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The boys of summer are back. And with them comes every baseball fan’s urge to soak in the sun in one of the many beautiful ballparks around the continent (couldn’t leave you out, Toronto). With temperatures rising, summer vacation approaching, and unused PTO sitting and waiting to be burned, it’s the perfect time to plan a stadium tour. Baseball stadiums are undoubtedly the crown jewel of American sports venues: the expansive green grass, quirky outfields, skylines, and geographical landmarks are just parts of what make these American sports cathedrals magnificent and charming. Not all ballparks are created equal, however: some need to be renovated, some should be burned, and some will go down in history as great American landmarks. Let’s put these parks in their place. 30. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Rays Let’s just get this one out of the way. The worst place on earth to play any sport. 29. RingCentral Coliseum, Oakland Athletics There’s a reason that there has been talk of moving the A’s out of Oakland. They play baseball in a football stadium that is no longer home to a football team. 28. Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays Slightly better than Oakland and Tampa simply because there’s a view of the CN Tower from the 3rd-base line. Everything else about it is forgettable. Points for having a completely symmetrical outfield? 27. American Family Field, Milwaukee Brewers You’ll notice a trend: retractable roofs and indoor stadiums will suffer on this list. Formerly known as Miller Park, this ballpark looks more like a corporate building. Not much to write home about. The best part is probably the left-field slide that Bernie Brewer slides down after a Brewers home run. 26. LoanDepot Park, Miami Marlins What is the statue thing in left-center field? It’s cool and big, but this place looks like it was built to be a Miami hangout spot rather than a place to watch baseball. 25. Globe Life Field, Texas Rangers They built a stadium with a retractable roof and artificial turf in Arlington because it got so damn hot in the summer time that it was borderline dangerous to play and watch baseball in the Texas sun. At that point it’s probably just time to move the team. 24. Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros Don’t be fooled by the team’s recent success as a measuring stick for the ballpark’s charm. The train tracks in left field are cute. But from the Chick-fil-a signs on the foul poles, indoor-feel (even with the roof open), and train-depot aesthetic, it’s just kinda meh. 23. Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers It’s the 8th wonder of the world that Miguel Cabrera hit 500 home runs while playing primarily in this massive ballpark. The view is subpar, unless you like industrial buildings; and the cars out in center field are a little awkward. As if they need to remind you that you’re in the Motor City. 22. Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks It has a beautiful feel to it, despite its stuffy, indoor nature. The contrasted, striped grass is fresh, and it has the perfect antidote to that desert sun: the right-center field pool. 21. Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago White Sox It’s an average ballpark with nothing special about it. A fine place for a ball game. I have always wondered what those candy cane things are out in center field. 20. Nationals Park, Washington Nationals Any place that is home to a recent World Champion and also sits in the nation’s capital is going to get some love. Unlike some of the new-age parks built in the last few years, the Nationals didn’t try and do too much when they built this beauty in 2008. Simple and sweet. 19. Progressive Field, Cleveland Guardians A solid place to play ball, although it is in need of renovation.The wall in left field is trying to be the Green Monster, but the trees in center are a nice touch. 18. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds Catch a game here on a sun-soaked afternoon and you won’t be disappointed. The view of the Ohio River and Newport, KY hills are breath-taking. A calm, peaceful place to watch a pitiful team. 17. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies The coniferous trees behind the short wall in center field next to the zig-zagging tall wall in left-center, the right-center field bell, and the distant skyline provide real charm. 16. T-Mobile Park, Seattle Mariners The best of all the retractable-roof parks by far, this venue is the only hybrid stadium that truly has an outdoor feel. The grass just seems greener than most (probably because all it does is rain in the Pacific Northwest). The only downside is how much magenta is plaguing the architecture since the T-Mobile rebranding. 15. Citi Field, New York Mets The blue and jagged outfield walls, orange foul poles, and Home Run “Big Apple” out in center field are all unique aspects that provide an individuality to this 21st-century park. A true upgrade to the old Shea Stadium that could seat about fifteen people in the outfield bleachers. 14. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers It’s got history, it’s been the home to mythical teams with all-time great players. But nostalgia only counts for so much. It’s a relatively standard design without many distinctive qualities. And that storage-like batter’s eye in center field is an eye sore. The beautiful canyon that it sits in is what saves this park from not being lower on the list. 13. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees How dare I place this so low on the list. The reason it’s this high on the list is out of respect. First off, the field dimensions are atrocious. A lazy fly ball in almost every other park is a home run in left or right field. The skyline view is sorta meh considering it’s in New York. Most of all though, this is like owning a copy of the Declaration of Independence for your classroom. There is no history to this ballpark. It’s not the “House that Ruth Built”; and sorry, the “House that Jeter Built” doesn’t have the same ring. You’re welcome for not putting you lower, Yankees fans. 12. Truist Park, Atlanta Braves Atlanta did it right when they moved from Turner Field in 2017. Built into the beautiful Battery district, its simple design wins in an era of over-architected stadiums (talking to you, Miami). The brick wall beneath the Chop House provides a variable that complicates things just enough for visiting right fielders. 11. Petco Park, San Diego Padres Nestled in-between shimmering skyscrapers in downtown San Diego, Petco is a glorious place to witness a Major League game. The historic Western Metal Supply Co. building built into the left-field line is unlike anything else in the sport, while the minimal center-field architecture allows for a beautiful view of the city; the palm trees out there don’t hurt either. 10. Coors Field, Colorado Rockies Location, location, location. The mediocre Colorado baseball franchise has one of the best ballparks in the land in large part because of its Rocky Mountain backdrop. I suppose the team is adequately named. The pine trees and greenery in the center-field batter’s eye and rocky streams in the right-center-field bullpens make it actually feel like you’re in the mountains. 9. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles A beautiful home for an abysmal baseball team. The historic and repurposed B&O Warehouse behind the right-field porch, (which rivals the quirkiness of the Western Metal Supply Co. building at Petco Park) and the great skyline view provide pretty things to look at since Oriole fans need to look away from their pathetic team every so often. The new left-field wall design is bad, and frankly dangerous for any left-fielder trying to cut off a ball deep in the gap. 8. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals The crown jewel (get it?) of the lower Midwest. The crown on the center-field jumbotron. The waterfalls and fountains in the right-center field. It’s quite the picture. Only downside is that it feels a little dark there during night games. 7. Oracle Park, San Francisco Giants There may not be a more unique place in the league. The giant (yes, the Giants did this intentionally) Coke-bottle slide and old-time four-fingered glove behind left field are just odd. And what’s the deal with that car-shaped bulge in the left-field fence? But the sneaky-big outfield, right-field garages and short porch backing up to the Bay are special. Don’t forget the kayak wars. 6. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels The grassy hills behind the left-center- and center-field walls would be highlights in most stadiums, but the rocky waterfall takes the cake here. It’s even more picturesque when Mike Trout is pulling a home run back in front of that waterfall. The massive Angels hats in front of the entrance are almost hilariously large and unique. 5. Target Field, Minnesota Twins If a Twins fan tells you they want the Metrodome back, just ignore them. Thank goodness that retractable roof idea was dismissed. There are many subtle aspects to Target field that make it unique. There’s the one-of-a-kind “living wall” batter’s eye sitting above the grassy berm behind the center field fence. The flower boxes behind the left-fence are a nice touch for a state that loves their summertime gardening (great photo ops here, too). If you’re going to play right field at Target Field, you’d better be ready for the four different surfaces to contend with: the Minnesota limestone overhang, the padded wall, the non padded section under the limestone, and the scoreboard. The skyline view with Minnie and Paul in the foreground is the perfect way to watch night fall on Minneapolis. 4. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates Something with this franchise and Ps. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better view in baseball. The Clemente Bridge crossing the Allegheny River, with the majestic skyline behind it is hard to beat. The variable outfield wall with the “PIRATES”-sculpted hedges behind center field are just quirky enough to make the park itself unique. 3. Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals Now this is a baseball stadium. Everything about this place just pops. The vibrant green grass, the “arch” mowed into the outfield grass, the red bleacher seats. The Old Courthouse historical landmark peeks out from behind the left-center field wall, bringing majesty and history to an already historic franchise’s home. What really brings this one home is the shimmering St. Louis Arch towering behind the center-field Budweiser sign. I’ve never understood the whole Big Mac Land thing, though. 2. Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs About the only negative things I can say about Wrigley Field are that it gets a little dark and shadowy at night (probably because they didn’t have permanent lights until 1988) and that playing outfield has to be about as dangerous as getting tackled by Ray Lewis. I wouldn’t have any interest in crashing into a brick wall covered in ivy to catch a flyball. The outfield basket is an oddity that must drive outfielders nuts. It’s got charm. It’s been around forever. It’s simple. There’s a reason it’s on every baseball fan’s bucket list. 1. