Info about Nizao Bani?

Maysonet

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Aug 2, 2004
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I've recently read about several major league baseball players from Nizao Bani and I was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the town. The players are Deivi Cruz (SF Giants), Vladimir Guerrero (Anaheim), and Wilton Guerrero (Kansas City). What is the town like? Where is it relative to the capital? Are these players involved in their community?
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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You forgot Miguel Tejada (All star games home run champion this year) and MVP a couple of years ago. I have a very good friend who's from that town (he's actually a cousin of Deivi Cruz), but I've never spent mucht time there. I've just driven by it on my way to Azua. It's a small town about an hour drive southwest of Santo Domingo (The capital). From time to time you have towns from The DR who have a lot of players in the majors all doing well at once (i.e. San Pedro de Macoris). My understanding is that Miguel Tejada and I think Vladimir are pretty involved in the community. Don'd know much about if the others do anything for their town.
 

Talldrink

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Jan 7, 2004
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Bani is on the south of the island about one hour or hour and a half away from the Capital. It is a beautiful picturesque town that is passed on the way to Azua from the capital sometime after San Cristobal.

Dont know what those guys are doing for their hometown, but there was a thread about what players are doing for their towns sometime ago. I think the general answer was pushing the economy of their local area by purchasing houses, cars, and Presidentes...
 

Cleef

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Feb 24, 2002
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What does "Nizao" mean

Is it a neighborhood or something like that? Is it right near Bani?

I've been to Bani, but don't recall seeing anything about Nizao. I must have been tipping my Presidente when I raced by the sign.
 

Maysonet

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Aug 2, 2004
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DR baseball players

I'm a baseball fan and am fascinated by how gifted the Dominican players are, and how they play the game with such joy and commitment.

On a visit to the DR in March, I asked about how the baseball players are viewed on the island, and was surprised at the vehemence with which people responded. Mostly, they seemed bothered that "in the United States people think we're all baseball players", which is not true, of course. The people I talked to, mostly in business and the arts, seemed to want to distance themselves from the baseball players for fear of being identified with them.

My own experience in meeting the athletes has been that they're great people, thrilled to be making a living in something they do well, and to a man, proud to be representing their country. They view their success as the nation's success, not just an individual accomplishment.
 

Cleef

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Feb 24, 2002
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Nizao?

Can someone tell me exactly what Nizao refers to, translate to?

IMHO I'm not sure "commitment" would be a word I'd use to describe most of the baseball players. "Joy" perhaps, it is a game.

But also understand their skills are often times so superior to American players, for instance, because they play just about every day, year round from a very early age. In addition, it's a window of escape from poverty, a chance at a life they see on "Pimp my ride" and so on. They are hungry, figuratively and almost certainly literally.

Almost without exception, all the players come from very low income circumstances so their hunger to succeed and "win" money is an underlying theme to their success. Even so, there are so many more that once they achieve the instant fame of being signed and securing a contract (read - money) they become satisfied with just that, and eventually their new found notoriety is a downfall. They become "the man" and are satisfied with that fleeting success. Again, not all, but the vast majority, that we never hear about.

Hence, you have the numerous baseball academies dotting the island where they are put through laborious paces to hone their skills and to allow the teams to get a better handle on what it is they have, obviously in raw skill, but also in character.

Just my opinion, but there certainly is some fact to to the notion that the Dominican is the land of baseball players, and not much else. What else has the DR put into the mainstream of the world beyond baseball talent? Not much really. That shouldn't be construed as an insult or a bad thing, but we're talking about the WORLD, not the nooks and crannies.

The ballplayers are, for the most part, extremely proud of their country, as they should be. For a young kid come from such humble beginnings to become a huge success in the states in a premier game is an incredible story, an amazing accomplishment. It's an awesome country in many aspects, what's not to be proud of, well some things, but that's not my point.

I for one wouldn't know too much about the DR if it wasn't for baseball. It's what brought me to the island and it will always be a part of me.

As for the people distancing themselves from ballplayers, that's very understandable. Social classes have been doing that all over the world in a variety of ways. Again, they are all looked at as poor barrio people and with the inherent racism (both skin color and class structure) running rampant on the island, it's no surprise that the people you questioned offered nothing but contempt for them.

It's the nature of the beast just about everywhere you go.
 

zaratustra

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Apr 6, 2004
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Nizao

Maysonet said:
I've recently read about several major league baseball players from Nizao Bani and I was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the town. The players are Deivi Cruz (SF Giants), Vladimir Guerrero (Anaheim), and Wilton Guerrero (Kansas City). What is the town like? Where is it relative to the capital? Are these players involved in their community?

Nizao and Bani are the two Districts of Peravia Province. Nizao is smaller than Bani (the capital). It is located 55/60 kilometers from Santo Domingo (40 Min. driving). I think Nizao is an indian word that means land between waters.

I heard these guys help young prospectors to become professionals. The brothers Wilton and Vladimir are from "Don Gregorio", a very little comunity of Nizao. I visit Nizao every two/three month.

