte (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), the Rockies Edwar Cabrera (Bani), the Royals Yordano Ventura (Samana), the Angels Jean Segura (San Juan), the Phillies Lisalverto Bonilla (Samana), the Padres Rymer Liriano (Santo Domingo), the Cardinals Oscar Taveras (Puerto Plata), and the Rays Enny Romero (Santo Domingo).

Jean Segura is perhaps the most highly touted of these Dominican prospects.  He was the highest ranked Dominican player on Baseball America's top 100 prospects of 2012, appearing at number 55 on the list.  Segura has been threatening to crack the Angels roster and should make it up this year or next.  For that matter all these prospects should be in the big leagues within the next few years.

This is the 14th annual Futures Game.  The game will take place All-Star weekend on July 8th at 5 p.m. E.T.

Dominican Republic baseball player of the week: Ervin Santana

Ervin Santana of the Angels is this weeks Dominican Republic Baseball Player of the Week.  Interestingly, this is the first time that Santana has appeared on the Dominican Baseball Guy blog.  The Dominican Baseball Guy was thinking that this may be due to the fact that he is new to the big leagues, but he has actually been a pretty successful major leaguer for eight seasons.

He has been in the top ten in the American League in wins three times, and has consistently eaten up innings for the Angels.  He made one All-Star team back in 2008.  Overall, the Dominican Baseball Guy assesses Santana as a very good middle of the rotation to end of the rotation starter.  I liken him to another Dominican pitcher, Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros, as far as overall skill as a starting pitcher.

Santana is having not the best year.  Through Monday, he had a 5.16 ERA and was 4-7.  He is still a middle of the rotation workhorse in any case, having pitched 89 innings in 14 starts.

With this said, he wins the Dominican Republic baseball player of the week this week due to his one-hitter against the Diamondbacks.  He pitched 6 and 2/3 innings of perfect baseball, and got the shutout victory for the ultra-hot Angels.

Santana also threw a no-hitter last season.  He is from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

Dominican Republic baseball player of the week Ervin Santana,
photo by Keith Allison on Flickr

Dominicano Francisco "Frankie" Matos es presentado como coach de Salt Lake Bees

The Angels named a new hitting coach for their AAA affiliate the Salt Lake Bees on Tuesday.  And the new coach is a native of the Dominican Republic.

Francisco "Frankie" Matos is the new coach.  He has been with the Angels for six seasons, and has worked his way up from A-ball.

Matos is a former player that had a sixteen year career in professional baseball, mostly in the minor leagues.  He had a brief stint with the A's in 1994, and also played in the Mexican Baseball League and for several independent league teams before retiring in 2004.  For a lifetime baseball man it is good to see him doing well as a coach.

Like a number of successful Dominican players, Matos has chosen to make his full time residence in the States, rather than return and live in his native Dominican.  He lives in Huntsville, Alabama in the off-season.

Matos is from Sanot Domingo, Republica Dominicana.

The new hitting coach of the Salt Lake Bees, Francisco "Frankie" Matos.
Photo by  Debora  Robinson (Angels minor league head shots)

Dominican beisbol player of the week: Nelson Cruz

So, most weeks the Dominican Beisbol Guy picks his Dominican player of the week based on the overall NL and AL player of the week voting.  Almost without fail there is at least one Dominican player that receives votes in at least one of the leagues.  But this week not a single Dominican player received a vote.

Entonces, the Dominican Baseball Guy is going with probably his favorite player in all of Major League Baseball at the moment, Nelson Cruz.

Cruz warmed up last week.  He had two home runs and eight RBI in seven games.  He also hit over .340 and scored six runs.  Of course most of this came in a route of the Angels last Sunday in which he went 4-5 with a home run and four RBI.

Even if he had not had such a productive week, the Dominican Baseball Guy could have very well picked him as the Dominican player of the week.  He is the Dominican Baseball Guy's favorite player and he plays for the DBG's favorite team, after all.

Dominican beisbol player Nelson Cruz is from Monte Cristi, Republica Dominicana.

Dominican baseball player Nelson Cruz, by Keith Allison on Flickr

Dominican Baseball Player of the Week: Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols is off to a horrendous start this season. He normally would not be in the running for the Dominican Baseball Player of the Week with a one home run performance. But, there were no other Dominican baseball players that had big weeks, and Albert got off the snide with his first home run of the season.

Expect the flood gates to open now. There have not been too many times in the career of Pujols in which he went 28 games and over 100 at-bats without a home run. And the Angels may be coming out of their team slump at the same time. They definitely need Pujols to contend with the Rangers in the AL West.

Dominican Baseball Player of the Week Albert Pujols is from Sano Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Dominican baseball player Albert Pujols with the Cardinals, by Leoraul Torres on Flickr

Dominican Golf: Albert Pujols to host celebrity golf tournament

Dominican baseball player Albert Pujols is the best player in the game by most accounts. He moved to the west coast this year for the first time in his career. This is a major loss for his old team the Cardinals, and major addition for the Angels. But it is perhaps an even bigger loss for the city of Saint Louis.