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox The oldest ballpark in the Bigs, Fenway is the weirdest place to play baseball. The massive Green Monster is so close to home plate that singles off the fence are nearly as common as doubles. The short right field fence is just flat out dangerous. The triangle and garage doors in center field cause all sorts of problems. Oh and don’t forget Pesky’s Pole: a hitter can hit a lazy fly ball down the right field line that ends up a home run (and would very likely be a foul ball in 29 other stadiums). The Citgo sign is to Fenway as PB is to J. These quirks and its history are second to none. Congrats Boston, another thing to puff your chests out about. Honorable mention: Field of Dreams, Iowa Yes, it is heaven. Commissioner Manfred needs to seriously consider adding a 31st team in Iowa solely for the fact that there can be Major League baseball played in this haven 81 nights a year. I may start a petition for the All-Star Game to be held here every summer. You simply can’t beat it. Check out my other unique sports content at the Bad Loser Blog; covering basketball, football, baseball, and the human side of sports.

They say you should write your dreams down right when you wake up in order to remember them clearly. After returning from a dreamlike day and a half in San Juan, I’m feeling like the exercise will be helpful for me as well. Luckily, I don’t have the deadline many local writers had after the 16 inning marathon of game two. The seed for the idea was planted months ago, when I mentioned to my Dad that it would be fun to meet up for the Puerto Rico series. Fast forward a few months, and with tickets booked from both Minnesota and the Dominican Republic, an AirBnb reserved, and seats for the games themselves, we were ready. We landed, dropped off our stuff, and headed straight for Hiram Bithorn Stadium. After raining all morning, it had gotten hot and muggy (even more than I’m used to in the Dominican Republic). The atmosphere outside the stadium was great, with music, games and beer (but no bottles of water to be found). After standing in line for 20 minuets in the heat without water, the water came in the form of a sudden downpour. As water was coming off the stadium roof like waterfalls, we experienced the first of many examples of locals showing kindness and hospitality. The family behind us quickly opened up an umbrella and invited us under it with them. We walked together toward the gate as I translated for my father and the family. Inside the stadium concourse the scene was similar to many stadiums around the world: concessions, games and giveaways. One thing that was different was the appearance of a some players on the concourse pregame. Both Jose Berrios and Eddie Rosario came out of the clubhouse and caused a bit of a mob scene taking pictures and greeting fans. It was really cool to see the reaction of the fans, who were ecstatic to see their heroes in person, and also the players, who were obviously excited to interact with their compatriots. The other celebrity sighting was on the other side of the concourse, where we were asked to move out of the way by security, only to see Terry Fancona getting driven through the crowd toward his clubhouse. He looked noticeably less excited to be out on the concourse with the crowds. Once we got to our seats we realized that the Twins BP was cut short by the rain, but we did get to see Cleveland hit before the game. Once they hit, the starting lineups were introduced. There certainly seemed to be more Cleveland fans than Minnesota, and the biggest ovations throughout the series came for Fransisco Lindor. The great majority of jerseys in the stands were Lindor jerseys, especially from the locals. There were a great many locals with the shirt or jersey of one team and the hat from another, which I think is a great example of the attitudes of most of these fans. They cheered hard for their own, Lindor being the most notable. During the second game, I sat next to an older gentleman who had to ask if Rosario and Berrios were from Puerto Rico, but was adamant that Lindor was the best shortstop in the majors. This isn’t to say that the locals are misinformed or “bad fans,” on the contrary, they seemed to be more informed about the game than fans in the Dominican Republic or even the US. They hung on every pitch and at bat, and cheered for good baseball, whoever happened to be at the center of the play. I talked to a few different fans in depth about particular non-Puerto Rican players, and the conversations were as good, or better informed than ones I’ve had with fans in the US. Many people were in awe of Sano’s size and power, predicting home runs on every one of his at-bats. I was also told that Joe Mauer is under appreciated, and one of the best players of the last 10 years (I bet you won’t hear that in the stands at Target Field anytime soon, or maybe you will if he keeps hitting .370). The locals also didn’t hold back their opinions and trash talk. I was told multiple times that I was cheering for the wrong team, but always with a friendly smile or laugh. It was great to see a baseball game where seemingly everyone was there to watch and experience baseball, not necessarily just to hang out outside and chat with friends over overpriced beer and food. By the end of the first game, the stadium was fully on Cleveland's side. Seeing Lindor’s home run was a really special once in a lifetime experience, for the fans and