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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:33:58 GMT -8
The Dominican Republic produces 20% of all of professional baseball players in the United States. Every major league team has an academy there. "Ballplayer: Pelotero" is documentary about the training camps and young baseball players developing in the Dominican Republic. It traces the lives of two young prospects.
SYNOPSIS:
In the run-up to the most important day of their lives, two young Dominican baseball players confront competition and corruption to achieve their Big-League dreams.
For 16-year-old Dominican baseball players, or Peloteros, the only real chance to escape crushing poverty comes every July 2nd, the day they become eligible to sign professional baseball contracts. Ballplayer: Pelotero provides an intimate portrait of two prospects as they navigate the calculating, mercenary and often corrupt elements that surround Major League Baseball's recruitment of the island's top talent.
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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:41:55 GMT -8
Dominican Winter League Stadium  Winter League game   |
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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:45:14 GMT -8
The Dominicans enjoy baseball as well as going to a winter league game. It's a festive event and has its own cheerleaders.  |
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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:52:45 GMT -8
Santo Domingo is the capital and has about 3 million people. There are beautiful resorts:   |
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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:54:21 GMT -8
Even the public beaches have white sand and blue water:   |
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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:55:19 GMT -8
Santo Domingo has modern malls as well:  |
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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:56:36 GMT -8
There's even an area with waterfalls:  |
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Post by thejet on Nov 2, 2012 18:58:17 GMT -8
The Dominican Republic also has poverty. School  |
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Post by thejet on Nov 3, 2012 3:32:15 GMT -8
My son has been playing in the Dominican Republic and sent me these pictures. We watched together the video “Pelotero” before he left. (Bobby Valentine was actually an executive producer of the film - and took some criticism for it.) While the film was not overly complimentary of Major League Baseball, particularly from a business perspective; it did present what seems to be a pretty honest portrayal of what young baseball players in the Dominican go through. I believe that my son has learned some things in baseball that will help him in the off-season, yet what he has learned off the field may even have helped him more. Santo Domingo has some really nice tourist areas, yet has such extreme poverty as well. Major League teams are involved in community service projects in the community. He has lived in close quarter with players from Latin America and is learning more Spanish. I’m grateful for his experience and what he is learning.
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Post by thejet on Nov 3, 2012 17:15:34 GMT -8
Jett Great stuff. I hope your son is not being exposed to the drugs that I know are rampart among Latin Players and more rampart than we think with Americans. Kharma Kharma By drugs, I guess you are speaking of cocaine, heroin, meth, etc. and not performance enhancing drugs. Possibly because there might be less testing of Latin American baseball players in general is why you say that it is more prevalent there among baseball players? I would think that the extreme poverty in Latin American countries could drive people there to find ways to make money in drug production. Drugs and alcohol, though, ruin and take more lives than improper pitching mechanics ever could. Americans spend billions of dollars to support their habit and much of the meth, cocaine, and heroin comes from Latin American countries. It's a multi-billion dollar business for countries like Mexico and Columbia. As one politician said, though, it's the United States insatiable demand for the drugs that drives that industry. Many young people in the United States are exposed to drugs - they can't really escape it; yet the hope is that they do not use. I am grateful, too, to the organization for which my son plays. Chris Herren came and spoke to players during instructional league this fall. Herren played basketball for Boston College, Fresno State, then even started for the Boston Celtics before he lost that all to drug addiction. He now speaks to help others keep from using drugs. The players watched the ESPN 30 for 30 video "Unguarded," a video about his life and drug addiction, before he spoke to them. |
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Post by thejet on Nov 4, 2012 12:47:15 GMT -8
Jett Great stuff. I hope your son is not being exposed to the drugs that I know are rampart among Latin Players and more rampart than we think with Americans. Kharma Kharma This is one person's list of the "The 25 Most Dangerous Cities On Earth." The list was compiled in October 2011. Santo Domingo is listed as number 22. The United States cities on the list are: St. Louis #16, New Orleans # 11, Detroit #7. 22 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 
Although it’s not the most violent city on our list, there has been a sharp increase of petty crime including muggings and car jacking. Visitors are advised to use caution and remain aware of potential demonstrations and protests.Link: list25.com/the-25-most-dangerous-cities-on-earth/ |
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Post by thejet on Nov 4, 2012 13:11:49 GMT -8
The World's 20 Worst Places to WorkORC Worldwide compiled this list for BusinessWeek - ranking of 55 cities (the top 20 of which make up this slide show) outside the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe that might qualify as hardship posts based on a set of criteria that includes levels of pollution, disease, political violence, and availability of goods and services. The list doesn’t include some cities that are so obviously challenging—because of war or international isolation—that they’re in another league when it comes to hardship posts. For that reason, you won’t find Baghdad or Harare or Pyongyang on ORC’s list. You will find, though, cities in Africa, Southeast Asia, India, China, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The worst of the lot? Lagos, Nigeria. #20. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Overall Grade: Medium Risk Location Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Crime Santo Domingo is the worst-ranking city in the Western Hemisphere, according to ORC. “While the pleasant environs of the Caribbean are a plus, hurricanes, power failures, poor roads, crime and the threat of disease are drawbacks to this location.” Link: excelle.monster.com/benefits/articles/2982-the-worlds-20-worst-places-to-work?page=21
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Post by thejet on Nov 6, 2012 6:01:04 GMT -8
I hesitated to respond to this statement for a variety of reason; but offered some thoughtful information.
Your response takes your antagonist style to ever lower levels. If you think your polarizing comments benefit your extreme views, your crassness tunes me out and lowers my respect for your comments even more; yet you often want to play the victim and wonder why people do not listen to you and heed to your advice. Any injury, you will say, will be because they do not follow Marshall's advice; yet no one following Marshall's advice is making it to the major league. Communication with you is futile. You have "become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."
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Post by Brett on Nov 6, 2012 8:06:52 GMT -8
So the Red Sox have a drug addict speak to their players and not a dime for an expert on pitching? Now tell me young American males aren't in deep deep troube. Kharma Cmon Kharma...really? Really? Only you could find the bad in an athlete who went down the wrong path speaking to a group of young athletes in hopes they do not make the same mistakes he made. They do the same with tobacco - having people speak who have lost their jaw, dealt with Cancer, etc. I guess that's a bad thing too? How dare they try to save a life. Shame on them. |
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Post by Brett on Nov 6, 2012 10:41:56 GMT -8
Brett My biggest pet peeve when it comes to baseball is the unbelievable amount of young baseball players that chew tobacco. I think it's time for the United States to start anew and get its own house in order. While Mr Herron is giving his speeches we have a so called black President who has presided over a black teen unemployment rate of 40%. To put that in perspective Greece, which is finito as a viable country has an unemployment rate of 25%. Lets see how that works out for us. I'm from Mr Herron's neck of the woods. He'full of Sh-- I don't thibk we need to start with him. I suggest Richard Rohr speak to these young men. You really haven't been convinced yet that these kids that take the ball out of the glove with their hand above the ball are hurting themselves on every pitch. Really? Lets see how your determination to bury your head in the sand works out for our utes. Kharma The Black teenage unemployment rate? Really? How about we pick the single-parent-east-of-the-Mississippi-who-has-a-disability-and-voted-in-the-past election-by-mail-unemployment rate? We can cherry-pick any number we want...so why don't we stick to the conversation at hand? You want to look at the wrong in having Chris Herren speak to the players, that's your choice. I choose to see it as a good thing. As they say, if he prevents one guy from going down his path, he will have made a positive impact. |
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