Cleveland Indians open Dominican training academy

The Cleveland Indians increased their presence in the Dominican Republic this week by opening a brand new $2.6 million facility in the country.  The team of course already had a team in the Dominican Summer League and a small complex, but the new facility features brand new baseball facilities as well as dorm and living quarters to house 72 players.

The Indians are just keeping up with the curve here.  Every single Major League Baseball team now has facilities in the Dominican Republic and a team in the Dominican Summer League.  In fact, the Mets, Yankees, and Cubs all have two teams in the vaunted summer league.

The facilities and teams host mainly Dominican players between the ages of 16 and 20, but also hosts players from other Latin American countries.  If the players show good enough stuff in the Dominican academies or the summer league, then they get a shot at the low-A ball in the states.

The Indians new facility is in San Antonio de Guerra which is just outside the capital of Santo Domingo.