Santiago, Dominican Republic
Fedlock & Smokers' Trip - April 2002
These photos are from Michael Groves of the Fedlock team and provided to Fastpitchwest.com courtesy of Al Doran, ”Al’s Fastball List”. They were taken during the recent visit to Santiago, in the Dominican Republic by the Fedlock and Smokers teams. We are pleased to have the opportunity to open the window on men's fastpitch 'round the world a little bit wider for you. The photos of Santiago show a simpler, slower paced lifestyle, reminiscent of what fastpitch might have been like in its earlier days in this country. I was especially taken by the last photo at the bottom left, of the people lining the fences, to get a view of the game. To paraphrase HBO's baseball special....."When It Was Just a Game".......
Whether it's in the water or just hard work and dedication to their sport, this island republic excels in turning out top flight ballplayers in both baseball and fastpitch. Major League Baseball discovered the talents of the Dominican's countrymen. Now, it appears that fastpitch has as well.
A recent email from Michael Groves to Al's Fastball Mailing List is reprinted below, detailing a portion of his team's visit to the Dominican Republic. We hope you enjoy it, along with the photos. Again, we say thank you to Michael Groves, and Al Doran for sharing the photos and story with us.
Jim Flanagan, Editor, Fastpitch West
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Santiago - Smokers with Bases Loaded
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Santiago - Taxi from the Bullpen
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Santiago - Road Trip
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Santiago - Ballyard with Mountains at Dusk
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Santiago - Fans Lining the Field
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By way of background, we include a recent post by Michael Groves to Al's Fastball, recounting their visit to Santiago:FedLock Steps Up in the Dominican Republic
On Friday evening, April 26, 2002, the FedLock Falcons journeyed from the bustling capital city of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, to the bucolic town of Santiago. Whereas Santo Domingo has all of the clamor and rat race activity of any major urban area, Santiago is a much smaller town nestled in the foothills approximately 3 hours from the capital.
Our ride was long, but we were treated to gorgeous vistas as the old city buses which we rode kept grinding onward to our destination. The roads wound higher and higher as we journeyed up into the lush, green mountain regions of the country. We shared our bus with the Victoria Travelers team as well as the Dominican National Team. Players were sprawled in the aisles and lounging on equipment bags, as well as packed into every seat available. The three teams kept to themselves for the most part.
The field at Santiago is surrounded by mountains. As the teams unloaded we could see swirling mists coming off the peaks around us, but the sun and the heat stayed with us at field level. As darkness set in it got a bit cooler, but it was still hot in the tropics.
The Travelers played the first game against the National Team and lost 6-1. We watched with respect as the Travelers rapped four straight singles yet only scored one run. This had nothing to do with any lack of speed on the part of the Traveler players rather, it was out of complete and total respect for center fielder Felix Heredia s laser arm. Many seasoned North American players had never seen a gun as powerful and as accurate as Heredia s. That is not hype, nor is it an exaggeration. If you run on
this team s outfielder s you had best do it with supreme confidence or sheer terror in your heart. Heredia is also one of the National Team s best hitters in the leadoff slot.
After the Travelers departed for the hotel and home, it was FedLock s turn. By game time there were well over 1,200 people packing the areas around the backstop, the rightfield line, and the areas behind right field and center field. Merengue music boomed from a system set up in the pavilion just beyond the right field line and the cold beer flowed freely. Local folks were there to watch some fastball and have a great time living life.
To this point, FedLock had been scoring runs against the National side, but had been outgunned by the heavy bats of the host team. For FedLock pitchers this truly was pre-season, and thus they were giving it their best; but it was still early especially so for the Canadians. So, how does FedLock spell relief? Two words: Earl Rutledge.
The big man arrived late in the D.R. due to work commitments at home. After his four hour flight he went another three hours in a taxi to meet his team in Santiago. Rutledge literally stepped out of a taxi and into his uniform. The result was great fastball.
FedLock players hit the dirt ready to play ball nobody on this squad takes a three hour ride to play ball and then comes out flat. The first and second innings saw the Falcons go down in order. However, the Dominican team flared three singles in the first inning to go ahead 1-0. Entering the fourth frame it was still the Nationals ahead by 1-0.
Then the FedLock bats exploded. 1b Lyle Brown led off with a gap shot double off pitcher Vasquez. Brown scored on a single by 2b Kenny Coles. Lf Boog Sauer s sac bunt pushed Coles to second. 3b Jason Sutton's single moved Coles over to third. Rf Dan Winnick then unloaded a 2-rbi double into the left field corner. Winnick has worked hard on his game over the winter and the results show well. A final single from Padre Tiempo (Father Time, as the Dominicans called him) dp Nick McCurry put FedLock ahead 4-1.
The last thing that one wants to do is get complacent against the Dominican National Team. The energy level of the game was similar to an ISC World Tournament contest. FedLock wanted its first win of the Tour, and the National side players kept swinging very hard and playing great defense, looking for another win.Rutledge, however, had other ideas. Pitching with his usual intensity and working superbly with new FedLock catcher Jorge Bonilla, Rutledge shut the National Team down. The duo looked as if they had been working together for years, such was the chemistry between pitcher and catcher. Bonilla was 2/2 at the plate and hit the ball sharply. Rutledge struck out 10. End game, FedLock 4-1.
