Friday, April 30

Sad but true

Work has not allowed me to dedicate time to this blog, I hope that next week things will get back to normal.

Well, I will like you to read a story on ESPN about drug testing in the Dominican Summer League, also see the multimedia report about the buscones, specially Enrique Cruz, with this report on ESPN Magazine you will understand the situation with Raul Mondesi and hundreds of young players in development.

MLB office in the Dominican Republic is trying to eradicate the buscones, there's a rumor that a draft will be established here, that will put in jeopardy some academies and the buscones incomes.

I hope I can write more about this in the weekend...

Tuesday, April 27

The Mondi Gate

Apparently the reason the Pirates are holding Mondsi salary is because Mario Guerrero lawyers notify MLB office in the Dominican Republic that they will hold the Pirates Dominican accounts if they payed Raúl.
The Pirates have an academy here and to avoid their accounts to be freezed they deciced to hold Mondesi paychecks.

Well, Mondesi contacted by Enrique Rojas, an AP reporter here asked Raúl about it and he said he'll quit the team if he's not payed on friday, he later backed off.

Well, apparantly the judge ruled in favor of Guerrero because the Toronto Blue Jays payed years ago for the work he did with Tony Fernandez.

Mondesi is not the only victim of Guerrero, he sued Geronimo Berroa for the same reason an won, Berroa's house, partment and account were taken away by a judge.

Modesi accounts and some properties were put on hold too.

Sunday, April 25

Random posts

Last week was a very busy one for me, a lot of work and little time to write, and looking for a new apartment takes a lot of time too.

But this was a good weekend, the RedSox Swept the 189 millions reasons to hate Yankees in their own home, man! That was good, specially Pedro Pitching well today shutting some mediocre people here that work for some newspapers that kept all week saying that Pedro is not the same pitcher, Pedro has lost a few miles in his fast ball, all of the above are true, but Pedro is a smart pitcher and have a lot of heart, he had overcome worst times as a pitcher, remember the Dodgers trade him because he was short and skinny.

Everybody is talking about how bad A-rod is doing, but no one talks about Jeter or the entire Yankees team, I don't like Alex Rodriguez, but let's be honest, he's adjusting to a new position.

The Dodgers won 2 out of 3 from the Giants, man, that felt really good, I'll have a good sleep today.

They have been a few surprises among Dominican Players, but Ronnie Belliard is batting .403 with the Indians, he's not a super-star, he's not going to hit for 300 this season, but I'm glad he's having a good start, in the winter he plays for Licey in our winter league, he was asked to play third base to make room for Cristian Guzman and Luis Castillo, he played on of the best defense I've seen in the Dominican Winter League, good luck to Ronnie...

Saturday, April 24

ESPN is the official media for the Giants

Bonds 2-2, 4 intentional walks in loss to L.A., that's the heading on ESPN web site, seems like they covering the Giants and not Baseball, the recap tells you more on how the Dodgers did not pitch to Bonds than the way the game was played, but that's ok, we still won.

By the way, the Giants are in LAST PLACE

Good Friday

The Dodgers beat the Giants 5-4 and in have won 7 of the last 10 games, are in first place with a 2.5 games lead, things are looking good, no matter what predictions were made i'm going to enjoy it while it last, i don't care if we win only by a run, a win is a win and is better if we beat the Giants.

In the other side of the U.S. Boston beat tha Yankees 11-2 in Yankee Stadium, that's great, give those 183 millions morons a slap in the face in their own house.
$-Rod went 4-2, but his hitting just .224, he will get over it, he's a great player, buy now i'm enjoying it.

Monday, April 19

Sunday, April 18

I feel good!

It's so good to win, better if your team beat the Giants, much better if your team swept the Giants.

As a blogger it's a pleasure to read Giants blogs and their wimps and tears, El Lefty Malo calls Grissom stupid, they haven't won a World series but they have Bonds.

I guess most of the Giants Bloggers don't want to post in days, i don't blame them, maybe the Dodgers will suck the rest of the year, now i'm enjoying winning.

Last year we lost a lot of stupid games to the Giants, i remember one that Bonds won with steal and a runb scored, apparently this years things will be different.

Go Dodgers!!!

Saturday, April 17

More on Mondi

News on MLB.COM

A day after it was first reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates will withhold Raul Mondesi's pay until a judgment in the Dominican Republic is satisfied, the outfielder was still baffled by the circumstance.
A Dominican court ruled in February that Mondesi owed former Major Leaguer Mario Guerrero a sum of about $640,000 for baseball-related instructional services rendered in the Dominican Republic in 1987 and 1988. The ruling was based upon Guerrero's claim that Mondesi agreed to pay Guerrero one percent of any future salary he might earn in the Major Leagues.

Mondesi, who has appealed the court's ruling, claims he didn't even meet Guerrero until 1991 or 1992, when he was already under contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I don't know what he's talking about," Mondesi said before Saturday's game at Shea Stadium. "[Guerrero] said he taught me how to hit in 1987. I was 15 years old, playing in Little League. He said I told him I was going to give [him] one percent in the big leagues. Who knew I was going to be playing in the big leagues?"

