Baseball's Global Reach: Red Sox and Rays Shine in Santo Domingo Showcase

By Anika Stikeleather | May 2, 2024

Baseball, commonly referred to as “America’s pastime”  no longer belongs to only the United States. 

The game's globalization is evident. In 2024, 27.8% of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) players on an opening day roster were internationally-born, according to the AP News. Today’s game is headlined by international superstars such as Shohei Otani and Ronald Acuna Jr., who ranked one and two on MLB’s most-sold jerseys of the 2023 season according to the MLB.

Perennial playoff teams like the Houston Astros, who have been dominant since 2017, open the 2024 season with 16 international players on their 30-man roster. The Astros have made every American Leauge  Championship Series from 2017 to the present and have taken four trips to the World Series in that 7 season span.  MLB remains the most competitive league in the world, but nations such as Japan, South Korea, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Cuba have leagues that continue to grow and produce MLB talent. 

The 2024 MLB World Tour will include games in London; Mexico City; Seoul, South Korea; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, according to an announcement last July by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.  It gives fans outside of the U.S. a chance to see some of baseball’s biggest talents.

The players are just as excited as the MLB top brass to spread the game globally said Executive director of the MLB Players Association, Tony Clark to MLB.com.

“Players have a deep interest in growing baseball around the world,” said Clark. “No matter where they come from, players are linked by a passion for our game that transcends different languages, cultures, and nationalities. We are excited to expand our international presence in new communities and celebrate the game we all love.”

On March 9 and 10 the Boston Red Sox and The Tampa Bay Rays played a pair of spring training games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic at Estadio Quisqueya on March 9 and 10. The series highlighted both teams' Dominican talent, Red Sox’s Rafael Devers and Brayan Bello and the Rays’ Jose Siri.

Devers, a Dominican Republic native, took the time to show his Red Sox teammates where he grew up – on the northeast part of the Dominican Republic in the Sánchez Ramírez Province – and spoke about the importance of the series as his team’s tour guide.

 “I’ve tried to show all my teammates the Dominican culture,” said Devers on March 9 prior to the series first pitch. “I went out with my teammates yesterday to dinner. I also took a few of my teammates to where I’m from, where I was born, where I was raised. It was nice for me to show my teammates where I actually come from. Now, they will have a knowledge of all these places where I’m from. I’m very happy about that. I’m very proud of that as well.”

He continued, “I think it’s a beautiful thing to be able to share where we come from and what I come from.”

Devers was excited at the opportunity to give kids who dream of playing baseball the chance to see major league players, something he never got. 

Before the series, Devers spoke through translator Daveson Perez to Boston news outlet Mass Live excitedly about being able to pack the stadium with family and friends;  “Obviously, I’m gonna give out all the tickets out that I do have. If it was up to them, they’d all go.”

In the eight years since Devers last played in Estadio Quisqueya he has become one of baseball's most feared hitters and one of the Dominican Republic’s best players. He received a standing ovation by the sold out crowd as he came up to bat for the first time in the series. 

David Ortiz, former Red Sox great, Hall of Famer, and Dominican Native, was in attendance for the series and took joy in seeing younger players having this chance. 

“You know, I never had the opportunity to play in my country,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz expanded on what this experience means for international players, “We always dream about coming here with a Major League ballclub to perform in front of our family and our friends and fans that basically watched us grow up. Every American player, every Latin player dreams about that.”

 He was happy to live through today's players, “He[Devers] gave me a lot of happiness. He and [Brayan] Bello and the rest of the kids, because I have this type of feeling that I know they are going through.”

Red Sox Manager Alex Cora commented on his own experience and the importance of playing in front of family.

“One of the reasons I played winter ball was to play in front of my friends. Some of them had a chance to see me play in the big leagues, but some of them didn’t,” said Cora, the Puertorican native and retired MLB infielder. “To give them a chance to see me play, good or bad, I knew what it means to them.”

In the same weekend, fellow Dominican Republic teammate Bryan Bello announced his 6-year $55 million contract extension confirming his spot in the future of the Red Sox organization according to MLB.com

“He could be a superstar in the big leagues,” said Devers.

This season Bello started opening day for the Red Sox against the Mariners in a 6 to 4 win, offering a strong 2 run 5 inning performance. At 24 years old he became the youngest Red Sox opening day starter since 1995. Despite his youth, he trails only the great Pedro Martinez in starts, wins, and strikeouts among Dominican born Red Sox Pitchers.

Martinez has been an idol and mentor to Bello and complimentented the Red Sox recent investment in homegrown players who develop in their minor league system.

Red Sox management saw the weekend as the chance to celebrate Dominican born players like Ortiz and Martinez along with the new generation of talent.

“From the players who have passed through our Dominican Republic Academy to those who have helped us win championships, we have been fortunate to witness the profound impact of Dominican players within our game,” said Boston’s President Sam Kennedy in his announcement of the series in 2023. “We are thrilled to be able to bring Red Sox baseball to such a vibrant baseball community next year."

Along with the game, other festivities took place. 

Bello and players from both organizations oversaw one of MLB’s Play Ball clinics outside Estadio Quisqueya, with about 150 kids from the local area. They played “vitilla”, Dominican’s version of stickball.

Jose Siri, Ray’s star, found out about the series when he saw a graphic on Instagram plastered with his face. Immediately he called his mom expressing disbelief and excitement. Siri took the field March 9, in cinematic fashion running out with a small Dominican Republic flag in front of a sold-out crowd to a roar of applause as the sun continued to set over the capitol’s stadium. 

The Red Sox swept the series against the Rays winning 4-0 in March 9’s night game and a comeback 7-6 win the next day. Even so, the weekend was not about baseball games but the game of baseball. 

“This is the purest form of baseball,” said Cora. “This is what we do, and it should be fun. I think both organizations did a great job being ambassadors of baseball.”

Cora and Ray’s Manager Kevin Cash advocated for a regular season series to be held in the Dominican Republic. 

Red Sox Pitcher Joely Rodríguez and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native closed the series on the mound ending the weekend in celebratory fashion.

“As soon as we got off that plane, he let everyone know he was from here,” said Cora about Rodríguez to MLB.com. “He was very loud and clear about that. He had a blast. He let everybody know how it works here.”