Dominican pitcher Marmol continues erratic play

Dominican pitcher Carlos Marmol has had an up and down career. He started as a young kid out of the Dominican Republic that was a promising hitter. The Cubs finally convinced him to try pitching, and he turned into a top notch closer. In 2010 he set a record for strikeouts per nine innings and saving 38 out of 43 games.

Last year, he had 10 blown saves. And this season his ERA has ballooned over 5.00 and he lost his closer job. The conditions are there for Dominican pitcher Marmol to regain his closer job.

Kerry Wood has a bad elbow, and the other options in the Cubs bull pen are young and inexperienced. If Marmol can put together a few good outings, the Cubs may just give him a shot to close again.

Dominican pitcher Carlos Marmol, photo by Phil Roeder on Flickr

Dominican baseball player Carlos Marmol looks for bounce back year, and farms in the Dominican Republic

Carlos Marmol had an off year last season.  After a huge 2010, when he averaged 15.99 K/9 innings, the Dominican Baseball anointed Carlos Marmol best closer in baseball.  But last season he led the MLB in blown saves with 10.

Marmol is looking to rebound, and spent the off-season working on his farms in the Dominican Republic.  Marmol has been around farms his whole life, and went into the business professionally with his brother a few years ago.  Together they own three farms in the Dominican Republic, 700 head of cattle, as well as horses and chickens.  They sell beef and milk, chicken and eggs, and horses throughout the Dominican Republic.

Farming and ranching is perhaps one of the biggest industries in the Dominican Republic.  Virtually all the beef, milk, chicken and eggs, as well as most of the produce, consumed in the country is sourced locally.  This is due, like most of the problems in the country, to lack of infrastructure and an underdeveloped economy.  It is easier to bring the goods to market if they close.  The roads and ports make it difficult to import large amounts of food items, and if international companies cannot import large amounts of goods, it is not worth it to them.

The new age struggle of processed and prepared foods versus locally sourced foods is not even an issue in the Dominican Republic, because the infrastructure is not there to import large amounts of cheap goods.  The Dominican consumer get hurts because they have have almost no options in regards to fresh food.  Non-nonperishable items are imported in large scale and are readily available, especially in the capital and Santiago.

And so it goes.  The process of growing an economy is a complex process.  I am just the Dominican Baseball Guy, and I am not schooled in macro-economics.  But what I know is that developing countries lack basic infrastructure like electricity and roads, and businesses and schools cannot develop without these infrastructural elements.

The Dominican Baseball Guy is also, not in any way, blaming Carlos Marmol or other Dominican farmers for anything.  The people need these food items, and the local farmers are the ones that must provide them at this point.  So saludos to Carlos Marmol and his brother.  The Dominican Baseball Guy wishes them all the best with their three farms in the Dominican Republic.  Carlos is from Bonao, Dominican Republic.

Dominican baseball player Carlos Marmol owns several farms in the Dominican Republic,
photo by Phil Roeder on Flickr

Carlos Marmol, best closer in Major League Baseball?

Carlos Marmol grew up on a ranch outside Bonao, DR.  His work ethic perhaps comes from this upbringing.

This will be his first year in which he does not face competition for the closer job with the Cubs.  Carlos made the all-star team in 2008 as a middle reliever, and first had the full time closer job last year.  He excelled greatly in the role saving 38 out of 43.  He also had 138 strikeouts in 77 innings.  That strikeout ratio (15.99 per nine innings) set a new MLB record and helped him win the delivery man of the month award for September 2010.

Carlos was recently featured as one of six Dominicans scheduled to close for their teams in 2011.  His stuff is probably the most electric in the league.  Carlos is from Bonao, DR.

Carlos Marmol in 2010 with the Cubs, by Phil Roeder on Flickr

Several Dominican pitchers scheduled to close for their teams

Six Major League Baseball teams have already penciled in Dominican pitchers to close for their team.  Additionally, their are two other Dominicans that will probably see time in the closer role for their team at some point this season.

