Origination of Baseball in the DR
 

Baseball was first introduced to the Caribbean in 1866 on the island of Cuba. Taught to the Cubans by American sailors who were there to load sugar. Eight years later in 1874 the first organized game of baseball was played between Cuban teams. In the years to come it would be Cuba who would spread baseball throughout the Caribbean.
When the ten year war (1868-1878) in Cuba brought turmoil to the country, many Cubans fled their country and migrated to the D.R. bringing with them the game called Baseball or “Beisbol”.  Dominicans were quick to learn the game and soon organized teams and tournaments were being held.


Four teams were formed becoming the oldest and founding teams of baseball for the DR that is still evident today:


Baseball in the Dominican Republic Today

The national sport and passion of Dominican Republic is baseball or "Beisbol" as the Dominicans call it. No matter where you go on then island you will find a baseball stadium/park, even in the poorest of towns. Today more than one in six players in the American league is from Latin America, the majority of them coming from the towns located on the southeastern coast Dominican Republic.
The sugar mill towns (San Pedro de Macrois, La Romana) have long been a part of Dominican Baseball. The history of baseball in these towns can be traced back as far as the Cuban immigration to the Dominican Republic. Dominican and American Mill owners approved of the sport and encourage their workers to participate in the sport. The six months dead season when sugar cane requires the least maintenance and the workers were unemployed helped contributed to the development of baseball to this area. Soon competitions were set up to pit one sugar mill against other. Baseball was not just a sport to these people but was bred into each child born.
The recruiting of young baseball players has become a year round job here. More than 20 major league teams now have baseball-training camps for prospective players. Scouts from these teams are sent out to hold try outs throughout the island. Those who are lucky enough to make the team are usually young boys between the ages of 17 and 18. Once selected they are sent to the teams camp where they are housed, fed and taught baseball. The average player will make about $800.00 a month.
These young players will compete in the Summer League, which consists of various training camps in a two-division league. If a prospect shows promise, he is then promoted to the minor league system in the states with hopes of making it to the major leagues. But for every new star that is born, hundreds will not make it.