Monday, February 8, 2016
Weekly Post #5: The Lure of Baseball in the DR (due Feb 15)
Keeping our reading to the Caribbean, here's a complementary piece about baseball in the Dominican Republic. While I wanted to save this for later in the semester, I think it works well as a contrast to last week's reading. How is baseball and the dream of MLB alive and well in the DR? What about the exploitation that's only briefly mentioned? Maybe we shouldn't be surprised as that's been a component of baseball for a long, long time. What are you thoughts?
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As the most popular sport on the island, it is clear that baseball is alive and well in the Dominican Republic. Many children live in poverty, and thus jump at the chance to be successful via baseball. This has contributed to the staggering fact that 83 of 868 players in the MLB are from the Dominican Republic. I think the deregulated nature of academy system encourages kids to commit themselves when they are too young to the sport. Dedicating oneself wholly to baseball at 13 seems a little extreme to me, but then again I do not know what it is like to feel pressure to support my family like the boys in the academy may feel. If one grows up in poverty, with poor job prospects on the island, the hope of being good enough to play in America when one is only 16 years old is very exciting. I truly believe that the boys in the academy are chasing the American dream. Given this, I agree with the statement that “Exploitation is part of not being regulated”. The young players are desperate to be signed in the MLB, and perhaps allow themselves to be overworked or agree to unfair contracts. The academy takes 30%, which seems like a lot! However, I feel as though even 70% of a MLB salary would go a very long way in the Dominican Republic, so perhaps it is worth it for the young players in the DR.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is very much alive and well in the Dominican Republic. Just from reading the article, I can feel the energy of the game pulsing throughout the island. It gives every citizen hope for their own future and success, thus bringing the American dream which is so closely tied to baseball, to the Dominican Republic. I think this energy is also translated into the deregulated aspect of the academy system. In my experience, sports provides a physical outlet for stress and other emotional struggles. Though extreme as Elizabeth points out, allowing kids to dedicate themselves to baseball further catalyzes the energy and hope surrounding the game. This opportunity for success also comes with the possibility of exploitation. This is the part of the gamble every boy faces.
ReplyDeleteBaseball and the dream of MLB are very much alive in the DR. The significant number of Dominicans in MLB in 2015 likely created national pride and love of the sport. It also created role models of masculinity, success, and prosperity for children, and for many living in poverty, that allure is powerful. However, the issue of the academies cannot go unnoticed. From a purely economic standpoint, the industry is profitable. Baseball does demand a constant source of talent. But preying upon the dreams of naïve and innocent kids to fuel an enterprise and to make money is immoral. As an unregulated industry, exploitation is basically justified. And I don’t think money or success can justify the industry’s disrespect for the rights of these young boys, whose freedom, independence, and childhood are being taken away from them. I do recognize that for poor children with minimal job opportunities, the MLB seems like a way to escape, but I think the immorality of this industry outweighs the benefits. How can teams say they are helping young Dominican boys achieve their dreams and improve their quality of life if in reality they are using them as pawns or puppets in their search for talent?
ReplyDeleteAs Knopper said at the beginning of the article: "And that was the way it went in the Dominican Republic: Baseball found us." Unlike in Cuba where baseball was a less accessible sport than soccer, baseball is everywhere in the Dominican Republic. Baseball is played all year long, fields are everywhere, and many want to become professional baseball players when they grow up. Young players such as the college kids at the stadium in Anguilla keep the game of baseball popular and passing it down to the next generations. Because of this kids totally commit themselves to the game of baseball. I think part of this must be because of media coverage of baseball in the Dominican Republic. Although it did not talk about this much in the article, I think, in connecting the Dominican Republic to Cuba, if the Dominican Republic has more coverage of Dominican MLB players than Cuban players in Cuba, then baseball would be much more popular. Also the kids see it as a way to make it big and are even being taken out of school and away from their families. These reasons combined are why baseball is continuing to thrive in the Dominican Republic.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is alive in the Dominican Republic as the game was everywhere and the tourists claimed "the game found us". The island is packed with great talent, and the writer compares that to Jamaica and its talented sprinters. The dream of the MLB is big within the country as close to 10% of players in the MLB are from the DR. Some of the exploitation is that the MLB steals the best players kind of like a talent drain from the Dominican Baseball leagues. The other part of the exploitation was baseball academies established on the island which exploit players to take some of the huge contracts they sign. I think its a shame that these practices have started because in island countries like the DR and Cuba the players love the game first and worry about money second. The establishment of academies for baseball causes players to first worry about the money and then love the game which is the wrong order. We must preserve the love of the game as the primary motivation.
