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.

American baseball players learning Spanish to communicate with Dominican teammates

It is pretty well known that most MLB teams have expanded their cultural immersion and English classes for Dominican and Latin baseball players, both in the Dominican baseball academies and stateside.  Major League Baseball and the Dominican Republic just signed a deal to further enhance the education of Dominican prospects.  The Astros have a program to teach Latin players English and the Brewers have a cultural immersion program for Latin and Dominican players.

Programs such as these are becoming the norm.  The Dominican Baseball Guy would estimate that at least three-quarters of all MLB teams now have similar programs.

One Cincinnati Reds player is trying to reach out to his Latin and Dominican teammates in the opposite direction.  Joey Votto is learning Spanish and communicating with his Latin teammates in their native language.  Votto thinks this builds camaraderie and brings him closer to his Spanish-speaking teammates.  Before he learned the Spanish basics, Votto did not have much a relationship with some Latin teammates.

The Reds have taken an additional step and offered free language software to anyone in their system.  The Padres have a similar offering for their players and coaches that want to learn Spanish.

"It's nice that they want to learn and understand what we're saying," Votto's Venezuelan teammate Miguel Cairo said. "It creates a better atmosphere and better clubhouse when they know what we're saying."

Off-field chemistry almost always helps with the on-field product, and communicating in Latin players native language shows an effort to build chemistry both on and off the field.

2010 National League MVP Joey Votto is learning Spanish, photo by Geoff Livingston on Flickr

Miguel Tejada ready to play ball

Miguel Tejada is ready to join an MLB team as soon as one comes calling.

The 37 year old Tejada is nearing the end of his MLB career, but should still have a couple good years left.  He played in 91 games last year for the Giants.  While his offensive output is down from his peak, he is still a very good fielder and can play three infield positions.

Adam Brush has been training with Tejada in Florida for several years.  A former college player that is a National Strength and Conditioning Association certified trainer, Brush has worked with a number of big league players including Manny Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Ramon Hernandez, Luis Hernandez, Juan Rincon, and Ardolis Chapman.  He is the owner of Five Tool Baseball Performance Training.

According to Brush, Tejada looks great and is ready to go.

"Miguel is a joy to work with.  He absolutely loves the game of baseball, and playing the game is what he wants to do.  He knows what it takes to play in the big leagues, and he knows that he can still produce at that MLB level," Brush said through a phone call.

Continuing, Brush says, "I first worked with Miguel over five years and he looks as good as he ever has.  He is taking over 200 ground balls and hitting four days a week.  And we are doing baseball strength and conditioning work three times per week.  He is working extremely hard, so that when he does get a phone call, he is ready to go."

A native of the Dominican Republic, Tejada is a legend in his home country.  He has played 15 seasons in the major leagues, but has actually played more years than that in the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM).  Tejada is known as "the nation's ball player" or "the patriot player" in his home country, due to his prowess on the field in LIDOM action and his ability to represent Dominican baseball through numerous avenues.

Adam Brush witnessed the love that Dominicans have for Tejada during a training trip to the Dominican Republic.  They went to a LIDOM game one night.

Brush explains, "he stood up, got in the aisle to leave, and the entire stadium went crazy.  There were people yelling his name, taking pictures with their cell phones.  It was like a rock star.  It blew me away because I had never seen anything like it in my life."

"The Dominican baseball fans are absolutely unbelievable fans," said Brush.

A career .286 hitter, Tejada has played in Oakland, Baltimore, Houston, San Diego, and San Francisco.  He is a 6 time all-star and former MVP winner, so at the very least he is a great mentor for young players, especially Dominican players.  Miguel is from Bani, Dominican Republic.

Dominican baseball star Miguel Tejada with the Orioles in 2007, photo by Keith Allison on Flickr

Padres Dominican farmhand works on pitches and English

Padres minor league prospect Simon Castro is scheduled to open the season for the team's AAA affiliate the Tuscon Padres.  At 6 feet, 5 inches, Castro is an imposing physical specimen that could eventually see action at the front end of the Padres big league rotation.  Since coming to the minor leagues in 2006, the 22 year old Dominican has had to work on his pitching and his English skills.

Castro was listed as the Padres number three overall prospect by Baseball America, and could be ready for big league action toward the end of this season.  He has a career ERA of 3.88 and 447 strikeouts in 443 innings coming into this season.  Padres brass say he may need a little more time to develop.

And like most young Dominican prospects, he has had to work on his English too.  According to Castro:

"The teacher here taught me some things, and I get it from the guys. Everybody always helps me with the language. Anything I ask they tell me and let me know what it means, and that's how I learn."

Castro is from San Jose de los Llanos, DR, which is just outside the famed baseball town of San Pedro de Macoris.

Castro with the Tuscon Padres, by Phil Snyder on Flickr

Dominican Winter League: Gigantes triumph, Dario Veras gets first save

10/22/09 Game-
Gigantes won 3-2 tonight. Mark Wagner had a homer for the second strait game. Fabio Castro pitched 6 innings, allowing no runs, but Enerio del Rosario got the victory. Castro was with the Las Vegas 51s in the Pacific Coast League last year. Del Rosario pitched in all three levels of the Reds minor league system. In 44 combined appearances, his ERA was under 2.00. He could be a possible closer going forward for the Reds.

Dario Veras got his first save of the season. He is going for the all time career save record in the Dominican Winter Baseball League (89). He has 65 as of this save, and will need a very good year to get the record this year. He is an interesting story. He is 35, and has spent the last few seasons in the Mexican AAA League. He made 53 appearances with the Padres and Red Sox from 1996-98, but never made it past AAA after this. He has been closing games in the Dominican Winter League for the last few seasons.

Estarlin de los Santos had another hit, extending his hit streak to 5 games to start the season.

Dario Veras warms up for Gigantes, by Dominican Baseball Guy