Dominican Republic Champions !
The Aguilas(Eagles)of Cibao
won their fourth Caribbean
World Series title by defeating
the Puertorican champions
Indios(Indians)of Mayaguez.
The Dominican stars: Tejada,
MondesÃÂÂ, OrtÃÂÂz and Batista.
By Amaury Pi-GonzálezFebruary 8, 2003.
Carolina, Puerto Rico.
Roberto Clemente Stadium.
Four runs in the first inning
propelled the Dominican
champions to a 7 to 3
victory over Puerto Rico.
Rafael Furcal base hit and
stole second, then came
around to score with
an RBI single by Miguel
Tejada, followed by David
Ortiz hit and Tony Batista’s
double bringing Tejada
in. The third run was courtesy
of a wild pitch by Puerto Rico’s
pitcher Josué Matos and then
Raul Mondesàdrove the fourth
run with a deep sac-fly to
center field.
The Dominicans were not
finished when they scored
3 more runs in the third
inning. This time Miguel
Tejada with a ringing double
to left center field followed
by the Series MVP David
Ortiz double brining in
Tejada were the highlights.
That was all the offense
the Cibao Eagles needed.
Claudio Vargas was the
wining pitcher for the
Dominican Republic.
This was the fourth
Caribbean World Series
title for the Cibao Eagles
of the Dominican Republic,
who also won in 1997 at
Hermosillo, México, 1998
at Puerto Cruz, Venezuela
and again in México in 2001.
These were the final standings
for the week-long tournament:
1-Dominican Republic 6-1
2-Puerto Rico(Mayaguez) 5-2
3-Puerto Rico(Caguas) 2-4
4-México (Los Mochis) 0-6
The reason for Puerto Rico’s
two team entry ? Because of
the cancellation of the Winter
League in Venezuela, that
country didn’t sent a champion
to this years’s 59th edition
of the Caribbean World
Series that took place this past
week in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
Therefore, organizers of the
event named Caguas Criollos,
the team that finished second
to Mayaguez Indians in Puerto
Rico to take Venezuela’s place.
With this most recent title,
Dominican Republic has tied
Puerto Rico for most Caribbean
World Series titles with
14 for each country. The
first Caribbean World Series
was held in Havana, Cuba
in 1949. Cuba has not
participated in this Latin
classic since 1961 when US
President John F.Kennedy
and Dictator Fidel Castro’s
country broke diplomatic
relations. During the first
decade of the Caribbean
World Series Cuban teams
were unmatched by their
Caribbean rivals.
After the win, Miguel Tejada
was kissing the CWS Trophy
inside the Dominicans dressing
room and said: “este es uno
de mis momentos más grandes
para mi en el béisbol” (This is
one of the greatest moments
for me in my baseball career).
The MVP of the American League,
will soon report to Phoenix
Arizona, Spring Training home
of the Western Division Champion
Oakland A’S.
Many who were at the A’S Fanfest
this past weekend at the Oakland
Coliseum, and stopped by the
Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
display at the East Side of the
Coliseum asked me for Tejada,
and why he wasn’t there. During
the past two seasons Tejada has
been playing for the Dominican
Republic during the Caribbean
World Series during the A’S
Fanfest.
Will Tejada be allowed to play
Winter Ball in the Dominican
after he signs with the A’S
or his new team ? That remains
to be seen. Tejada told at the
beginning of this 59th edition
of the CWS that he was looking
for a 10 year contract, estimated
at $12 million per season.
My sources tell me at least
6 teams are interested in
Miguel.
That price is a “reasonable”
price for a player of his stature
and he no doubt will
be the focus this
Spring Training. Hopefully,
the Athletics can sign him
so it doesn’t become a
big distraction for this
team’s goal of winning
a World Series.
Anybody who follows the A’S
(fans specially)are resigned to
loose Miguel Tejada to another
team after this 2003 season. It
is not pesimistic, it is called
common sense. If the A’S could
not sign Jason Giambi for that
type of money….why think
they can sign Tejada for that
type of money?
Hasta la vista.
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