Among them are Neftali Feliz (Azua, Dominican Republic), Carlos Marmol (Bonao), and Jose Valverde (San Pedro de Macoris).

See the rest of the Dominican closers and the full article at the Dominican Baseball Examiner

Neftali Feliz pitches, by RWH on Flickr

Dominican Baseball Guy MLB 2010 All-Dominican Team

It is finally time for the Dominican Baseball Guy's prestigious All-Dominican team.  This is a yearly all-star team of the best Dominican players in the MLB for each season.  It is based on numbers, the year each player had, but also on who the Dominican Baseball Guy thinks is the best Dominican Player at each position.  So here is the 2010 MLB All-Dominican Team, as chosen by the Dominican Baseball Guy.

1B Albert Pujols: He did what he always does: .312, 42 HR, 118 RBI.  There is a reason they call this guy "la maquina" or "the machine."  He has hit .300 with 30+ HR and 100+ RBI in every year of his 10 year career.  Pujols has already won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger for 2010.  Pujols won the August Dominican Baseball Guy Player of the month and the NL Player of the Month Award.  He is from Santo Domingo, DR.


2B Robinson Cano: This was another easy choice for the Dominican Baseball Guy.  Like Pujols, Cano won both the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger for 2B in the AL.  So, since he is the best fielder and hitter at his position, he obviously gets a spot on the All-Dominican Team for 2010.  He made the Sporting News post season All-Star team at 2B too.  Cano won the AL Player of the Month for April.  Cano is from San Pedro de Macoris, DR.





SS Hanley Ramirez: Hanley had a self-admited down year, but he still hit .300 with 21 home runs and 76 RBI.  The Dominican Baseball guy is no sure how this guy does not have 100 RBI every year.  He won the Home Run Derby, after which the Dominican Baseball Guy tabbed him as the "sweetest swing in the game."  He has already won the Sporting News NL SS of the year award.  Hanley is from Samana, DR.






3B Adrian Beltre: Adrian won the AL Silver Slugger award for third base.  He has been in the big leagues for 13 years and had perhaps his best year at the plate this year with the Red Sox (.321, 28HR, 102 RBI).  He was the Dominican Baseball Guy June 2010 Player of the Month.  Beltre is from Santo Domingo, DR.

OF Jose Bautista:  Bautista led the MLB with 54 HR and was third in RBI with 124.  He won an AL Silver Slugger and the Hank Aaron award for the top hitter in the AL.  He won the Dominican Baseball Guy Dominican Player of the Month, and the AL Player of the Month for July and August.  Another obvious choice for the All-Dominican Team.  He is from Santo Domingo, DR.

OF Nelson Cruz: So, Nelson only had 22 HR and 78 RBI this year, but he only played in 108 games.  The Dominican Baseball Guy thinks he showed his true form in the playoffs, setting an all-time record for extra-base hits in the playoffs.  If he can stay healthy he will be an All-Star for many years to come.  Cruz is from Monte Cristi, DR.


OF Vladimir Guerrero: OK, Vlad only played a handful of games in the outfield this season.  But the Dominican Baseball Guy did not see any other Dominicans that warranted receiving this prestigious award for this season.  Vlad had an incredible year too (29 HR, 115 RBI, .300).  He is a lifetime .320 hitter, which is 5th on the active list and 54th all-time.  This from a guy that is seen as a power hitter.  One of the Dominican Baseball Guy's favorite players ever, he is from Nizao, DR.

Starting Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez: Ubaldo got off to a great start and won the NL Pitcher of the Month for April and May.  He was 15-1 at the All-Star break.  He slowed down later in the season, but still finished 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 220 innings.  According to this article he is still in a 4 way race for NL Cy Young.

Relief Pitchers Rafael Soriano and Carlos Marmol: Soriano was 3rd in the MLB in saves with 45.  He won the Delivery Man of the Month Award three times this year and The Dominican Baseball Guy Pitcher of the Month award once.  Marmol won the Delivery Man of the Month award once, was 7th in the MLB in saves, and set an MLB record with 15.99 Ks per 9 innings.  Rafael is from San Jose, DR and Carlos is from Bonao, DR.

