Dominican Republic announces tentative list of WBC roster

The list is headlined by Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero, Alfonso Soriano, Pedro Martínez, Adrian Beltré, Cristian Guzmán and Miguel Tejada

Others to have signed the Player Participating Agreement necessary include Pedro Feliz, Ubaldo Jiménez, Carlos Mármol, Carlos Gómez, Odalis Pérez, Willy Taveras, Alejandro De Aza, Eric Aybar, Jesús Colomé, recently naturalized citizen Kendry Morales, Ronnie Belliard, Alexi Casilla, Anderson Hernández, Kelvin Jiménez, Guillermo Mota, Leo Núñez, Jailen Peguero, Ramón Ramírez, Juan Salas, Duaner Sánchez, Ramón Santiago and Carlos Villanueva.

So far the list is at 29, but being on this list does not guarantee participation. There will be others from 40 man rosters who will be signing in the coming days. The Dominican team is looking to bounce back from the semifinal elimination in the first WBC.

It will be a Tampa Bay-Phillies World Series

Tampa Bay beat the Red Sox 3-1 in a crucial game 7 where they had seen there 3-1 advantage evaporate right before their eyes. Many believed that the Red Sox would be able to repeat what they did against the Yankees, but the Rays were not having it.

The Rays sent Matt Garza to the mound and after allowing a 1st inning homer, he settled down and delivered the type of game Joe Maddon expected.

Birthday shout out to Tony Castro and my godson Yunito

Big Papi to hold David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic

The event will take place on December 6, 2008 at Punta Espada Golf Course in Cap Cana. It is being put together by the David Ortiz Children's Fund to raise funds for children born with heart problems and in the pediatric intensive care units in both his native Dominican Republic and the New England area. They have invited his Red Sox teammates and the owners as well as Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. They will announce who will participate as they confirm.

They will hold events from December 4-7 to raise funds heaadlined by the December 6th event. Ortiz has made a plea for Dominicans to join the cause and help those children in need.

Rumblings around MLB

Boston forces a game 7 vs Tampa Bay...

Phillies getting a nice rest before World Series...

Manny leaves LA without saying a peep about a return to the City of Angels...

Barry Bonds can win collusion case against MLB team owners...

Dodgers' Asst GM Kim Ng up for GM job in Seattle...

Gary Sheffield has to pay Scott Boras, but still comes out a winner...

Joba Chamberlain arrested for DUI in Nebraska...

Brewers to make serious offer to CC Sabathia in attempt to bring him back...

Padres' Jake Peavy might be on trading block...

Dominican Winter League is Underway

The DWL kicked off on October 15 and there will be a few new things coming our way. Interleague games will take place in Puerto Rico and the Dominican All-Star squad will travel to Venezuela for a games vs their All-Stars. I took the time to interview the Dominican League (LIDOM) public relations Director Jorge Torres and he told us about what we can look forward to:

Que es la idea de jugar juegos en Puerto Rico durante la temporada?

La idea de celebrar juegos interligas con Puerto Rico ha estado en agenda por varios años. A raíz de la situación por la cual atravesó la liga boricua se ha intensificado el proyecto. Los ejecutivos de la Liga Puertorriqueña consideran que debido a la gran cantidad de dominicanos residentes en la isla ayudaría enormemente al crecimiento de la entidad. Nosotros entendemos que puede ser posible, y para ello se hace un estudio de factibilidad económica.

Cree que eso le ayudara a la liga de Puerto Rico?

Considero que puede ayudar y como expresaba anteriormente estamos dispuestos a poner un granito de arena en todo cuanto implique el resurgir de la liga boricua.

Cuando la liga se reestablezca, cree que se reanudara el juego de estrellas contra Puerto Rico?

En el caso dominicano el Juego de Estrellas pertenece a la Federación Nacional de Peloteros Profesionales (Fenapepro). Ellos han coordinado con la Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional llevar a cabo el partido el día 9 de diciembre del año en curso. Quizás puedan volver con Puerto Rico para el 2009, pero es una respuesta en manos de Mario Melvin Soto, Presidente de la Fenapepro.

Sera RD vs VEN, RD vs PR? se incluira Mexico en el futuro?

En cuanto a la integración de México al Juego de Estrellas, en lo personal pudiera establecer que todo depende del aspecto económico por asuntos de distancia. Pero, tal y como dije anteriormente, eso depende de la Fenapepro.

He visto que este año la LIDOM estrena un nuevo sitio de web, que son las gran diferencias?