His move to Los Angeles will also affect his charitable givings. Albert is well known to be at the head of the Pujols Family Foundation, a non-profit that contributes to families of children with Down syndrome and helps poverty-stricken families in his native Dominican Republic.

Albert is a legend in Saint Louis both for his on-field work, and for his charitable work.

The Pujols Family Foundation has hosted a golf tournament for the last nine years in the Saint Louis area, but this year his annual golf tournament will be taking place in Southern California at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Albert is excited to host the tournament and all his celebrity friends:

"We are excited to show the people of Southern California what the Pujols Family Foundation is all about," Pujols said in a statement. "This is a great day for the Foundation, and to host our event at a course like Trump National is pretty special."

The tournament will take place on July 26th and all proceeds benefit the Pujols Family Foundation. Visit the charity's website for more information:

Dominican baseball player Vladimir Guerrero to the Marlins, Dominicano Vlad Guerrero a Marlins?

It is no secret that Vladimir Guerrero has been one of the favorite Dominican baseball players of the Dominican Baseball Guy for many years.  He remains in third place all-time among Dominican baseball players in hits, RBI, and home runs, and is second for lifetime average at .318.

Last year, Guerrero signed a one year free agent deal with the Orioles.  By most accounts he had a bad year.  But if you look at the numbers, they are really not that bad.  He hit .290 in 500+ at bats, and had 13 home runs and 63 RBI.  Now these numbers are certainly off his career average, but most MLB players would take these numbers, particularly the .290 average.  The guy hit .290, and this was a bad year.

So it goes for an aging superstar like Dominican baseball player Vladimir Guerrero.  He is unsigned this off-season thus far, but recently told Dominican newspaper EL Caribe that the Marlins and Ozzie Guillen had contacted him.  Most think he is DH at best, and wonder what a National League team would be doing talking to him.  But, Vladimir says that he is still a player that should play every day, even if it is as an outfielder.

It is a wait and see game to see if the Marlins sign him, or if any other team picks him up.  The Dominican Baseball Guy anxiously awaiting to see where he lands.  Pelotero Dominicano Vladimir Guerrero es de Nizao, Republica Dominicana.

Dominican baseball player Vladimir Guerrero hopes to play another year, by Rich Anderson on Flickr

Dominican baseball player Albert Pujols arrives at Spring Training, Pujols llega para "Spring Training"

The great Dominican baseball player Albert Pujols arrived at Angels camp Monday.  He arrived at spring training on the first day with pitchers and catchers.  ESPN outside the lines ran a feature story on their mid-day broadcast.

Pujols met his new teammates, made some comments to the media, and got a workout in.  It is a big change for Pujols.  He is leaving behind a great network in Saint Louis that included family and friends, his non-profit organization The Pujols Family Foundation, and a legion of the best fans in baseball. 

Albert is excited and hopeful about the move.  "I can't go back and feel sorry. Now, it's time to move on," Pujols said. "That was an old chapter in my life. Now, it's time to open a new one."

The Angels are looking to return to form and challenge the Rangers out west this season.  They spent over $350 million this off-season.  Albert says the whole goal of everyone in the Angels organization is to win the World Series.

Dominican baseball player Albert Pujols is from Santo Dominigo, Republica Dominicana.

Dominican baseball player Albert Pujols, by Leoraul Torres on Flickr

Dominican baseball player Jean Segura off to fast start in AA, Dominicano Jean Segura jugando bueno

Jean Segura is considered one of the Angels next great infield prospects.  He is from the Dominican Republic.  He started in the Angels Dominican academy in 2007 and has since moved up to their Advanced-A team this season, the Inland Empire 66ers of the California League.

And he is off to a great start.  Jean is hitting .384 in 16 games this season.  This is after a succesful season at low-A when he hit 10 homers and 24 doubles, with 79 RBI.  So, his baseball career is going well in the states.

But, the cultural adjustments has been one of the hardest parts for this Dominican baseball player.  Segura has picked up English and claims to be an ace, thanks to practicing his new language with teammates.  However, the food is one thing he has had to adjust to.  He says Chipotle is "not too bad."

It is not pollo, arroz, y habichuelas, the Dominican Baseball Guy understands his predicament.  It is one that many many Dominican baseball players face every day in adjusting to life in the states.

Jean is from San Juan de la Maguana.  The Dominican Baseball Guy hopes to see him in the big leagues soon, and hopes his adjustments to the culture in the states is going well.

Mark Trumbo looking to make Angels roster, talks about his experience in Dominican Winter League in 2009

Mark Trumbo has been one of the most productive minor leaguers in the Angels system for the last several years.  The southern California native led all the minor leagues in home runs last season.  According to the Los Angeles Times he is having a good spring and making a push for a big league roster spot (see the Times article here and here).

So, what does this have to do with Dominican baseball you ask?  Well, Trumbo played several games with the Gigantes in the Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM) in 2009.  Last winter league he played in the Venezuelan Winter Baseball League (LVPB).

The Dominican Baseball got a chance to talk to Mark on a team bus to the airport, as he was leaving the country on November 11, 2009.  See the full interview at the Dominican Baseball Examiner

Mark Trumbo bats in 2006, by Joel Dinda on Flickr