NL Wildcard Game Features Two Dominican Pitchers

The last week of the regular season got the Dominican Baseball Guy excited for baseball again. As, a Rangers fan we have had some tough years in the playoffs, and this year was no different. After making it to a wildcard play-in game they lost to the Devil Rays. I am not a fan of one wildcard team, so I think two is rather ridiculous.

Play 162 games to let a wildcard team sneak in and get hot, beat a team like the Mariners in their record wins year of 2001 have to play a wildcard team? But as a fan of a team that just sneaked into the wildcard play-in game, I must say I loved it. It was an exciting week no whether your team was playing or not.

And then as a fan of Dominican baseball I get this treat last night. Two Dominican starting pitches: Francisco Liriano versus Johnny Cueto. Johnny Cueto told MLB.com what the game means to him and his country:

I want to tell my people in the Dominican Republic to follow this game. "There are two Dominicans on the mound. I want to give advice to all the youth in the Dominican that you have to work hard and to continue working hard to do things like this.

Francisco Lirano dominated, and the Pirates won easily. His up and down play has been well followed here at the Dominican Baseball Guy. A true natural in my opionion. A near Cy Young and Rookie of the Year sweep in 2006 before getting hurt in August. He never really recovered from Tommy John surgery...until 2010 really. An entire missed season (2007) and two bad years.

Then in 2010 he returned to the Dominican Republic to play Winter Ball. He had an insane winter season, leading Escogido to the championship and then pitched well in the Caribbean World Series. It was cool having a guy of his magnitude playing daily in the Dominican Winter League that year. But he was still erratic.

After another Cy Young-worthy year in 2010 he had a down year in 2011 and 2012, and then signed with Pittsburgh for this year. And everything seemed to click -16-8 and a 3.02 ERA. And last night in the NL Wildcard game was one of the good nights. His slider was as good as it has ever been, with Reds batters swinging at it in the grass two feet from home. Vintage Liriano, allowing one run in seven innings.

The Reds scored another run in the 8th, but they were never really in it. Andrew McCutchon was doing his thing running all over the bases. He had two hits and two walks. It seemed like he was on the bases all night. Marlon Byrd had two RBI and Russel Martin had two homers. The game was over by the 4th inning the way Liriano was pitching.

The other Dominican pitcher did not fair too well. Johnny Cueto was said to have been rattled by the raucous Pittsburgh crowd. To which manager Dusty Baker said at the post-game presser: "he did not get rattled he just couldn't hit his pitches. He played in the Dominican Winter League and all that, and if you have been down there you know how intense those games are."

Interesting side note. I love that quote. Baker insulting the reporter by implying that he has never been to a Dominican Winter League game at the same time as brushing off his questions as ridiculous.

In the end it was all Liriano. "We had the expectancy to win," Andrew McCutchen said to the AP. "When he showed up with his suit on, that got me hyped up."

Dominican pitcher Francisco Liriano with Twins, photo by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar on Flickr

Dominican baseball player Johnny Cueto to open season for Reds, Dominicano lanza por Rojos hoy

As the Dominican Baseball Guy writes Dominican pitcher Johnny Cueto has opened the season for the Reds, as their ace.  Thus far, he has a 0.00 ERA...through 3 innings...

Cueto had a 2.34 ERA in 150 plus inning last year, and has improved every year he has been in the big leagues.  He thinks he is ready to be the ace.  The Dominican Baseball Guy agrees.

According to Marc Sheldon and MLB.com:

Cueto, a native of the Dominican Republic, did not speak English publicly and was initially uneasy with the adjustment to life at the top level of the game. He missed home cooking, among other things, and gravitated to fellow Dominicans on the team like Volquez, who became his best friend.

These are exactly the kind of issues that MLB team cultural education programs are trying to address, as with the Brewers cultural development program for Latin and Dominican players.  Johnny Cueto is not alone among Dominican baseball players in "missing home cooking."  As the Dominican Baseball Guy just blogged, lack Dominican food is one of the big adjustments that Dominican players have to make  as big leaguers.

Only a few teams have cultural development programs where players learn things like English, and how to adjust to culture shock of new food.  The Dominican Baseball Guy would venture to guess that the Reds did not have one at this time (please correct me if I am mistaken).  So, like other Dominican baseball players, Cueto learned the ropes of the big leagues, and the "American Culture," from fellow Dominican Edinson Volquez who had already been through the same process.

Dominican beisbol player Johnny Cueto is from the famed San Pedro de Macoris, Republica Dominicana.

Dominican baseball player Johnny Cueto will open the season as the Reds' ace,
photo by Wknight94

Edinson Volquez to start opening day for Reds

Dusty Baker recently announced that Edinson Volquez will be the ace of the Reds staff and start opening day.  Volquez missed most of 2008 and 2009 with Tommy John surgery, but he showed ace form in 2007 in which he was third in the National League with 17 wins.  The Reds acquired him from Texas before the 2007 season in a trade that sent Josh Hamilton to Texas.

The Reds avoided arbitration with Volquez and signed him to a one year $1.625 million contract in January.  Volquez has had some problems attaining a work visa, which can be a hassle for foreign players, but usually gets taken care of in the end.  He can not pitch in front of paying customers until he attains the proper visa.

The Reds still have him slated to start March 31 against the Brewers.  Volquez will team with fellow Dominican Johnny Cueto in the Reds rotation.  Cueto is from San Pedro de Macoris and Volquez is from Barahona, DR.

Volquez pitches for the Reds, by Wknight94