PEDRO G. BRICEÑO
The one that thousands of people consider to be The biggest sporting achievement of the Dominican Republic celebrates this time the arrival of the eighth anniversary.
Although time passes and memories pass, the memories remain latent of that golden deed experienced by the baseball team in winning the 2013 World Baseball Ranking, a feat materialized in an invincible way.
On March 19, 2013, the Dominican Republic played its last game against Puerto Rico, always their rival, a team they defeated 3-0 in the closing, after a superb performance by Samuel Deduno, who threw 5.0 innings from just two shots and five shots and the attack of Edwin Encarnación, who produced two rounds with one.
This result gave rise to a major holiday in all corners of the nation, which, despite the years, many enjoy and remember, because the event materialized is so deserved.
An undefeated 8-0 record recorded in all the stops reinforced the expressions expressed by a Galician at the time, who in a television commercial that was made for the occasion expressed: “It’s that they are the best”, referring to the team that, in its comprehensive rhythm, left on the road the strong teams from the United States and Venezuela, as well as a group from Puerto Rico that found only in the Dominicans the famous “pebble in the shoe”.
Ah, with this brilliant achievement, he had left behind the bitter taste he had received four years ago, when Santiago prepared their suitcases early, after being defeated twice by the Netherlands only in the first round.
The one in 2013 became a joint effort, which featured the Dominican Baseball Federation, manager Tony Peña, general manager Moisés Alou and with them a group of brave players, who from the first concentration threw themselves on the field. with hunger, gallantry and company in search of erasing the fateful 2009 performance.
The long-awaited revenge against the Netherlands Antilles team, the 2009 world leader Quisqueyanos, also took place as Dominicans with a timely shot from José Reyes, Edwin Encarnación and Moisés Sierra, in addition to Edinson’s initial launch. Vólquez and the effective performance of the relay defeated the Dutch 4-1 in a match organized on Monday, March 18.
The Dominicans enjoyed each of the 72 complete innings played in the team’s eight games in the tournament, which are estimated to have been followed by tens of millions of fans around the world. In total, 885,716 people participated in different stadiums, a figure that until then was a record for this event.
This pennant united a nation, all promoting the same goal and which became a copra, where even the most important personalities of the country postponed the appointments or, in the best cases, did not place them on their agenda in the hours when the dominican team played.
An achievement that began that afternoon of March 6, when the Dominicans defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 15-2 in an exhibition game and that led Cole Hamels on the left to compliment the team by saying that they are very strong.
Robinson Cannon JMV
Robinson Canó was selected the most valuable, after hitting .469 (32-15) with four doubles and two homers, and the performance should be highlighted José Reyes, Nelson Cruz, Hanley Ramírez, Carlos Santana, Erick Aybar, Alejandro de Aza, Miguel Tejada, Moisés Sierra, as well as pitchers Fernando Rodney, Pedro Strop, Octavio Dotel, Kelvin Herrera, José Veras, starters Samuel Deduno, Wandy Rodríguez, Edinson Vólquez, Lorenzo Barceló, among others.
Dominicans Edwin Encarnación, initialist; Cannon, intermediate; José Reyes, shortstop; Outfielder Nelson Cruz has been included in the All-Star team.
World classic matches
The Dominicans had to start the day against a very strong team, that of Venezuela, but the result began to leave a pleasant taste among the players and thousands of fans from all latitudes, who knew that the confrontation will not be easy at all. A resounding 9-3 victory began to herald great things to come in the coming days.
The victories against Puerto Rico and Spain gave their unbeaten ranking to Quisqueyanos.
The second round did not start anything positive for the Dominican Republic, as Italy put the game in their favor 4-0 against an uncontrolled Edinson Vólquez and predicted that another surprise would take place, however, the Quisqueyans recovered and a single by Nelson Cruz made them win the clash 5-4. The victories against the United States (3-1) and Puerto Rico (2-0) gave him a second lead in the semifinals.
In the semifinals they had to face the Netherlands, the team that defeated them twice in the first round of the 2009 tournament, but the Dominicans took a pleasant revenge, relying on the offenses of Reyes, Encarnación and Sierra and a good pitch from Volquez, who joined the formidable Dominican aid corps.
Each meeting was a copra, it was the theme par excellence, the main drinking points were crowded, national symbols had been revealed even on people’s clothing, even on bananas, an element that is never missing in the country’s tables gained greater notoriety. , because it has become the standard of the national team, so popular that its consumption has increased dramatically both here and in many other nations.
The last game was against Puerto Rico and, with the initial release of Deduno, who threw 5.0 innings in two strokes, and the relief of Dotel, Pedro Strop, Santiago Casilla and Rodney, who saved their seventh game, what everyone expected to achieve., the conquest of the world classic, after its 3-0 triumph.