Listen to the news Listen to the news
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
SANTO DOMINGO. -When David Ortiz entered the stadium on Saturday afternoon, he was surprised and excited by the fans’ support for the first game of the Seventh MLB Spring Series in the country.
“In this country we breathe baseball,” Ortiz exclaimed as he was surrounded by a group of journalists before the first game of the series that the Red Sox won 4-0 against the Rays.”
David Ortiz and Pedro Martínez pose for a photo with Amed Rosario #10 and José Siri #22 of the Rays after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday’s game against the Red Sox.
For David Ortiz, who, along with Hall of Famer and Red Sox teammate Pedro Martínez, threw out the first pitches, the occasion left them with a source of pride.
“Here baseball is lived in a spectacular way and MLB knows it, there is a Major League atmosphere, so I have faith that we will be able to climb higher and higher,” Ortiz added.
But for the Dominican Republic to have an official Major League match, something more than the good intentions of the commissioner’s office are needed.
Fans take photos outside before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
“We need (in the Dominican Republic) a stadium that has the conditions so that our players, the gold that this country produces, can come here without any type of risks or worries,” said Pedro Martínez.
The vice president of Major League Baseball (MLB), Jorge Pérez, when approached about it, said that the country needs a larger stadium for regular season games to be held.
“For a seasonal game, a larger stadium is needed, which brings more income to the game. Remember that it is a game that is replacing the United States, where those teams have income with a stadium of 35,000 and they fill it,” he stated.
When interviewed by journalists from Listín Diario, Pérez maintained that the Quisqueya Juan Marichal Stadium, having a capacity for about 12,000 fans, only works for preseason games, so a venue is needed that provides more income to the game.
“That our people can truly appreciate the talent that it produces, that our people can appreciate the flavor of what is the almost perfect baseball that is Major League Baseball,” David said.
2024-03-10 15:10:57
#David #Ortiz #country #breathe #baseball