As soon as the game ended, the heavens opened up and the rain became torrential. The team bus was parked in a field. A fan had blocked the exit pathway with his car, and the car's owner was nowhere to be found. After an increasingly frustrating delay the players decided to take matters into their own hands. Several FedLock players and several Dominican players exited the bus and, along with some of the fans, picked the vehicle up on the count of Un, dos, tres! and re-located it. A huge downed tree was also moved aside. We re-boarded the bus, and all aboard cheered as the bus roared off into the night.
After every game the Dominican Softball organization treated us to a meal and very cold Presidente cervezas. The hospitality shown to our personnel by the Dominican softball group, and all of the Dominican people, was always magnificent.
The final games of the Tour were a doubleheader in the small town of Bonao on the afternoon and evening of Saturday April 29, 2002. Bonao was a two hour bus ride from our hotel in Santo Domingo. We shared the bus with the Dominican Team personnel. The players were starting to chat more with each other, but it was still a reserved atmosphere in general.
Robbie Schweyer toed up for FedLock in the first game. Catching was Midland s, and temporarily FedLock s, superb receiver Terry Boetsma. Boetsma rebounded from a nasty bout with some bad pineapple the previous day to come back strong in this contest. Ace Sauer would score the first FedLock run on a fielder s choice, sac bunt by Lyle Brown, and Boetsma s single in the first inning. Team Dominican would respond immediately by smacking a single by Cabrera, a double by Juan Martinez, and a walk to Adelso Caraballo. However, from that point on it was all Schweyer, all the time. As sore as his arm was, Robbie pitched through on guts and heart to shut down the Dominican Team. Here was a Major pitcher working his craft.
Meanwhile, Schweyer s FedLock mates scored three runs in the third inning on a double by Ace Sauer, a single by Brown, and a blast by Boetsma over the center field wall that may still be airborne. FedLock scored again in the fourth inning on a walk by Groves, a sac bunt by Boog Sauer, and an error and a wild pitch by the Dominican Team that allowed Winnick to score.
FedLock wrapped up the scoring in the fifth inning with a single by Kenny Coles that scored Terry Boetsma. Boetsma had raced to third on a rocket that he launched off the outfield wall. Final score FedLock 7-2.
Rutledge started the sixth and final game of the series. Dorcine went for the Dominicans. FedLock scored first on Jorge Bonilla s blast over the right field wall to lead off the fourth inning. Of course, the dogfight was only beginning. Caraballo ripped a double in the fourth inning and scored on La Hoz s double for the Nationals. It stayed knotted up as Rutledge and Dorcine dueled into the dusk, and then into the sultry Dominican night.
In the top of the seventh inning Terry Boetsma led off for FedLock with a walk. He was pushed over by Boog Sauer s sac bunt. Then Dan Winnick, all five feet nothing of solid player, ripped another double to score Boetsma, and take the lead 2-1. FedLock took the field for defense knowing that the powerful Dominican first baseman La Hoz was leading off. Rutledge worked La Hoz to a 2-2 count and then made a mistake. That mistake landed behind the right center field wall to tie the score at two all. A tired Rutledge
departed, having done a great job in two days time. On came Steve Langley to pop up the dp Arias and strike out the catcher Ramos. Then Dilone singled to bring up the hot hitting Figueruoa. Tension time in the ballyard. Two outs, 3 and 2 count, and here came the pitch. Figureoa went yard with it to win the game 5-2 for the Dominican National Team.
And so ended our softball competition in the Dominican Republic. FedLock finished 2-4, not as good as last year s 3-3. We believe that we played well, scored a lot of runs, and played very good defense. FedLock is entering the season ahead in very good shape with a very solid team. And the superb experience was basically beyond words.
Before the final game FedLock players gave custom-logo batting gloves, FedLock hats, and FedLock shirts to all of the Dominican players during pre-game ceremonies. After the final game FedLock shared a meal with the National Team players and then boarded the ancient bus with the Dominican players for the ride home. It didn't t take long for a rolling party to develop. Such was the camaraderie that has developed between Team FedLock and Team Dominican that players from both teams were swapping seats and
talking and laughing and drinking yet more ice cold Presidentes. How these conversations might seem to be a mystery to some observers, since only one of our players is fluent in Spanish and English, and only one of theirs was fluent in both languages as well.
Yet, as anyone who has been around the sport knows, there is an international language of fastball brotherhood and shared experiences. And on that bus that night, as we bounced and jounced and rolled through the dark heat of the island night towards the far-off lights of Santo Domingo, that brotherhood manifested itself. It appeared as the Dominican players
sang songs and clapped in time to the music and the North American players joined them. It flowed as Chop Brewer, FedLock s heart and rapping scorekeeper, rapped to the Dominicans about life, friends, softball, and Washington, DC. And it went on and on until we reached the city, players from two very, very different cultures and worlds, laughing and singing and enjoying life to the fullest.
We enjoyed the attention, and appreciated the respect, paid to us from the VIP s of the trip. We cherished the opportunity to share competition and life s laughter with the players and the people of the Dominican Republic throughout our trip.
We would like to again thank Fabulous Frankie Perez, Luis Mejia, Jose Mejia, and all those players, fans, and new friends who made this trip such a very special adventure. As young Brian Urquhart told me on the bus ride home from Bonao amidst the singing, and rapping, the beers and the laughter, Mike, this is what softball is all about. I wouldn't t have missed this trip for anything!
Adios and buenas noches,
Mike Groves
FedLock Fastball
mailto:falcon@fedlock.com