In a nation where the unemployment rate has been set at a generous 18%, the Dominican Republic’s Summer Baseball League plays an important part in contributing to the economic, social and educational development of many Dominicans. Readers would be wrong if they thought that the Summer League is just a bunch of games between the 35 teams that vie for the title. In fact, the Summer League generates more than 3,000 jobs during its five month duration ever year.
For twenty years, the league, headed by Freddy Jana, has produced positive results. Even more impressive is the US$ 35 to US$40 million dollars the League generates each year. As a laboratory for the Major League Baseball teams, the Summer League provided education, health benefits, a salary in dollars that varies between US$500 and US$700, and counselling, so that if a prospect should make it to the United States he knows what he will be facing.
Talking about the economy surrounding the league, Jana pointed out to the Listin Diario reporters that each of the 35 teams has a roster of 35 players, for a total of 1,050 players. On top of their small stipend, the players receive room and board, continual health check ups, education, English language classes and orientation into the US society. Besides the players, there are scouts, as many as five or six for every team; instructors for batting, pitching, physical preparation, playing the infield, running the bases; personnel to prepare the fields of play, office personnel, English teachers, doctors, dentists, psychologists, cooks, laundry personnel, drivers and messengers.
The official tournament needs to employ 50 umpires, and three are assigned to each game. And the games are attended by front office officials that stay in the local hotels, spending dollars. Among the collateral beneficiaries of the tournament are the street vendors that sell everything from fruits to nuts during the games.
Of course the major product of the League is to provide players of big league caliber. And it has done so with people like Adrian Beltre, Johan Santana, Vladimir Guerrero, Jose Offerman among others.
Jana is very proud to point out the fact that there are currently 300 players in the different baseball organizations that were a part of the Summer League. In fact, the Dominican Republic is just waiting the debut of Robinson Tejeda to reach the 400 plateau of Dominican major leaguers since the debut of Ozzie Virgil with the Detroit Tigers in 1956.