The 3 Most Influential Baseball Players From the Dominican Republic of All Time
The Dominican Republic has produced an ample supply of major league baseball players over the last 50 years.
Whether it's the weather, which is conducive to playing baseball year around or the squallier of poverty some of these players came from, the motivation and results are apparent.
There is no indication the supply of fresh talent will shrink.
I'd like to take the opportunity to briefly talk about three, of what I consider, the greatest baseball players to come out of the Dominican Republic to date.
That's not to shirk the many other players who originated in the D.
R.
and went on to become famous baseball players, just my personal favorites.
The late great Roberto Clemente must be the flag bearer of all D.
R.
baseball players past, current and future.
Born August-18-1934 in poverty Roberto was noticed by the Pittsburgh Pirate organization and signed to a professional baseball contract in 1955.
Clemente was a superb athlete known for his bat as well as his glove, but what really stood out was his amazingly strong and accurate throwing arm, which allowed him to gun down runners at any base from his right field position.
In his career Clemente won 12 Gold Gloves, played in 12 All-Star games and in 1966 was voted most valuable player in the National League.
On December 31, 1972 Roberto was on a mission of mercy, delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua when the plane in which he was riding crashed.
His body was never recovered.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, the only player to ever have the mandatory 5 year waiting period after retirement waved.
Julian Javier, born August 9, 1936 is my second favorite player to come out of the Dominion Republic.
Javier, ironically was also scouted and signed to a professional baseball contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the same team which signed Clemente.
Javier only played 1 season with Pittsburgh when he was traded to the St.
Louis Cardinals, where he proved to be a super star second baseman.
He picked up the nick names of "Hoolie" and the "Ghost" because of his long fielding range, quick hands and uncanny ability to avoid base runner sliding into second base attempting to collide with him.
He became part of baseball history when he, Bill White (1st), Dick Groat (ss) and Ken Boyer (3rd) became this first all one team starting infield line up in an All-star game.
Juan Marichal, born 10-20-1937 rounds out my top three players.
Signed by the San Francisco Giants, who he played all but the last two years of his career with, as a high kicking right handed pitcher.
It was this signature high leg kick, which was almost totally vertical when winding up, which made him so recognizable and because he his the ball with the kick, a successful winning pitcher.
Perhaps his most unattainable achievement came in 1963 when he and Baseball pitching great Warren Spahn dueled in a game which the Giants won 1-0 on a Willie Mays home run in the 16th inning.
Both Marichal and Spahn pitched the entire 16 innings, a feat which will never be duplicated.
Juan was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.
Whether it's the weather, which is conducive to playing baseball year around or the squallier of poverty some of these players came from, the motivation and results are apparent.
There is no indication the supply of fresh talent will shrink.
I'd like to take the opportunity to briefly talk about three, of what I consider, the greatest baseball players to come out of the Dominican Republic to date.
That's not to shirk the many other players who originated in the D.
R.
and went on to become famous baseball players, just my personal favorites.
The late great Roberto Clemente must be the flag bearer of all D.
R.
baseball players past, current and future.
Born August-18-1934 in poverty Roberto was noticed by the Pittsburgh Pirate organization and signed to a professional baseball contract in 1955.
Clemente was a superb athlete known for his bat as well as his glove, but what really stood out was his amazingly strong and accurate throwing arm, which allowed him to gun down runners at any base from his right field position.
In his career Clemente won 12 Gold Gloves, played in 12 All-Star games and in 1966 was voted most valuable player in the National League.
On December 31, 1972 Roberto was on a mission of mercy, delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua when the plane in which he was riding crashed.
His body was never recovered.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, the only player to ever have the mandatory 5 year waiting period after retirement waved.
Julian Javier, born August 9, 1936 is my second favorite player to come out of the Dominion Republic.
Javier, ironically was also scouted and signed to a professional baseball contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the same team which signed Clemente.
Javier only played 1 season with Pittsburgh when he was traded to the St.
Louis Cardinals, where he proved to be a super star second baseman.
He picked up the nick names of "Hoolie" and the "Ghost" because of his long fielding range, quick hands and uncanny ability to avoid base runner sliding into second base attempting to collide with him.
He became part of baseball history when he, Bill White (1st), Dick Groat (ss) and Ken Boyer (3rd) became this first all one team starting infield line up in an All-star game.
Juan Marichal, born 10-20-1937 rounds out my top three players.
Signed by the San Francisco Giants, who he played all but the last two years of his career with, as a high kicking right handed pitcher.
It was this signature high leg kick, which was almost totally vertical when winding up, which made him so recognizable and because he his the ball with the kick, a successful winning pitcher.
Perhaps his most unattainable achievement came in 1963 when he and Baseball pitching great Warren Spahn dueled in a game which the Giants won 1-0 on a Willie Mays home run in the 16th inning.
Both Marichal and Spahn pitched the entire 16 innings, a feat which will never be duplicated.
Juan was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.
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