the player. After seeing man winter league games in the DR, I was surprised at hearing him apologize for how he acted during and after his home run. This is how players play here, and what fans expect. To me, anyone who asking him to contain himself might as well ask him not to speak Spanish, or change how he plays the game entirely. Good for him for coming through during one of the most important games of his career (although I was completely unimpressed with his performance through the rest of the series). Although the Twins didn’t look very good in game 1, it was still a great time. A big part of that for me had to do with the twinsdaily community. Before going to Puerto Rico, I talked with another community member about meeting up there, and sure enough I met and sat with Ben for the whole 1st game. It was great getting to know and share such a cool experience with another twinsdaily fan! Speaking of gringo fans like ourselves, there were plenty at the game, but it’s hard to say which team had more there. If I had to say, I’d lean towards Cleveland edging out the Twins in that department. Just like my experience with the local fans, everyone was really nice and didn’t hesitate to stop and chat whenever there was a chance. During the day before the 2nd game, my Dad and I took the chance to check out San Juan. During our day of sight seeing in the historic Old San Juan, we learned that the power had gone down island wide. This coincided with the sound of gasoline generators powering up, with the noise filling the 400 year old streets throughout the day. This is when I truly felt the meaning of this series for the Puerto Rican people. Many that we talked to during that second day seemed to take the outage in stride, continuing to go about their business as best they could. I was still able to get a cold beer and people around me were still served their lunches at the local bar. The bartender said that these outages happened every once in awhile, and never lasted as long as predicted (he was right, this one lasted 6 hours and not the 24-48 predicted). There were still plenty of signs of damage from Maria around town; many buildings with tarps on their roofs and trees uprooted in parks. Traffic lights were intermittent at best, with cars jockeying for position to sneak across. With daily life still in disarray, people seemed genuinely proud to be able to go to a game and cheer for Lindor and Berrios. Not only were they the pride of the island, the game was something that the locals could do to forget about the power outages and other continuing issues for three (or six) hours. After stopping at the beach and a local beer garden to sample some local craft brews, we headed to game two. This one turned out to be one of the more amazing games I’ve ever seen live. I myself was nervous for Berrios as he stepped to the mound, and after the somewhat rocky first (for his standards anyway), I was worried he might have let his nerves get the better of him. Boy, was I wrong. Watching Berrios duel another great pitcher in Corrasco for seven great innings was a sight to behold. I was actually somewhat disappointed the crowd wasn’t behind Berrios even more than they were, as he was really dealing. I was also disappointed Molitor didn’t at least send him out to get one out in the 8th and get the ovation he deserved from his home crowd. After taking out Berrios, it seemed that the futility of both teams at the plate was the theme for the rest of the game. Seeing both teams squander chances inning after inning became frustrating, especially because I had an early flight the next morning to get back to work in the DR. But I certainly didn’t complain when Sano blasted the ball to left to tie it up in the 14th, and I didn’t complain when the Twins got out of a jam in the 15th. The walk-off in the 16th provided the perfect who’s who in a wild night of baseball. First, of course, Rosario deserved to be the winning run after being the perfect ambassador for our team in his home country and for his country in our hometown. Second, we got to see Logan Morrison, who didn’t get on base in the 6 previous attempts and who was hitting sub .070 get on base on a fluky play. Finally, we got to see a guy in Ryan LaMarre who has been overlooked year after year and who didn’t even start the game get his first walkoff hit. By the end of the game, I think most fans were just hoping one of the teams could score and get it over with. I was impressed with how many people stayed for the whole thing, it being past midnight by the time the game was over, but the stadium may have been a third full by the end. Regardless, seeing Eddie get to jump around the field after the walkoff made it all worth it. And even if the Twins would have lost that game, it would have been worth it. Worth it to add another stadium and city to my passport, to try a few new beers, and to hang out with my Dad for a couple days. But most of all to see that baseball can still be a force for good and positivity for people going through tough times, wherever they are.

