Major League Baseball extreme fatigue list includes 66 Dominicans

The Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM) nowadays features mainly AA and AAA players, with a few major leaguers thrown in. There was a time when the LIDOM was mainly big leaguers, with a few minor leaguers thrown in. The time was that big leaguers returned to their Dominican homeland to play for their beloved hometown teams. That time has passed.

Miguel Tejada was perhaps of the hometown boys to play in the prime of his career with his Dominican Winter League team. Today, the big league clubs tell their players if they can play in the winter leagues and how many games. They may force an American player to go down and play twenty games, even though he wants to enjoy his off-season (see Mark Trumbo). Or they may tell a native of Santiago, Dominican Republic that he can not play with his hometown team because he has pitched too many innings.

Not more than a few years ago, MLB implemented an 'extreme fatigue list' to standardize player's ability to play in the Caribbean winter leagues. A player makes the fatigue list when they reach 160 innings for major league pitchers, 600 innings behind home plate for catchers, and 502 turns-at-bat for infielders and outfielders. These are negotiated for each position and also depend on whether playing time is accrued at the major or minor league levels, but these are rough numbers.

This year, the 'extreme fatigue list' includes a record 66 Dominican baseball players. The list includes Ivan Nova, Fernando Martinez, Wilson Valdez, Jimmy Paredes, Emilio Bonifacio, Erick Aybar, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Esmil Rogers.

The fact is many of these players, especially the established big leaguers, would not be playing in the Dominican Winter Baseball League even if they were not on the 'extreme fatigue list.' These players are making too much money to risk injury for virtually no pay, in comparison to their big league salaries. But other fringe major leaguers or high level minor leaguers that need the extra pay check from a Dominican Winter Baseball League team would welcome the extra work and money.

With the 'extreme fatigue list' they are not given this option. If they are on this list, then the Major League club can hold them out of the Dominican Winter Baseball League. And in many cases, the clubs choose to use this option. It is not a good thing for the LIDOM because they lose players and have to draw from even lower levels of professional ball.

Dominican pitcher Ivan Nova is on the 'extreme fatigue list,'
photo by Keith Allison on Flickr

Astros have program to teach Latin players English, Astros tiene programa del ingles por peloteros Latinos

Like a number of MLB teams, the Astros have a program in place to help Latin players learn English and adjust to life in a new country.  Doris Gonzalez is the Astros coordinator of player acculturation and language development.  She works with Latin baseball players, but also Asian players.

The Astros are probably doing a better job than most teams at player acculturation and language development. Well, first they have someone tasked at directing this part of the organization.  Like most teams, they are offering language lessons at spring training.  But the Astros take it further, and give their minor league players these development opportunities throughout the season at every level.

New Astros general manger Jeff Luhnow was born in Mexico and is bilingual, so he has made this a major point of emphasis in the new look Astros plan.  He got the team together at spring training and had some veteran players talk about the importance of learning English and the culture of the United States.  Panamanian Carlos Lee talked about business opportunities that may not be available for players that do not speak English.  Cuban Livan Hernandez also spoke.

The Astros have some young Dominicans that will benefit from these cultural development programs.  Jimmy Paredes (Haina, Dominican Republic) and Fernando Abad (La Romana, DR) are two of the young Dominicans projected to be major contributors for the Astros this year.

New York Yankees Dominican prospect has 30 game hit streak, pelotero Dominicano de las minores de los Yankees tiene hit en 30 juegos

Yankees Dominican prospect Abe Almonte recently bested the minor league longest hitting streak of the season when he hit safely in his 28th strait game.  He recently extended that streak to 30 games.  Almonte plays in advanced A for the Yankees, so it will probably be another few years before we see him in the majors...OR the Yankees trade him for an aging veteran to help them win a pennant.

The Yankees have always drafted well and signed lots of good Dominican prospects and Latin free agents.  The reason so few of the big league Yankees are home grown talent is that they often trade away their young talent in the quest to win now.

Just last year they sent Jimmy Paredes to Houston in the deal for Lance Berkman (see the story here).  Well, Berkman played about 40 games for the Yankees last year, and now Paredes is already starring for the big league club with the Astros.  This scene has played itself many times over.

But, somehow the Yankees manage to keep winning with this formula.  In some cases they hold on to young Dominican talent, such as with Gary Sanchez, who by all accounts should be a starring everyday catcher soon.  The question is, will they have the patience to let him and others Dominicans like Abe Almonte develop?

The Dominican Baseball Guy will be following Almonte and all these Dominican prospects.  Almonte is from Santo Domingo, Paredes is from Haina, and Sanchez is from Santo Domingo.

Corpus Christi Hooks game photos and Dominican baseball players

The Dominican Baseball Guy got the fist chance of the year to catch his hometown Corpus Christi Hooks in action.  Whataburger field in Corpus Christi is one of the best settings in minor league baseball.  This year, the Hooks feature Jimmy Paredes, one of the top prospects in minor league baseball.  They got him in the trade for Berkman to the Yankees last season, and re-signed him this off-season.

Paredes was the only Dominican baseball player on the Hooks to see action in this game.  He went 1-4 and made a few good plays at second base.  The Dominican Baseball Guy got a few good pics of him in action (#24 below).  Paredes is from Haina, Republica Dominicana.

The Hooks took on the Tulsa Drillers.  The Drillers had two peloteros Dominicanos play in the game.  Hector Gomez (San Pedro de Macoris, Republica Dominicana) went 2-6 and scored 2 runs.  Wilin Rosario (Bonao, Republica Dominicana) was 2-5 while playing catcher.

The Drillers won the game 9-6, and there was some good action with the Drillers putting up five runs in the seventh inning.  Since it was Friday, the Hooks had post game fireworks, and a free concert on the outfield starring...wait for it...Neal McCoy.  Yea, he is a country singer whose last hit was in the 90's the Dominican Baseball Guy thinks.

Here are the photos of the Corpus Christi Hooks v. Tulsa Drillers:

Houston Astros sign several Dominican players, add to Dominicans on roster

The Houston Astros have added some key arms to their roster this offseason.  First, they resigned Wandy Rodriguez (see the AP article).  The Dominican Baseball Guy thinks Wandy is an ace or at least a number two starter.  He won the Dominican Baseball Guy player of the month for August 2010.  Wandy is from Santiago, DR.

Next, they signed Enerio del Rosario.  He debuted for the Reds last year and should see time in the Astros bullpen this season, after he had a strong winter season in the Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM).  They also resigned Jimmy Paredes, who is on the 40 man roster, but will most likely start next year in the minors.  Parades came to the Astros in the Lance Berkman deal.  Enerio is from Santa Lucia, DR and Paredes is from Haina, DR.  Brian Mctaggart reported these deals here.

Most recently the Astros resigned Alberto Arias (see the details from Sports Blog Nation Houston).  Arias missed all of 2010 with an injury, but should see time in the Astros bullpen if he continues to recover from the rotator cuff injury.  Alberto is from the capital of the DR, Santo Domingo.

These signings are in addition the following Dominican players on the Astros 40 man roster: Fernando Abad (La Romana, DR), Henry Villar (Bonao), Jorge DeLeon (La Cega Azua), and Aneury Rodriguez (Higuey).  There are also several non-roster Dominican invitees to spring training.