La diferencia en nuestra Web forma parte de un proyecto de adecuación a los tiempos modernos. Ahora los usuarios tienen la oportunidad de ver el partido de cada noche en el Estadio Quisqueya. De igual modo llevamos informaciones actualizadas y play by play. Aún se trabaja en la inserción de datos históricos y columnas de opinión. También buscamos la forma de que los Box Scores de cada partido pueda estar en la Web toda vez concluyan los mismos. Hay mucha diferencia con otros años y lo que más ayudaría es recibir de nuestros seguidores sus opiniones para tratar de cubrir por completo las necesidades. El béisbol dominicano está colocado en el primer nivel del mundo, y así debe estar colocada su página de internet.

Debido al Clasico, cree que se integraran mas peloteros a sus equipos en Diciembre?

Varios jugadores han manifestado su intención de participar en el Campeonato Nacional Cerveza Presidente 2008-2009, para llegar en forma a los entrenamientos y participar con el equipo dominicano. Es una posibilidad que cada día día crece debido a que nuestros peloteros demuestran donde quiera que están los sentimientos patrióticos. No tengo dudas de que algunos de los tantos participarán con sus respectivos equipos este año, así como lo han hecho en años anteriores sin que tengamos por delante el Clásico Mundial. El evento es un motivo más para ellos.

Show Manny the Money

I have never been an advocate for high salaries, but in sports that is the only option as a worker. If you work for a multibillion dollar corporation (MLB), as a key employee (player) it is only right that you make millions. With that said, I sit here watching my beloved Dodgers in the playoffs. In the 4th inning they were looking at a 6-run deficit and with one swing Manny Ramirez put the Dodgers within striking distance.



The Dodgers have not had Los Angeles this pumped up since Fernandomania. Let's keep in mind that Fernando Valenzuela pitched every five days. Manny has brought the kind of excitement that exists in other MLB cities. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are going to be great players, but they don't instill that excitement yet. L.A. needs Manny because without him I wouldn't be blogging right now.



Manny has been a great player in his career, but has always been sort of like a silent weapon. In my opinion, this year he has taken a new Barry Bonds type of effect on a game. His presence in the Dodger lineup has been a game changer. He has instilled confidence in the rest of the young guys and they now have the can't lose attitude that has not been present in recent years.



The Dodgers have made it to the NLCS for the first time since 1988. Manny has helped end a drought that was long overdue. Regardless of the outcome, L.A. needs Manny and he actually wants to be here. So I am one of many Dodger fans that want the Dodgers to SHOW MANNY THE MONEY.

Victor Mesa to Mexico

Victor Mesa who was the skipper for the Villa Clara team for the last eight seasons will be coaching in Mexico. Mesa who in his eight seasons led his team to at least 50 victories each year will definitely be missed. In those eight years his team also made it to the postseason each time.

Mesa will be joining the Rojos del Aguila organization while working with the Cafeteros whose season begins on October 11. Mesa who arrived in Mexico last Friday said he hopes to coach in Mexico for a couple of years.

Mesa is not the first Cuban manager to leave to coach in another country's winter league. Lourdes Gourriel, father to National Team second baseman Yulieski Gourriel, coached in Nicaragua last winter and led his team to the championship. There are also whispers that Rey Vicente Anglada, Cuba's own Joe Torre will also be heding elsewhere as well.

My colleague Peter Bjarkman made a good point of alluding to the fact that Mesa, one of Cuba's best scouts, decided to go to Mexico the year before they are to face Cuba in the first round of next year's World Baseball Classic

Baseball and the 2008 Election

For the last eight years the US economy has taken a turn for the worst. Many blame the Bush Administration for all of the country's problems. While that might be accurate, people need a distraction to make them forget their woes for at least two hours. Sports have always served as an escape of the dullness of everyday life and now more than ever fans are seeking that break. As the economy continues its spiral downward, America's favorite pastime has taken the spotlight.

What looked like would be a negative impact on attendance reversed its course as fans continued to show up to the ballgame. Despite people losing their homes, jobs and most importantly their sense of security they showed up in record numbers filling the stadiums clearly not reflecting the country's economic state. Both New York City teams will be playing in new digs next year and had high attendance as they closed out Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium. In Southern California where two teams have qualified for the playoffs, fans are not deterred by high gas prices and they continue to show up and support their teams.

In Chicago, two teams have also made the playoffs. The Cubs have the chance of ending the longest title drought of all sports teams in North America which currently stands at 99. The White Sox who won in 2005 want to duplicate that performance. The White Sox had to beat three teams in three days to enter the postseason. Chicago is also in the spotlight because they not only have two opportunities to crown a World Series Champion, but they also are the home to Democratic Presidential nominee, Barack Obama. Obama has the chance to become the nation's first African-American president.

Baseball has served as an outlet for fans since its inception and now it will also serve as a stage for this years'election. Many owners, players and fans will endorse a candidate and the playoffs will not only feature sports t-shirts and jersey, but also clothing showing support for Team Obama or Team McCain.