The triumph of the Aguilas Cibae?as over the Leones de Escogido in the Winter Baseball League kept most of Santiago up till the wee hours of this morning. Despite a light rain and cooler than normal temperatures, the fans set off fireworks, drove through the streets with cans and other pieces of metal attached to their cars, and, of course, plenty of loud music.
This was the seventh title for the Aguilas in the past ten years and their 17th championship over all. Their 8-to-7 victory in the dramatic 11-inning game ended a four-game sweep of Escogido, one of the favorite teams of Santo Domingo. The Aguilas (Eagles) won the regular season, the four-team round robin and now the finals, giving manager Felix Fermin his second title. Overall, the Aguilas have been in 31 of the final series since the inception of the Dominican League in 1951. In last night?s game, the team rosters looked like Major League lineups: Rafael Furcal, David Ortiz, Wilton Veras, Elpidio Guzman, Neifi Perez and Wilton Guerrero for Escogido; and for the Aguilas, the American League MVP Miguel Tejada, Tony Batista, Luis Polonia, Alberto Castillo, Hipolito Pichardo, Raul Mondes?, Bartolo Colon, and Mendy Lopez.