Mondesi said that Guerrero was "just trying to make money" and that his tactics were "insulting." The 33-year-old veteran outfielder is known for his generosity in his home country -- he has supplied uniforms and baseball equipment for the Raul Mondesi League in the Dominican Republic -- and said that he would have helped Guerrero financially if he'd only been asked.

"If people come to me and say, "Hey, I need a little money,' I'd give," Mondesi said. "I help a lot of people down in the Dominican. Why would [Guerrero] have to do that to get money from me?"

The Associated Press reported that Mondesi is not the only player from whom Guerrero has sought money from. Mondesi confirmed that Saturday, naming San Francisco Giants infielder Neifi Perez and former Major Leaguer Geronimo Berroa as other examples.

Pirates vice president of communications Patty Paytas released a statement Friday saying that the Pirates have opted to enter Mondesi's pay into an interest-bearing escrow account until the personal judgment is settled. That means, at least for the moment, Mondesi is playing without pay.

"I'm going to get the money sooner or later," he said. "I just want to go back to worrying about playing baseball, playing hard and doing my job."

No, No, No, NO F...... way, it's a bad precedent

Now that the Mondesi case has reached US media let me introduce you to the case of Dodgers Prospect Willi Aybar, he got robbed by Enrique Cruz, a buscon from the Dominican Republic.


The same with Guerrero, Mondesi salary was frozen by the Pirates, they are following court orders, but now every person here in this country that had young players in their hands will reach some kind of compensation when they make some money, that's fucking absurd!!! These people abuse young players, they take advantage of them, MLB is working here to eradicate such people known here as "buscones" these are the ones that are not affliliated to any MLB club but they offer young players that they can get them signed.

Guerrero claims that he helped Mondesi when he was a rookie, that he gave him money for food and transportation in his rookie year here at the winter league, and Mondesi with big money does not recognize any of this.

Years ago Willi Aybar, the Dodgers prospect was robbed by a Buscon, here's what happened to Willi Aybar

.

Dominican scout, Enrique Soto for stealing almost half of prospectÂ’s Willy Aybar $1.4 million dollar signing bonus.

Soto is a buscon ("a finder") who looks for young teenagers 13 to 15 years old to develop into big league ball players. The biggest buscones like Soto have their own "mini-camp" where they teach these kids baseball fundamentals with the hope that they will be signed to a big league contract. Soto then gets a small commission on players he recommends that the pros sign.

When young Willy Aybar came along, he hit the motherload. Aybar was in SotoÂ’s camp for a few years and when he turned 16, the minimum age the big leagues can sign a player, the Dodgers signed him to a record signing bonus for a Dominican prospect: $1.4 million dollars. Aybar was raised in poverty, and didnÂ’t know how to write much less that he must sign the back of a check to cash it. Soto convinced Aybar to let him handle the finances and, according to the Post article, cashed the check himself:


"A copy of the canceled check, obtained by The Post, shows two signatures: Willy Aybar's and Enrique Soto's…. Aybar's signature did not appear to match the one on his contract…. Aybar's signature on the check ‘appears to be the same handwriting as the person who signed for Soto.’

"I never signed that check," said Aybar, who had been unaware that a check needed to be endorsed before it could be cashed. "He must have signed it for me."

Aybar's mother, Francia, said Soto gave her a lump-sum payment of 100,000 pesos, about $6,250, and a monthly stipend of less than $2,000. He paid the Philadelphia-based agent who negotiated Aybar's contract $35,000. He allegedly kept the rest, about $430,000, for himself

Asked how much he received from his first bonus check, Aybar replied "Me. Nada."

When asked of Francia AybarÂ’s claim of the "allowance" he had given the family, he replied,

"And how much should I have given her?"

How about all of it, you moron? Thankfully, the Dodgers flew out their Dominican representative to hand deliver the final installment of AybarÂ’s signing bonus. Aybar for his part is reluctant to push the issue of the unreturned money because his younger brother is now in one of SotoÂ’s camps and he fears his "hermanito" wonÂ’t get a chance if he makes an enemy out of Soto. Due to the publicity, Soto has offered a "settlement payment" of $125,000 (of their money) to the Aybar family. Such thievery and chutzpah makes Soto an easy Rocker Winner.

A remarkable 23 percent of players under contract, majors and minors, are from the Dominican Republic. And almost every one of them has to go through a buscon like Soto in this completely unregulated industry. ItÂ’s a shame the PlayersÂ’ Association wonÂ’t make a bigger deal out of this in the upcoming contract negotiations. But they are more concerned with protecting the fat A-Rod contracts than exploited minor leaguers.

Call me idealistic, but arenÂ’t unions supposed to protect the most vulnerable in their profession? Major League Baseball can do its part as well by among other things, make major league contracts the players sign available in Spanish.


Enrique Cruz was voted Rocker of the Week.