Rookie Neftali Feliz: Neftali tied for fifth in MLB in saves and set a rookie record with 40 saves.  He won the AL Rookie of the Year award already, so he is surely the top Dominican rookie this season.  Neftali is from Azua, DR.

Notice there are no catchers on the All-Dominican team.  The Dominican Baseball Guy has noticed a strange trend: there are very few Dominican catchers at any level.  The Dominican Baseball Guy does not know of any Dominican catchers in the big leagues, and even in the Dominican Winter Baseball League, a lot for the catchers are imports.  Other than this lack of a catcher, this All-Dominican team has an All-Star or someone that could play for any big league team at every position.  It would be a pretty successful club if they were to all play together.  Not sure how they keep managing to do so bad in the World Baseball Classic.

Dominican MLB 2010 Players of the Month

The Dominican Baseball Guy awarded monthly winners for the top Dominican player and pitcher in the MLB throughout the 2010 season.  These are based solely on the Dominican Baseball Guy's opinion as to which Dominican players had the best month.  Here are the winners throughout the season:

May: Ubaldo Jimenez and Vladimir Guerrero
June: Neftali Feliz and Adrian Beltre
July: Rafael Soriano and Jose Bautista
August: Wandy Rodriguez and Albert Pujols/Jose Bautista
September: Carlos Marmol and Pedro Alvarez

A number of Dominicans also won the official player of the month award for the NL and AL during the 2010 MLB season.  Here is the list of Dominicans that won these awards:

NL Pitcher of the Month (April and May): Ubaldo Jimenez
NL Player of the Month (August): Albert Pujols
NL Rookie of the Month (September): Pedro Alvarez
AL Pitcher of the Month (April): Francisco Liriano
AL Player of the Month (April): Robinson Cano
AL Player of the Month (May): David Ortiz
AL Player of the Month (July and August): Jose Bautista
AL Rookie of the Month (September): Neftali Feliz

Pretty incredible that Dominicans won 10 of the 37 player of the month awards on the year.  This from a country of 10 million people.

Look for the Dominican Baseball Guy's prestigious 2010 All-Dominican team to come out soon.

Dominican MLB September 2010 Players of the Month

The Dominican Player of the Month for September could easily go to one of the co-players of the month for August, Albert Pujols or Jose Bautista.  Both had huge months yet again, and Bautista received voted for the AL Player of the Month (see the MLB press release).  So consider them runners up for the Dominican Baseball Guy Dominican Player of the Month for September 2010.

But the Dominican Baseball is going with an little known Dominican for the Dominican Player of the Month for September.  And the award goes to Pedro Alvarez, of the Pittsburg Pirates.  The Dominican Baseball Guy knows, few of you have heard of him...and he plays for the Pirates.  But he had a huge September.  Over the last 30 days of the regular season he had 5 HRs, 24 RBIs, and hit .320.  And he is a rookie, and may still have his rookie eligibility for next year, though the Dominican Baseball Guy is not sure on this.  He did play in 95 games this year, and made it to the big leagues after just two plus years in the minors.  He actually went to Vanderbilt, which is not the most common route to the big leagues for Dominican Prospects.  He did not have the best year in the 95 games he did play, but was hot in September and maybe he has a more consistent year next year.  Pedro is from Santo Domingo, DR.

The Dominican Pitcher of the Month for September 2010 was an easier choice.  Carlos Marmol of the Cubs won the MLB Delivery Man of the Month award (see MLB press release), and he is the Dominican Baseball Guy's Dominican Pitcher of the Month for September 2010.  In September he was 13 for 13 in saves and did not allow a single run.  He finished the season with an MLB record 16K/9 innings.  Carlos is from Bonao, DR and has been in the big leagues for 5 seasons, but just became the everyday closer for the Cubs this year.  He has an interesting side arm style on some pitches that you can kind of see in this picture: