2004News

Nearly half of minor leaguers

There are 1,442 Dominican baseball players in the Minor Leagues, including the Dominican Summer League, says a report just released by Major League Baseball. The numbers show that of the 2,914 professional baseball players in the National Association, Dominicans account for over 49%. These are the Dominicans not born in the United States, and the list does not include those Dominicans born in the US. The report also states that of the 830 players on the Major League rosters there are 79 Dominican players, but the report does not include players like Alex Rodriguez, Moises Alou or Ronnie Belliard that were born in the United States. Two of the highest salaried players in the Major Leagues are Dominican compatriots Manny Ramirez (at US$22.5 million per year) and Alex Rodriguez (at US$22 million per year). Last year, Major League Baseball invested US$76 million in the baseball camps in the DR.