After this the next paycheck was delivered directly to Aybay by Luchi Guerra, Dodgers assistant director of minor leagues took it to the hands of Aybar.

Friday, April 16

No money for Raul

The other Raul, the one with the millions and a pending lawsuit with former player Mario Guerrero, well Mondesi paycheck was retained by the Pirates.

Raul was avoiding a deal with Guerrero for years, now that his salary is frozen maybe they will reach a deal.

Thursday, April 15

Thanks Mr. Robinson

Today MLB celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, thanks to the Brooklyn Dodgers for giving him the chance, and to him for his courage and determination to succeed, he was a mediocre player, we was a great player, thanks to him now more than 167 Dominican Players had played in the majors, today more than 65 players are in active rosters.

Thanks again Mr. Robinson and i hope the Dodgers return to glory days.

Monday, April 12

Fallen idols

Just because a player or manager is from my country I must like him, I have the right not to like them; Just because Felipe Alou is the manager if the San Francisco Giants I have to like the Giants, in fact I hate the Giants, I don't hate Felipe but I hope they finish dead last in the NL West.

The case here is Pedro Martinez, Pedro have a bad relationship with the Boston media, the same media that publish his stories so fans can know about his performances.

Here in the Dominican Republic when Pedro pitches well he makes all headlines in sport sections as "Pedro El Grande" but when he have a bad outing like a human being the press tries to make excuses for him, that's not right.

Pedro is a great person and makes big contributions to his hometown but he have an attitude problem, and his mouth will keep getting him in problems, he just don't know when to shut it.

Sunday, April 11

Back to normal

After 4 days in the beach away from newspapers, TV and the internet i'm back to normal, i opened the newspaper and i saw the Dodgers with an 3-1 record, i thought it was mistake.

Now i'm trying to catch up on Baseball, the best way to do it is by reading my fellow bloggers, thanks to them.

In this four days i slept like a baby and i'm also sun burned.

Well back to normal and let's keep winning!

Wednesday, April 7

Now they are concerned?

What were they thinking?


Pitching coach Jim Colborn said the Dodgers were concerned about Hideo Nomo's decreased velocity from last season, saying the club might have "underestimated" how long it would take the right-hander to recover from off-season shoulder surgery.

"It might take longer than we thought because he never had any pain" during spring training, Colborn said.

"But the history with anybody is it takes quite a while after their repair to get back to full strength, so maybe it was underestimated."

Nomo was pounded for seven hits — including two home runs — and seven earned runs in five innings against San Diego. He went 1-4 with an 8.13 earned-run average in exhibition play.

Colborn hopes that Nomo's velocity, which the coach estimates has decreased a few miles per hour, will increase with some mechanical changes in his delivery.

"He had surgery and he also has a mechanical problem," Colborn said. "We'll fix the mechanical problem, or try to, and see what the results are. Even if it is the surgery, you'd still expect [Nomo's velocity] to come back at some point."

Nomo, scheduled to start Saturday against Colorado, says he's not concerned.

"Personally, I think I'm doing pretty good," Nomo said through an interpreter. "I'm throwing the way I want to throw. I'm not injured or hurt, so I'm not worried.

"I'm going to listen to what coach Colborn has to say, but I'm not worried about what [other] people have to say. It's just about myself. I just have to focus."

Adrian... Shut up and play

Adrian Beltre is a player that every year is supposed to have a big year, every year he have a good second part and a mediocre first half.

Well, now with the addition of Milton Bradley he was demoted to the 7th spot in the lineup, yes Jim Tracy should talk to him and not let him find out when he arrived to the stadium.

In the other hand, Beltre has no right to complain to be demoted, he has done nothing to deserve to bat third, Beltre is a lazy player, he never played in the winter, maybe if he plays in the winter he'll get in better shape and have a better first half.

I'll give the example of Miguel Tejada, Miguel plays every winter in the Dominican Winter League, he don't play DH, he plays hard as any player in the team, he plays as a rookie trying to find a spot in the roster.

We have players like Sammy Sosa that don't play in the winter, but he plays well in the regular season, pitchers here that don't play stay running and throwing all winter.

But Beltre thinks he's a superstar and that he's not, he better settledown to earth and realize that he's a regular until he proves us wrong.

Holy Week

This will be my final post of this week, we celebrate Holy week or Spring Break, i'll be back on Monday 12.

Yesterday Games

- Bartolo Colon got his first win as an Angel, Vladimir Guerrero did well too with the bat.

- Jose Offerman, the man no Twins fan wanted in his team delivered the winning run yesterday, he'll be a great pinch hitter this season.

- Dodgers Adrian Beltre hit a 2 run homerun and scored the winning run in the Dodgers first win of the season.





Monday, April 5

What a week!

It's been a very bad week for me, my TV got broken and i'll have to pay 188 to fix it, my air conditiones broken too, i don't know how much will it cost and last and more important our car was crashed in a Burguer King parking lot, so more money to expend.

A lot of work have kept me away from posting, i hope today i can post something, maybe about Dominican Players making MLB rosters.

See you soon!