3 influential Baseball Players of the Dominican Republic

 

The great Roberto Clemente end must be flagship of all players of baseball D.R. past, present and future. Born in August-18-1934 in poverty Roberto was noticed by the Pittsburgh pirates organization and signed a contract for professional baseball in 1955.

Clemente was a superb athlete known for his bat and his glove, but what really stood out was his incredibly powerful and accurate throwing arm, which helped him gun runners down at any base from his post in right field.

In his career, Clemente won 12 gold gloves, played in 12 games stars and in 1966 was elected best player of the National League.

December 31, 1972, Roberto was on a mission of mercy, helping the victims of the earthquake inNicaragua when the plane in which he was travelling crashed. His body was never found.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, the only player to never have the mandatory waiting period 5 years after retirement.

Julian Javier, born 9 August 1936 is my second favorite to come out of the Dominion Republic. Javier, ironically was also spotted and signed a contract for professional baseball by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the same team who signed Clemente.

Javier played only one season with Pittsburgh when he was traded with the Cardinals in St. Louis, where he proved to be a player of second goal super star. He resumed the names of nick "hoolie" and the "Ghost" because of its long range commissioning, quick hands and the uncanny ability to avoid the base runner slides into second base trying to collide with him.

It became part of baseball history when he, Bill White (1st), Dick Groat (ss) and Ken Boyer (3rd) became the first team start row infield in an all-star game.

Juan Marichal, born 10-20 - 1937 is the third. Signed by the Giants in San Francisco, with whom he played all but the last two years of his career , as delivered to the right high kick pitcher.

It is this signature leg high kick, which was almost completely vertical on the winding-up, which makes him so recognisable and because that he his the ball with the kick, a launcher winner successfully.

Perhaps its most inaccessible realization came in 1963 when he and Baseball pitching great Warren Spahn dueled in a game that the Giants won 1-0 on a Willie Mays circuit in the 16th round. Spahn and Marichal launched across the 16 sleeves, a feat which will never be duplicated.

Juan was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.