Actualidad

Mets bet on creating their own talent

| 3 min de lectura

SANTO DOMINGO.-The New York Mets inaugurated their new baseball complex in Boca Chica yesterday, and had President Leonel Fernández throw out the first pitch. The Mets organization was represented by Jeff Wilpon, president and COO, and Omar Minaya, their general manager.

The US$8 million facility will serve as the headquarters for the Mets'Sumer League team and replaces the old rented San Cristóbal facilities that were used to house the club's baseball prospects.
Omar Minaya told reporters, that "(he) did not want just a baseball academy, " I wanted education, nutrition, health care, a family atmospheres, all the responsibility of the player, the organization and the citizen."


According to the reports the Mets spent US$6 million on the purchase of the land and US$2 million on getting everything ready. The facility will house players not only from the Dominican Republic but also from all over Latin America. It is located at Kilometer 2 of the road that leads to Jubey from Boca Chica.

One of the two baseball fields is an exact replica of the Mets' new field, "Citi Field", to be inaugurated in 2009. All of the dimensions are the same including the height of the outfield fences.

The other field utilizes artificial turf. When Minaya was asked about the use of artificial grass, which some say can injure a player's knee joints, he said that "I work with the truth and the opinions of the experts." And reporters said that one of these truths is that Minaya has dedicated himself to develop the young Dominican talent.

During the opening ceremonies, two of the young baseball hopefuls received their high school diplomas. One of them was Samuel Taveras, 19, who had signed his contract in 2007, before he was 18 years old. Taveras said that "the comparison (with the old field) was too much," as he commented on the clubhouse, the recreation room, the gymnasium, the dining hall and the better living facilities that are offered to the 76 players that will use the new complex. He said "This is big league."