Boca Chica is getting a US$7 million Seattle Mariners baseball complex. Facilities and equipment to host two full teams and their developmental staff will be included in the new Latin American Academy. It will also feature residential area where the prospects can live, work out and go to school. There will be dorms for up to 80 prospects. The center is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013.
“This is an investment in the Mariners’ future,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said in the team’s announcement. “Having state-of-the-art facilities in the Dominican Republic will help not only with the training of our top Dominican prospects, but with development and recruitment of talent from across Latin America.”
At present the team a Latin American developmental complex in the Dominican Republic with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the M’s also have a developmental operation at a rented facility in Venezuela. Most Major League teams have built training centers in the DR.
Recent Mariners who came out of the Dominican Republic include Michael Pineda, Carlos Triunfel, Hector Noesi and Carlos Peguero. Venezuela has produced such players as Felix Hernandez, Franklin Gutierrez, Jose Lopez and Jesus Montero.