Friday, 22 October is the opening date for the Dominican Winter Professional Baseball Championship. The championship runs through February, when the best Dominican team is chosen to represent the DR in the Caribbean Series.
While a selection of Dominican MLB stars will usually not see action until the playoffs, MLB players value the DR as a training ground to prepare for the MLB. As a result, it provides a good chance to see the next great stars.
Check out the websites of the six Dominican contenders for the 2010-2011 pennant for details on the rosters and the game schedules. The Leones won last year’s title.
Leones del Escogido. Manager: Ken Oberkfell. www.escogido.com
Gigantes del Cibao: Manager: Pablo Peguero. www.gigantesdelcibao.com
Tigres del Licey: Manager: Dave Clark. www.licey.com
Toros del Este: Manager: Dean Treanor. www.lostorosdeleste.com
Aguilas Cibaenas. Manager: Tony Pena. www.aguilas.com.do
Estrellas: Manager: Manager: Brian Harper. www.estrellasorientales.com.do
For more on upcoming and ongoing events see http://www.dr1.com/calendar