Dominican beisbol player Engel Beltre plays for Spain in WBC

In a scene only seen in those strange citizenship rules of international sports, Dominican beisbol player Engel Beltre is playing in World Baseball Classic qualifiers for Spain. Even though Beltre is from the Dominican Republic, and grew up in his home country and in the United States, at least one of his grand parents was from Spain, so he can represent them in the WBC. For that matter, virtually the entire Spain team is from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, or the United States.

Beltre is one of the seemingly unending pipeline of Rangers prospects. The team protected him from free agency by placing him on their 40-man roster, but he is not with the team. He had a great year in double-A for the Rangers, and won the Texas League player of the month award for July.

It is hard to get on the field with the big league club though. Beltre is a center fielder with a plus arm and fielding ability, and hits for power and average and has plus speed. Despite this, he has a pretty good player in center ahead of him in Josh Hamilton.

In any case, Dominican beisbol player Engel Beltre should see a big league field in the next year or two, whether with the Rangers or another team.

Dominican beisbol player Engel Beltre will play for Spain in the World Baseball Classic,
photo by mikelachance816 on Flickr

Dominican baseball player Adrian Beltre three home runs in one game

Thursday night the Dominican Baseball Guy was live tweeting when Adrian Beltre of the Rangers had three home runs and five RBI through four innings against the Orioles. He was off to a record setting night, but alas that is all he got from the plate and he ended the night with just the three hits. The Rangers won the game 12-3.

RBIs have always been one of those curious stats. They have always been important, but they really depend on what the guys in front of you are doing. So, with three home runs, the Dominican baseball player Beltre had just five RBI.

Beltre is on pace for possibly his second 30 HR, 100 RBI, .300 average season of his career. He is a three time all-star. For a 15 year veteran he is not that old at 33. He was the youngest player in the big leagues when he came up at 19 years old in 1998.

But on this night, his three home runs were not even the most on his team this season. Josh Hamilton hit four home runs in one game against the Orioles back on May 8th.

Dominican baseball player Adrian Beltre is from Santo Domingo.

Dominican baseball player Adrian Beltre three home runs in one game, photo by Keith Allison on Flickr

Alexi Ogando fifth Ranger named to all-star team

Alexi Ogando has had a strong year as a starter and has been named as a replacement for CC Sabathia in this season's mid-summer classic.  Ogando joins other Rangers Josh Hamilton, CJ Wilson, Michael Young, and fellow Dominican Adrian Beltre on the American League all-star team.

In his first year as a starter, Ogando is 9-3 with a 2.92 ERA in 17 starts and will be making his first All-Star appearance.  This follows his first year in the big leagues in which he had a 1.30 ERA in 41 innings of releif.  Ogando was featured as the Dominican Baseball Guy player of the week for week two.

Ogando is from San Pedro de Macoris, DR.  Beltre is from Santo Domingo, DR.

Alexi Ogando, by Red3Biggs