Zaratustra
 

modesto

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May 18, 2004
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i'm from the same town of these baseball player. they have done nothing for their perspective community. instaed other people with less money are creating businesses and building jobs for many people. these baseball player are not cheared at there home town as they are chered in the united states. during the off season they go to their homes and no one from the community pay attention to them. is a shame here we have a few people well-of to make at least a diference in their community and instaed they look the other way. I just wish they take there money with them when they died.
 

fredlenger

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Nov 16, 2006
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I notice that only references to baseball players are Nizao Bani. These are two different communities. Can anyone who understands Dominican geography please explain?
 

Mirador

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I notice that only references to baseball players are Nizao Bani. These are two different communities. Can anyone who understands Dominican geography please explain?


Nizao is the township (municipal district), and Bani is the province (state). So, the town of Nizao is in the province of Bani, in the country of Dominicana (now that's going to raise some welts ;-)...
 

CarpeDReam

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Feb 17, 2006
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You forgot Miguel Tejada (All star games home run champion this year) and MVP a couple of years ago. I have a very good friend who's from that town (he's actually a cousin of Deivi Cruz), but I've never spent mucht time there. I've just driven by it on my way to Azua. It's a small town about an hour drive southwest of Santo Domingo (The capital). From time to time you have towns from The DR who have a lot of players in the majors all doing well at once (i.e. San Pedro de Macoris). My understanding is that Miguel Tejada and I think Vladimir are pretty involved in the community. Don'd know much about if the others do anything for their town.

My grandfather's from el Nizao (dad's side). My dad happens to be Deivi Cruz's cousin. He's a pretty nice guy and cares about family. Whenever he plays in NY, he sends us tickets.

What's the cousin's name??? Our last name is Mad? (a typical last name of el Nizao).

I haven't been there much; my dad grew up in the capital and was born in his mother's province (Mao) so I can't help as far as if it's even worth a visit.
 

fredlenger

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Nov 16, 2006
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Nizao is the township (municipal district), and Bani is the province (state). So, the town of Nizao is in the province of Bani, in the country of Dominicana (now that's going to raise some welts ;-)...

It appears from the Dominican map that Nizao (and Bani) are both towns in the province of Peravia. Do numerous municipal districts make up a province? What is the name of the subdivision that the town of Nizao is in? Is Bani both the name of a town, and also the larger district (township?) which both Bani and Nizao lie? Thanks for helping to clarify.
 

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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It appears from the Dominican map that Nizao (and Bani) are both towns in the province of Peravia. Do numerous municipal districts make up a province? What is the name of the subdivision that the town of Nizao is in? Is Bani both the name of a town, and also the larger district (township?) which both Bani and Nizao lie? Thanks for helping to clarify.

Thanks for pointing out the discrepancy, but it is common usage to call the province Bani, however, it is officially called Peravia. You are correct, Bani is a town, the municipal district's capital, and also the provincial capital.
 

Nizaero

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Jun 21, 2009
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I notice that only references to baseball players are Nizao Bani. These are two different communities. Can anyone who understands Dominican geography please explain?

Nizao and Bani are the two only counties of the Peravia Province. Bani is the capital city of the Province. The province was created during Trujillo Era as Julia Molina Province and that name was taken down after Trujillo death and changed to Bani Province, until 1982 when the Donimican Congress renamed it as Peravia. Today, the proper name to call Nizao is "Nizao, Peravia", but peaple are used to the old name and coll it "Nizao, Bani".
 

Nizaero

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Jun 21, 2009
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i'm from the same town of these baseball player. they have done nothing for their perspective community. instaed other people with less money are creating businesses and building jobs for many people. these baseball player are not cheared at there home town as they are chered in the united states. during the off season they go to their homes and no one from the community pay attention to them. is a shame here we have a few people well-of to make at least a diference in their community and instaed they look the other way. I just wish they take there money with them when they died.

Modesto,
you need to walk Nizao streets to find out you are dead wrong. In Don Gregorio, 90% of the businesses (Butcher's shops, caffeterias, farms, Hardware stores, concrete blocks factories) are owned by Guerrero Brothers, Julio Valdez has a player development camp in Santana, Deivi Cruz has some plantations that employs several people. So Juan Uribe in Don Gregorio. Guerrero Brothers are financing home building, so people who want to get their own home go to them and they give them all the materials needed without giving a single penny down. Also, Eleazar Guerrero is running for mayor Nizao, and according to the last poll, he'd win with 70% of the votes.
 

GringoCArlos

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Jan 9, 2002
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Sorry Modesto, but I have a hard time understanding exactly what they "owe" their pueblo, or anyone else? Did someone in the community give up their life spending their days teaching them how to play baseball?

My biggest bug about many dominicanos is their attitude that anyone successful somehow OWES anyone who happens to live around them - "Dame algo". Instead of looking at the ends of their own arms, and using their OWN mind to work their way into whatever situation that makes them happy, instead of hanging around a colmado scheming to get something undeserved from someone who made it and now is enjoying it.

Hmmpphhhh.... sinverg?enzas.....