Dominican Baseball: New Pride, Old Prejudice - History & Culture of Dominican Republic Baseball | Perfect for Sports Fans & History Enthusiasts
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Product Description
Pedro Martínez. Sammy Sosa. Manny Ramírez. By 2000, Dominican baseball players were in every Major League clubhouse, and regularly winning every baseball award. In 2002, Omar Minaya became the first Dominican general manager of a Major League team. But how did this codependent relationship between MLB and Dominican talent arise and thrive? In his incisive and engaging book, Dominican Baseball, Alan Klein examines the history of MLB's presence and influence in the Dominican Republic, the development of the booming industry and academies, and the dependence on Dominican player developers, known as buscones. He also addresses issues of identity fraud and the use of performance-enhancing drugs as hopefuls seek to play professionally. Dominican Baseball charts the trajectory of the economic flows of this transnational exchange, and the pride Dominicans feel in their growing influence in the sport. Klein also uncovers the prejudice that prompts MLB to diminish Dominican claims on legitimacy. This sharp, smartly argued book deftly chronicles the uneasy and often contested relations of the contemporary Dominican game and industry.
Customer Reviews
I should preface this review by telling you that I know Alan Klein and greatly respect him and his work. That being said, I am not an uncritical reviewer and would not write in support of his new book if I didn't think it was path-breaking. It's a sort of sequel to his Sugarball, but has been updated to reflect the many changes that have taken place in baseball academies in the DR, most of which, happily, have been very positive. Alan tells us about those changes and about the people who made them possible. Indeed, not every problem has been solved, byt MLB has made major strides forward. And Alan's profiles of people like Rafael Perez who heads MLB's office in Santo Domingo and Juan Henerson who runs the wonderful Mets academy in Boca Chica personalize the book in a way that helps us understand how much has been done by a handful of creative people who saw problems and went out to correct them. Add all this to a book that is accessible to experts and novices alike and you have one great read!
