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SANTO DOMINGO.- A new academy to be built by the Chicago Cubs over the next two years in Dominican Republic was unveiled by that club’s chairman Tom Ricketts during a news conference at the Embajador Hotel Thursday, news source mlb.com reports.

"It's about doing everything we can to be the best organization in baseball, and you can't be the best organization in baseball unless you have a strong presence in the Dominican and a strong presence in Latin America," mlb.com quoted Ricketts as saying.

Slated for the town of La Gina, near the capital, the facility’s 50 acre will make it the country’s largest sports academy, to be open year-round, complete with baseball fields and training facilities to house Minor League players during the season and Major Leaguers in the offseason.

“The new academy will serve players from across the world, including Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Aruba, Curacao and Mexico, in addition to the Dominican Republic,” the Website adds, quoting Ricketts.

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COMMENTS
9 comment(s)
Written by: Atabey, 3 Feb 2012 11:10 AM
From: United States, NYC
"It's about doing everything we can to be the best organization in baseball, and you can't be the best organization in baseball unless you have a strong presence in the Dominican and a strong presence in Latin America," mlb.com quoted Ricketts as saying.

“The new academy will serve players from across the world, including Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Aruba, Curacao and Mexico, in addition to the Dominican Republic,”

Excellent news. If not for the Castros, this would surely have been located in Cuba. And Chavez' Venezuela doesn't get more investments like these because of his regimes anti-US stand.
Written by: RonEvane This user is banned, 3 Feb 2012 11:16 AM
From: United States, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Go Cubbies!.. Teach them English, manners, and all elements necessary for becoming a good human being.
Written by: RoyStone, 3 Feb 2012 11:21 AM
From: Australia
Will it be "the country’s largest academy" or "the country’s largest sports academy"?
Written by: RoyStone, 3 Feb 2012 11:23 AM
From: Australia
Not in the best interests of the game, Ron.
Its giant egos that make sports stars, not decency.
Written by: xwill7, 3 Feb 2012 1:15 PM
From: United States, El cuarto bate
Good, hope they will win the world series soon!
Written by: Atabey, 3 Feb 2012 1:26 PM
From: United States, NYC
Giant egos and great natural and trained talents, Roy. All professional sports are driven by talent and egos.

These investments help Dominicans by providing construction and maintenance jobs, demand for materials-supplied by domestic companies!, and further employment opportunities for coaches and staff many of them Dominican.

Written by: egarcia046, 3 Feb 2012 2:39 PM
From: United States
If the Cubs really want to show good faith to this country, they should build a school next to the academy. And educate these young man, set up a earn your degree while trying to get signed.
Written by: lovingit, 3 Feb 2012 4:13 PM
From: United States, Delaware
@egarcia

Actually they are doing that and much more:

Here is the MLB Article release
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.j....78&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

According to the article, they will teach them English and proper Spanish, and give them the ability to obtain a GED (High School Diploma) while on premises.
Written by: egarcia046, 3 Feb 2012 4:30 PM
From: United States
@lovingit

Thanks for the follow-up info.
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