2 Dominican players compete in 2012 MLB Home Run Derby

The 2012 MLB All-Star Game rosters feature 8 Dominican baseball players this year. That comes out to 11% of all the players appearing in the All-Star Game. The percentage of Dominican players appearing in the 2012 MLB Home Run Derby last night was smaller, but the country still had two representatives swing away in the Derby.

Dominican player Robinson Cano was shut out in the first round of the Home Run Derby. The Dominican Baseball Guy can not remember any player getting shut out in a Derby, so it must be a long time since that has happened. This proves once again that the Home Run Derby does not mean a lot. Cano is one of the top  5 players in the game by most accounts, and he will be in the running for the AL MVP again this year.

However, Jose Bautista salvaged the competition for fans of Dominican players. Bautista has led the AL in home runs the last two seasons and is a appearing in his second strait home run derby, so he was expected to have a good showing. He made it to the second round, then snuck into the finals in a bat off against Mark Trumbo, before finally losing in the finals to Prince Fielder.

Dominican baseball player Robinson Cano is from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic and Jose Bautista is from Santo Domingo.

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

Dominican Winter League: Gigantes del Cibao Roster 2009-2010

The Gigantes first game is tomorrow, Friday, October 16 against the Eagles from Santiago. The Gigantes staff includes general manager Candy Maldonado, who had a rather successful MLB career. The manager of the team is Félix Fermin, also a former MLB player. The rest of the coaching staff includes the following: Julio Bruno, Héctor-La Manta- de la Cruz, Julio César Paula, Bonny Castillo, Carlos Martínez, Luis García y Carlos Arroyo.

Candy Maldonado at a recent baseball clinic in Argentina

The players include 83 (yes 83) Dominicans. The pitchers are Erick Abreu, Geisón Aguasviva, Henry Arias, Antonio Bastardo, Randor Bierd, Charlis Burdié, Héctor Cárdenas, Fabio Castro, Alex Concepción, Francisco Cruceta, Rhiner Cruz, Jairo Cuevas, Julio de la Cruz, Julio DePaula, Jeurys Familia, Elvis Hernández, Waldis Joaquín, Rafael Lluberes, Aquilino López, Germán Marte, Carlos Martínez, Franklin Núñez, Tony Peña, Joel Peralta, Wily Peralta, Juan Pérez, Rafael Pérez, Elvin Ramírez, Ramón Ramírez, Amauris Rivas, Moisés Robles, Osvaldo Rodríguez, Carlos Rosa, Sandy Rosario, Alfredo Simón, Pedro Strop, Miguel Tapia, Gabriel Tatis, Darío Veras, Pedro Viola, Enerio del Rosario and Rafael Rodríguez.

The catchers are Luis Taveras, Alex Castillo, Mario Mercedes, Alexander Soto, and Mario Mercedes.

The infielders are Erick Almonte, Enmanuel Burriss, Alexi Casilla, Iván Contreras, Estarlin de los Santos, Jonathan Díaz, Pedro Feliz, John Florentino, Juan Francisco, Vladimir Frías, Leury García, Valerio Heredia, Osvaldo Morales, Antonio Pérez, Kendry Morales, Plácido Polanco, Albert Pujols, José Reyes, Ron Rivas, Ramón Santiago, Oscar Tejeda, and Wilson Valdez.

And the outfielders are Francisco Peguero, Moisés Sierra, Nelson Cruz, Vladimir de los Santos, Rafael Fernández, Lucas Montero, and Raúl Reyes.

Each Dominican team is allowed seven imports/non-Dominican players and they are very selective in these. For this year the imports for the Gigantes are six Americans: catcher Mark Wagner, pitchers Sam Narron, David Herndon, Luis Villareal, and first basemen Mark Hamilton and Mark Trumbo. They have one highly heralded Panamanian, outfielder Luis Durango. These imports will change throughout the season and the Gigantes will have seven foreign players at any one time.

Nearly, all of these players (I think all of them actually) are in the MLB minor leagues at some level, and a number of them have seen major league action.

Some of the more prominent stars like Albert Pujols and Nelson Cruz may come for the end of the season and the post season, but they will not be grinding it out through the whole season like all of the prospects. They may not come at all. The Dominican Baseball Guy really doubt Pujols will come at all, and someone like him is mainly on the roster just so the team can say they have a great player like him.

All 88 players obviously will not be traveling with the team. Each team is allowed to dress a normal 25 players.