El Siglo newspaper carries a feature today on how the DR is a factory of baseball players. Twenty-six baseball academies, most sponsored by the leading Major League baseball teams, are located in the DR. Academia Hiroshima Toyo Carp produces ball players for the Japanese baseball league. Today, the Dominican Republic is the leading foreign producer of ball players, with 70 players in the US Major League. Puerto Rico follows with 42. Bienvenido Rojas, sports editor of El Siglo, highlights how the baseball academies are now attracting Dominicans of all social classes that aspire to make the big bucks earned by ball players abroad. The academies have evolved, and today are excellent for preparing outstanding athletes for life in the Major Leagues. Those that do not make it, did not waste their time. They receive a general education that includes English lessons. Some of the big names that have graduated from Dominican ball academies are: Henry Rodríguez, Raúl Mondesí, Pedro Martínez, José Offerman, Deivi Cruz, Ruben Mateo, Miguel Tejada, José Aguillén, Manuel Aybar, Adrián Beltré, Juan Encarnación, Vladimir and Wilton Guerrero, Octavio Dotel, Pascual Matos. Dominicans make up 20% of the Major League ball player payroll.
