Raul Mondesi told the Listin Diario that the condensation of the Dominican national anthem to 30 seconds inspired the team to defeat the Puerto Ricans. For years, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have been rivals in the Caribbean Series. The mistake of cutting the anthem short, however, may have cost the Puerto Ricans the championship. The Mayaguez Indians had won their first five games until their match-up with the Aguilas on Saturday. The reinvigorated Aguilas Cibaeñas team showed their stuff and conquered the Puerto Ricans 11 to 4. Team manager Felix Fermin confirmed to El Caribe newspaper that the abbreviated 30-second anthem spurred the team on to bat four runs in the first inning alone of the Sunday game. The Dominican team did not relinquish its lead, winning the Series in the tie-breaking game on Sunday by a score of 7 to 4. This is the fourth championship for the Aguilas and the 14th for the country, tying with Puerto Rico for most wins. The Aguilas had previously won the series in 1997, 1998 and 2001. The American LeagueÕs Most Valuable Player, Miguel Tejada, who is about to sign a contract for US$150 million, was the star of the series, playing in the championship as if he had been playing in the Major League Baseball World Series. Despite his prominence, the Caribbean Series MVP title went to Escogido LionsÕ David Ortiz, who batted .480 with two home runs and 11 RBIs. The Caribbean Series pennant was the second for Aguilas manager Felix Fermin. In 2001, he was a player for the Aguilas team that won the series in Mexico. For more in English on the series, see
http://mlb.mlb.com/