Nov. 25, 2014
There was a lot in store today starting with a 6:30 a.m. wake up and long travel to the games, where again we split into two teams, one to the Indians development camp and the other to the Red Sox camp.
It was a successful day on the field with both teams winning. After the games we got a couple of hours off at the hotel before heading to the first fortress built in the Americas in Santo Domingo. The fortress was built in 1505 and it was an interesting tour learning about the early Dominican settlement, seeing the dungeon and going to the top of the fortress, which looks out over the Osama River that pours into the Caribbean. We also saw the building where Christopher Columbus was buried (although he’s allegedly buried in Cuba and Spain too).
After the tour was over we went to a small gift shop, which had many unique items that are not commonly found in the U.S. It gave the guys a chance to do some shopping and find gifts for family members back home. I would allude to some of the merchandise but that would just ruin it for some of the parents and family members.
After the tour, we boarded the bus and headed for a Dominican Winter League game, which featured Licey versus Aguilas. It was a really interesting experience because the environment was so much different than going to a major league game. They had cheerleaders; Pepsi girls zip lining, boom sticks and lots of dancing and screaming. The fans had so much energy the whole game and would get to their feet over anything their team did well, which is uncommon if you went to a regular season MLB game on a Tuesday night. The place was just constantly loud and after being up for about 15 hours, our team did not contribute much to the screaming as we just sat and watched the Dominicans play. It was a treat to watch guys like Manny Ramirez, Miguel Olivo, Juan Francisco and other pro players familiar to us. We stayed at the game for five innings before heading back to the hotel to get some rest.
Tomorrow we have a day off from baseball and are heading out to a small island off of the Dominican coast.
Toffey’s Journal – Day 1
Toffey’s Journal – Day 2
Freshman Will Toffey will be providing daily updates of what the Commodores are experiencing in the Dominican Republic on and off the field.