ReplyDeleteBaseball and the dream of the MLB is alive and well in the DR. After reading this article, it is apparent that kids and young adults still work hard to become successful. Kids in the DR want to strive to be like their role models, and the urge to reach glorification through the opportunity that baseball provides is definitely what keeps these youngsters going. In terms of MLB teams using these academies to raise future stars, I don’t see a problem with it as long as the kids are treated well and being educated. Simply preventing a kid from gaining an education that he or she deserves would be selfish, and given the fact that most of the academy players do not reach the MLB, it would be a waste for most. These academies give young baseball players an opportunity to become great. It gives these players a chance to achieve the dream of becoming a baseball star.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that baseball is ever-present in the life of people in the Dominican republic. This article was pretty upsetting to me in the fact that these "academies" are exploiting young, impoverished men who want to play baseball. This quote really stuck out to me: "“For a poor kid,” he continued, “seeing all those other players becoming rich and famous, working at what they love, they want it to be the same.”" Again, the correlation between the NFL's tactics in recruiting football players and the MLB's tactics in recruiting baseball players is unparalleled. The people in charge of the NFL, MLB and the academies exploit these boys and in some cases take up to 30% of their hard-earned pay! It is so upsetting to me that this unregulated system in the DR has ripped off so many of the players who play in the MLB. I do understand that these boys want to play baseball professionally, but many people at ages as young as 13 say they want to be astronauts when they grow up, and only very rarely does this actually happen. The comparison I am trying to make is that young boys of 13 should not be exploited based on a childhood dream they have to become a rich and famous baseball player.
ReplyDeleteThe dream of using baseball as a stepping stone for success is still alive and well in the DR. Compared to the other article this piece of writing highlights the many ways with which baseball is still the primary sport in the DR. With multiple academies and MLB scouts all over the country the opportunity for kids to find success in baseball is still very prevalent. However, I think young players who have no choice but to go to an academy are being exploited. I think 30% of their major league contract is a little absurd especially considering the academy they came from may have only contributed to their growth as a player for 2-3 years. These Academies are taking advantage of the fact that many of these children do not have the money to pursue baseball in any other way, and thus exploit that. I'm not very surprised to see this exploitation either. Baseball players and other athletes are constantly exploited for their talents. Take college athletes, universities make hundreds of millions of dollars off of their athletes and those athletes make nothing. Exploitation in sports is very common, it is very sad to see it taking place with children who do not have any other choice but to be exploited. The DR I believe will remain a factory of talent for the MLB and it will continue to be one of the more prominent part of the island's culture.
ReplyDeleteThe dream of baseball is still very alive and well in the Dominican Republic because of how the younger players their see the game. Many see it not so differently from how young players used to see the game in the U.S. They see it as a path to bigger and better things. They idolize older players and look at their success as a blueprint. The sheer number of Dominican players on MLB rosters almost certainly contributes to the image that baseball has. Unlike Cuba, where the government didn't show "defectors", Dominican citizens have access to some of their favorite national players. While this access and aspiration to succeed is a very good thing, many academies take advantage of it. Academies often only view players as money m,machines and our done with them if they cannot make it. Players often need to sign very young, and if their career in baseball doesn't work out they could often end up like the main character from Sugar. Out of a job, school, and opportunities. The large number of Dominican born players making it big is a good thing for baseball, but they often give kids back home unrealistic expectations of success in a life filled with nothing but baseball.
ReplyDeleteThe American Dream is present in the Dominican Republic in the form of dreams to make it to the MLB. For many communities in poverty, where children do not have access to education and other necessary resources that would allow them to enter a higher class, athletics provide a path towards success. Baseball's increasing popularity and reputation in the Dominican Republic provides a feasible opportunities for DR children to make money. While the article does not address, in full, the extent to which the DR's baseball academies exploit or mistreat the players, I believe these academies are beneficial to the DR's ambitious youth. In my opinion, the 30% cut that the academy receives is not an immoral amount. These academies provide opportunity for young players to succeed, with the money they receive from their sign players, they are able to continue fulfilling MLB dreams. Additionally, 70% of an MLB contract is still a lot of money.
