Baseball: a national sport in the Dominican Republic

In most of the countries of the world the most popular sport, the one with the greatest roots, the one that moves the masses, the one that paralyzes a country is soccer, however, in some countries such as the Dominican Republic the sport that makes the population enjoy, suffer and fascinate is baseball or ball, considered as the national sport.

Baseball that had its beginnings in the Middle Ages,  arrived in the Caribbean by North American sailors and it was played for the first time in the Dominican Republic at the end of the XNUMXth century by the employees of the sugar planters who were Cuban migrants who came to the country due to the recession in their country.

The current teams participating in the professional winter league are the Cibaeñas Eagles who this season lead the fall / winter tournament, the Tigres del Licey, the Bulls of the East, the Lions of the Chosen One, the Giants and the Eastern Stars. Undoubtedly, Dominican baseball has offered great satisfactions to their country, many of the players are great ambassadors in the American leagues, one of which was Juan Marichal, an idol who triumphed in the American League in the 60s.

Currently, Lendy Castillo and Gustavo NúñezBoth players from the Lions of the Chosen One have been signed by the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburg Pirates. It is a sample of the quality of baseball players in the Caribbean country, a country that is characterized by exporting players not only to the United States but also to the Japanese and Mexican leagues, among others.

The institution that organizes and regulates professional baseball is The Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM). The tournament comprises 50 matches per team between October and December, the first four face each other in a series of 18 matches and finally, the first two dispute the final in a series of 9 matches, the champion represents the Dominican Republic at Caribbean international tournament.