First Posted: 01 January 2018 - 07:16 PM (Note: I thought I'd re-post this older forum post on my new blog in case anyone hadn't seen it) First of all, I'm a long time reader, first time poster, which is pretty exciting. I was reading Bonnes' article about Twins Daily and writing and figured I might have a little something to add. So here goes, I'm 25 and a big Twins fan. Grew up in South Minneapolis, been to at least 20 games a year since middle school. Got a TC tattooed on my arm. Got a baby picture of myself behind home plate at the dome. A top 3 moment in my life so far was game 163. I'm also a big baseball fan in general. I've been to a dozen major league stadiums and almost a dozen minor league and independent parks as well. Not much I'd rather be doing than sitting at a ball game with a beer and some seeds. I'm also big into traveling and having new experiences. Took a year off between high school and college and solo traveled through 6 countries in Europe and South America (incidentally became a Soccer fan in the process). In college I studied International Relations and Spanish. I've been to 13 countries and 30+ states. This is all to say, before I graduated college I decided I wanted to live somewhere else in the world as soon as I could. I spent a few years living at my parents house and a cheap apartment paying off my loans, all the while dreaming of where I'd go. I knew I wanted to go somewhere where Spanish was the primary language. While I've studied the language my whole life, I know fluency doesn't come without significant exposure. I knew I wanted to go somewhere affordable (read: cheap living). I also knew through my previous experience abroad, there are some things that bridge cultural gaps and help people meet: Sports, Music, and Drinking. I'm not much of a musician and can't dance, so that was out the window. I also know that drinking is universal; anywhere I'd want to go has beer or liquor or something. That left sports. I've traveled to places that love soccer before, it's an amazing sport but I don't have the depth of knowledge or passion for the sport like I do baseball. Looking at the countries that play baseball, I counted out Korea and Japan right away. Too expensive, and I didn't feel like picking up an entirely new language. That left Mexico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, Panama, Cuba and maybe Columbia. Panama, Mexico and Columbia were out; not enough of a baseball presence to really make the most of it. Seeing baseball in Cuba is a dream of mine, but the legal situation made living and working there too much of an uncertainty. I've been enamored with Venezuela since I heard Hugo Chavez telling off George W., but the political situation there is too messy for a white guy like me to expect safety and be able to make any money. That left the Dominican Republic. Through the years I knew many of my favorite players had come from the Island. I also knew that there was both an affiliated Summer league and a high level winter league. So the Dominican Republic was it. Over the years living in Minneapolis after college, my girlfriend (now fiancee) expressed interest in going on this adventure with me. I also went to Hamline University and got my certificate for Teaching English asa Foreign Language. Everything was set to head down and see what it was all about. And here I am, over two months in. We've both got jobs and an apartment in the second city, Santiago de los Caballeros. We've made some friends and are starting to get the hang of things down here. On one of my first nights here I got to watch the last game of the world series while sharing drinks with the local guys at the corner shop. Most importantly, I've been to over 15 games at 2 of the 6 stadiums. I've seen all of the teams and a really interesting array of prospects, big league regulars, and has beens. Plenty of future, current, and former twins as well. I've also gotten to know a lot more about Dominican culture and it's people at the games. There are a lot of similarities between games here and games at home, but probably more differences. 1. Tickets I've paid between 1 and 25 USD for tickets. I've bought them both through the box office and from scalpers. Weekday regular season games between the less popular teams are a really easy ticket. Games between the two big teams, Águilas Cibaeñas (my hometown team) and Tigres del Licey (from the capital) are a tough ticket. Last game the lowest price I could find was 20 USD per ticket, so a friend snuck me in through a gate where he knew the security guard. I'd like to see that happen at Target Field. 2. Stadium The stadiums are much smaller than we're used to in the US, with the biggest here in Santiago seating just over 18 thousand. It's one of the few with outfield bleachers. There really isn't a bad seat in the house, and moving from seat to seat is really easy. The stadiums are fairly clean, but definitely in worse shape than any minor league stadium I've been to in the US. The first game I went to there were workers trying to weld a gate next to my seat well into the first inning. 3. Food and Drink Cheap and good. Hot dogs, slices of pizza, bags of popcorn are a buck. Get a burger for a $1.50. Can of the local beer Presidente for a buck. .5 L of rum for four bucks. And all served to you in your seat by a waitress that takes care of the whole section. It's quite a different experience going to a game, sitting in nice seats, having a few drinks and a full dinner for less than 10 bucks instead of over 100. 4. Entertainment The game is certainly the main attraction here. People really get into it. There are songs people sing in between at bats, and chants for specific hometown players, opponents, and umpires. It really seems like there are no half-way fans when you're at a game. The mascots are also hilarious. At one game I watched one go on the field in between innings with a toy sniper rifle, get down on his stomach, and take out the opposing team. Another favorite half-time entertainment are the Super Gato (motorcycle company) girls. These scantily clad women get on top of the dugout at least twice a game and dance suggestively in front of the crowd. Men, women, children, grandmas and players stop what they're doing and watch. So yea, pretty different from the match game at Target Field. 