The presidents of the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, Dave St Peter and Andy MacPhail, were in Santo Domingo yesterday for the formal opening of the Baseball City academy. The new training facilities are located at Km 25 of the Las Americas highway, on the way to the Las Americas airport. The center was formerly operated by the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Major League Baseball teams run some 30 baseball academies to facilitate the full-time recruitment and development of talented players. MLB teams invest an estimated US$76 million a year on scouting trips, payments to players and training. An estimated 5% of those who train at the academies will make it to the Minor Leagues, while others find employment with European and Asian teams.