Comments on: First Contact!

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:28:31 +0000

Drop me a line if you get anything of note that you believe may not be of interest to the general readership but would appeal to a Nats fan

By: jhelfgott

jhelfgott — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:00:20 +0000

Thanks for the kind words and the linkage, Brian. I’m new to this blogging thing, so it’s nice to know somebody’s interested in what I’m doing

There’s actually a good chance I’ll check out one of the Nationals’ academies tomorrow. The Nats have 2 DSL squads, and I’m unsure whether that means they have two separate facilities or not. In any case, the two squads play each other tomorrow, so it’s an opportunity to get a comprehensive look at their organization down here.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:53:07 +0000

Thanks for thee GREAT source of information. It’s nice to have a first person perspective into the goings-on in the DSL. Do you have any plans to check out the Nationals complex? I’d be really interested in their efforts to rebuild internationally from someone on the ground there.

By: jhelfgott

jhelfgott — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:01:14 +0000

Hi all. Thanks for checking the site out.

Benny – To sum up my research briefly, I´m looking at baseball as a microcosm of globalization. Baseball´s interesting in this regard as it is both an industry looking to expand its consumer base and its pool of talent (labor), and an avenue for cultural exchange. While my work will differ in many ways, there´s some similarities between what I´m doing and Franklin Foer´s work in the book ¨How Soccer Explains the World: an Unlikely Theory of Globalization.¨

Shawn: I haven´t been to the Yankees´ complex in Santo Domingo yet, but I can tell you that most of academies down here are really out of the way. My advice is to hire a taxi driver (chances are he won´t know where it is, but he´ll drive in a general direction and then start asking around) and arrange for him to come back a few hours later. You don´t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere out here. The games themselves are free. Assuming you´re an American, expect to stand out.

Brian: I´ll talk a little bit about the surroundings as I visit more areas. So far I´ve been to the Cardinals´ Academy, and the complex I mentioned above, as well as about a dozen local parks and stadiums not affiliated with the academies. I´ll be visiting quite a few more in the coming weeks (I´ve been here for 2 weeks, and I´m here until the beginning of October).

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 01:48:34 +0000

I would really like to know more about the surroundings as well. If you are saving it all for a book I understand, but I would love to get a glimpse of the Dominican through your travels.

Any chance you visit any baseball academy’s? visit the Braves camp?

By: Shawn

Shawn — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 01:22:27 +0000

Hey, I’m actually going to Boca Chica next month and was hoping to catch a few games while I’m down there (particularly at the Yankees new complex), but I’m not quite sure how it works. Can you just show up to a field and buy a ticket to a game or what? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

By: Benny Blanco from da bronx

Benny Blanco from da bronx — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:23:37 +0000

Hey man, I’m just curious as to what exactly you are researching in your visits to these countries?

I did a semester project on this for one of my college classes, read up on how the players are treated, interviewed one former “prospect”, and talked with my cousin who lived in the Dominican Republic all his life and signed a contract with the Texas Rangers.
I’ll be very interested in reading what you see/observe.
You planning on having a book or what, what’s the deal?

Thanks, Good luck, and enjoy DR, don’t go too hard on the project, enjoy the country, its beauty, and the sexxxy ladies