Dominican Player of the Week: Juan Francisco of the Atlanta Braves

The Dominican Baseball Guy has awarded Juan Francisco of the Braves as his Dominican Player of the Week. Juan hit .375 with three home runs last week, and got some votes for player of the week in the National League.

It is no secret Juan Francisco is one of the favorite players of the Dominican Baseball Guy.  He was playing with the Gigantes del Cibao in 2009, the year I followed the Gigantes for the entire Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM) season.  That year he won the MVP of the Dominican Winter League, and he also won it in 2009.  He was either at the top or close to the top of the LIDOM in home runs, RBI, and average in both of those years.

He had a slower year this past off-season in the LIDOM.  As he has gotten closer and closer to securing a regular big league gig, his playing time in LIDOM has gone down.  He had played in 81 big league games going into this season for the Reds, but they decided to trade him this off-season.

His power is his calling card.  Juan is one of the best guys to see in batting practice.  Kids line the outside of the stadium waiting for him to hit them balls, which they will use to play at their own games and practices.  During games, the stadium always stopped for Juan Francisco, aka "El Diamante."  Not sure where the nickname came from, but during that year the announcers started calling him "The Diamond of Bonao."  Francisco is from Bonao, Republica Dominicana.  I saw him hit one shot in San Francisco de Macoris at the Julian Javier stadium that I swore went over the lights.  We all lost it in the lights, and people were saying "he hit it to the moon."

Lots of people say that he is a below average fielder and that he strikes out a lot.  And he does.  But the Dominican Baseball Guy still thinks he is going to be a star, as I predicted two years ago when I first saw him play in Dominican Winter League action.  I think his power and his clutch play will be enough to outweigh deficiencies elsewhere.  He won a lot of games for the Gigantes that season with late inning heroics.  And, after all, I cannot go back on my prediction now.

The only other Dominican player to receive votes in the player of the week race in either league was Rafael Furcal of Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic.

Dominican player of the week Juan Francisco bats in the Midwest League in 2007, photo by Joel Dinda on Flickr

Braves minor leaguer Jairo Asencio Most Valuable Player in Caribbean Series, Jugador Mas Valioso de la Serie Caribe

Atlanta braves minor league player and Dominican Republic native Jairo Ascencio was named the most valuable player of the 2012 version of the Caribbean Series, or Serie del Caribe for the Dominican Baseball Guy's Spanish speaking friends.  He actually played in six games with the big league club last season, but spent most of the year Gwinnet Braves, the AAA affiliate of the Braves.  See the recap from ESPN Deportes or from Diario Libre a Dominican daily.

He has been a closer for the last three years in the minors and served that role for the Dominican team in the Caribbean Series.  In a twist only seen in winter baseball, Asencio actually played for the Toros in the regular season this year in the Dominican Winter Baseball League.  He was called in as a "reinforcement" for the Dominican team represented by LIDOM champion Escogido.  

The teams from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela all do the same thing: stck their domestic league champion with "reinforcements" of the top players from the losing teams.

So, Jairo Asencio was picked up as a "reinforcement" and stepped right into the closer's role for Escogido and the Dominican Republic team.  He was 3-3 in save chances and didn't allow a hit in three innings.  For that he was the Jugador mas Valioso de la Serie Caribe 2012, or MVP of the Caribbean Series.  The Dominican Baseball Guy knows it is not much of a sample, but hey it's the Caribbean Series they only play six games.

It is a touching story for the young pitcher.  Asencio's mother died last year, so he was happy, but disappointed that she could not see it.  Said the closer:

“Estoy feliz por la distinción, pero hay un espacio que estuviera lleno si mi madre estuviera viva”, expuso el joven jugador.

And for the Dominican Baseball Guy's English speaking friends that is, "I am happy for the distinction, but the is always an empty space in my heart where my mother was."

Jairo Ascencio is from Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic.  From his statistics and this performance it looks like he could be pushing for a spot on the big league roster next year.

But the Dominican Baseball Guy knows little to nothing about the Braves farm system.  Any Atlanta Braves fans out there to comment?

Jairo Ascencio receives the Caribbean Series MVP trophy, photo by Victor Perez 

Happy Birthday former Ranger-Met-Brave-Escogido player Julio Franco, feliz cumpleaños Dominicano Julio Franco

The Big League Stew rightfully gave big ups to one of the Dominican Baseball Guy's favorite players of all time this week, as Julio Franco turned 53 years old today.  The Dominican Baseball Guy first became a fan of Julio Franco during his early years with the Texas Rangers.  He pushed .400 one year, and was considered one of the top five players in the game during these years from 1989-1991.

He had 2,586 career hits in MLB, but had over 4,000 in his career while playing in several leagues.  He obviously spent some time in the minors as everyone does, but also played in Japan, Mexico, and in the best winter league around-the Dominican League of Winter Baseball (LIDOM) for Escogido.

Franco may be best know for his crazy over the head batting stance.  Kindred spirit of The Dominican Baseball Guy, The Batting Stance Guy, does perhaps one of his best impressions of Franco here.

After 2500 MLB games and God knows how many total games, Julio still has the hunger to be involved in the game.  Since his retirement in 2008, he has managed in the Mets minor league system as well as managing in the Venezuelan winter league.  He hopes to eventually get a big league gig as a manager for an MLB team.

Franco is from San Pedro de Macoris, the cradle of shortstops.  The Dominican Baseball Guy comments on San Pedro seemingly weekly, because the talent never stops flowing out of this baseball capital in the Dominican Republic.  See the tag for more on San Pedro de Macoris, the hometown of Alfredo Griffin, Robinson Cano, and Franco, among many more.

Happy Birthday Julio!

Julio Franco with the Atlanta Braves in 2006