I rolled through south, central DR a few days ago, near the capital. There is an area just north of the main airport where about seven Major League Baseball clubs have facilities, or "academias de beisbol".
I'm not sure if MLB players ever stop in or train there, but they are likely scouting and training facilities for the farm league. Many Dominicans play on Major League Baseball teams, including perhaps the best known, Sammy Sousa, who grew up near here.
UPDATE: The Seattle Mariners officially opened their facility on Feb. 13. Here is what the DR1 Daily News had to say:
Seattle Mariners have new academy in Boca Chica
Kevin Mather, president of The Seattle Mariners, general manager Jack Zduriencik and star player Robinson Cano were at the opening of the new baseball academy built by the Seattle Mariners half an hour's drive from Santo Domingo yesterday, Thursday 13 February 2014. The academy is not far from where Cano grew up. The team spent US$7.3 million to build the state-of-the-art training center in Los Farallones, Boca Chica. The Mariners is the team that recently committed to major contracts for two Dominican stars in the World Baseball Classic winning team, Robinson Cano and Fernando Rodney.
Some 40 prospects have already been signed and are training at the new academy, as reported in Listin Diario.
Built by architect Jose Mella, the new facility includes three full-sized fields, dormitories for housing up to 80 prospects at a time, classrooms and computer labs for young players to study English and other programs.
The Mariners previously shared an older facility with the Dodgers in the Dominican Republic.
You can see the facilities in Google Maps. Enter "Boca Chica, Dominican Republic" and look to the northeast.
I'm not sure if MLB players ever stop in or train there, but they are likely scouting and training facilities for the farm league. Many Dominicans play on Major League Baseball teams, including perhaps the best known, Sammy Sousa, who grew up near here.
UPDATE: The Seattle Mariners officially opened their facility on Feb. 13. Here is what the DR1 Daily News had to say:
Seattle Mariners have new academy in Boca Chica
Kevin Mather, president of The Seattle Mariners, general manager Jack Zduriencik and star player Robinson Cano were at the opening of the new baseball academy built by the Seattle Mariners half an hour's drive from Santo Domingo yesterday, Thursday 13 February 2014. The academy is not far from where Cano grew up. The team spent US$7.3 million to build the state-of-the-art training center in Los Farallones, Boca Chica. The Mariners is the team that recently committed to major contracts for two Dominican stars in the World Baseball Classic winning team, Robinson Cano and Fernando Rodney.
Some 40 prospects have already been signed and are training at the new academy, as reported in Listin Diario.
Built by architect Jose Mella, the new facility includes three full-sized fields, dormitories for housing up to 80 prospects at a time, classrooms and computer labs for young players to study English and other programs.
The Mariners previously shared an older facility with the Dodgers in the Dominican Republic.
You can see the facilities in Google Maps. Enter "Boca Chica, Dominican Republic" and look to the northeast.