ReplyDeletethis is brodie
DeleteThis article demonstrated how baseball creates a sense of unity, pride, and hope in the Dominican Republic. I think that the fact that many Dominican Republic players have had a lot of success in the MLB gives young athletes in the country a sense of hope that they can succeed and become famous and wealthy as well. Also, for the rest of the country who are not athletes themselves, seeing the success of their own in a major professional sport gives them a sense of pride in their country and unification with their fellow citizens. Unfortunately, the desperation for many young players to follow in the steps of successful Dominican Republic players in the major leagues leaves them open for possible exploitation. However, I think that the opportunity many young players in the Dominican Republic have at success through baseball is a fortunate thing for the country.
ReplyDeleteAs is evident in the article, baseball is clearly alive and flourishing in the Dominican Republic. As opposed to its standing in Cuba, baseball is extremely accessible in the DR, as Knopper states in the article: “Baseball found us”. Because of their exposure to baseball, many young players view the sport as their attainable shot to fame, glory and wealth. Currently 83 of the 868 players in the MLB are from the Dominican Republic, and some of the greatest players of all time were born there. This precedent gives the youths of the country the hope and aspiration to eventually play in the MLB. I think that to a certain degree, young players in the DR are somewhat exploited. Anytime someone uses someone else's talents and abilities for monetary gain, the issue of exploitation is present. However, what must not be forgotten is that these camps, in return for a portion of the players’ salaries, are providing a service and the chance to become a professional baseball player. That being said, I do, however, believe that these camps should be under some form of regulation. It seems to me, after reading this article, that much of the criticism stems from the unethical behavior of people simply looking for a paycheck through the efforts of these young players. In principle, I do not have an issue with the service that these camps are providing, but when it comes to how they carry out their goal and the morality behind their actions, I find the system to be problematic.
ReplyDeleteI see that Baseball in the Dominican Republic is healthy and spirited. After reading the article, it appears the the DR possesses the same pride and passion for the game that America once held so many years ago. Only they have updated the game to the time and their cultural setting. Example being the dancers that perform between innings. This independent drive for the game has allowed many baseball heroes to surface, which not only gives youths players to look up to, but a life goal to strive for. Even though the article mentioned briefly that the surplus of quality players wanting to sign makes their exploitation easy, I still view baseball in the Dominican Republic as an incredibly bright and positive sport for the country.
ReplyDeleteBecause baseball is the most popular sport in the DR, it makes sense that baseball is still alive and well. Kids see baseball as a dream because as baseball maintains popularity it becomes a cycle of people from the DR making it big by getting drafted to the MLB or just getting paid to play the game they love. This continuous cycle inspires kids to keep playing so they can hopefully, someday be that successful. As for the exploitation mentioned briefly in the article, it is not surprising. As we saw in our first unit of this course, exploitation has always been a common theme in baseball. Especially when dealing with young teenage boys this exploitation can be very risky, but since baseball is a big part of their culture I guess it is a risk they are willing to take in hopes of making money and achieving their dream.
ReplyDeleteAs seen in the article, baseball is present and alive in the DSominican Republic. A reason for this can be because younger generations see the game as a way to achieve the American Dream, just like those before them did. This is shown in the article when Knopper talks about the different camps that are set up in the DR so the MLB can begin to scout young prospective Dominican players.This being said, the game can both serve as a way for young Dominican players to escape poverty, and can also be a trap that exploits youth out of their education in hopes of a false American Dream.Although baseball continuos to be alive in other places other than America, I believe that its presence should be monitored in order to have a positive influence on the community, instead of presenting false hopes and dreams.
ReplyDeleteAs shown in this article, the dream of playing major league baseball is alive and flourishing in the Dominican Republic. For the youth in the Dominican Republic, seeing so many major league stars come from the Dominican Republic provides hope that they can one day be a famous baseball player. Baseball is seen as an exit ticket for youth in the Dominican Republic, which can possibly one day make them rich and famous. Baseball is also what brings the community together, and gives the citizens of the Dominican Republic a sense of hope and pride. I think the major league academies also fuel this sense of hope for young Dominicans. Although these academies help provide appropriate equipment and coaching that help these players try and make it into MLB, I do believe the exploitation is extreme. Taking 30% of a major league contract is a little too large of a portion considering that the player is the one who made it to the majors, not the academy. Throughout history, exploitation has been a component of baseball, but I believe that it is a price a player in the Dominican Republic must pay because of the lack of resources and scouting outside of academies. I think many more youth will turn towards academies and continue to grow the game of baseball in the Dominican Republic.
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