5. The Game It's baseball. The quality of play certainly isn't up to Major League standards, but it can't be much lower than AAA. It may just be small sample size, but it seems that I haven't seen a lot of home runs, maybe 3 or 4 in all the games I've been to. Also, there seem to be more errors committed than I'm used to in the majors, which makes some sense. The pace of play is also dreadfully slow. Not only is there time called often, the rosters are huge and the bullpens are very full. The managers have tons of options out there and like to use them. I've sat through innings that seemed to last forever because there were 4 pitching changes. But overall, good baseball to watch. Danny Santana- I've only been impressed with his play. He's hitting .308 on the year and I've seen him start one extra-inning game winning rally and hit one other walk-off hit. He's played every game I've seen for the local Aguilas, and started in Center. Not too impressed with his play out there, but I also haven't seen any terrible plays. I know he was waived by Atlanta, but it seems to me that if he could play an average center field he could still be an asset to a major league team as a utility guy. Then again, he's struck out 13 times and walked 5 while slugging .397, so it is still the Danny Santana we got to know so well in Minnesota. Kennys Vargas- Kennys came to the Aguilas as a mid-season reinforcement. I was very excited to see someone who I believe(ed) still has some upside in the Majors. Well, it hasn't really gone his way. He quickly made a fool of me singing his praises to my friends here in Santiago by hitting .222 with 20 strikeouts and 2 home runs in 54 regular season at bats. It has been fun to get up close to his antics while he's on the bench for a game. Last game I was at, I saw him playing receiver to a guy in the stands who was throwing him candy. It's really cool to be able to get such a close up view of players in an atmosphere where they're relaxed and having fun (maybe too relaxed in the case of Kennys). Samuel Deduno- This one came out of left-field for me, literally (from the bullpen). He's got the same electric curve-ball and very little command, and now he's pitching out of the pen for the Aguilas. In a small sample of 12 regular season innings, hes got a one and a half ERA and a .81 WHIP. Jung Ho Kang- Wow, another guy I wasn't expecting to see playing down here. It's been really interesting to watch him play, mostly because of the off the field stuff took him out of the game last year, and it's really interesting to me to see how a guy who hasn't played in so long would fare against some pretty solid competition. In this case, let me tell you, it was not good. Through the middle of the regular season, he was starting most games for the Aguilas and got 84 at bats before he decided to head home for the seasons. In those 84 at bats, he struck out 31 times with and OBP of .219 with 2 doubles. Looks like it's going to take a little more time to shake the rust off if he's going to have any shot of playing in the majors any time soon, regardless of his legal status. Alexi Casilla- Gotten to see him play a couple times for the Toros del Este. To be honest, he hasn't done anything that's really impressed me (maybe personal bias), but he's on the league leaderboard with a .315 average. Jair Jurrjens- Yet another blast from the past, he's been the most dependable starter for Licey with a 3.6 ERA in 50 innings. I've seen him throw once, and while his stuff didn't wow me at all, he seems to be able to get through the lineups down here without too much trouble. Another guy I had on fantasy teams back in the day trying to get some exposure down here, apparently he tested positive for steroids this last season in AAA for the Dodgers. Let me tell you, if the winter league is run like everything else here in the DR, I highly doubt there's a strict drug testing policy. Starling Marte- Speaking of drug testing, Marte is another guy who's gotten a lot of playing time for Escondigo because of his lack of playing time in the Majors last year due to suspension. I was impressed the handful of times I saw him play here, he certainly looked like a guy who only had a little rust to work off, unlike the issues Kang was having. Overall, Marte hit .277/.333/.438 this regular season. I would expect him to be back in the Majors doing well this season. Justin Haley- I saw him start for Escondigo against Estrellas, and he looked really good. Solid stuff, and even though he gave up 7 hits over 5 innings, he didn't let any of those baserunners score. That game he had 4 strikeouts to no walks. Over his 5 starts, he's pitched 26 innings with a 2.06 ERA and 17 strikeouts to 4 walks. I left the game thinking the Twins would have done well to keep him, but I suppose that's how rule 5 works. Adalberto Mejia- Here's one guy who I hadn't seen play, but has pretty good stats for the Gigantes del Cibao. It may sound familiar, but Mejia didn't make it out of the 5th inning in any of his five starts, but that may have more to do with the abundance of bullpen options and possible innings limits than anything else. Overall, he had a 3.43 ERA with 15 strikeouts to 8 walks. He's a guy I'll certainly have my eye on this year to take a step forward for the Twins. While there are some other interesting guys that I've seen play down here, these are the ones who stuck out to me particularly. Right now, the first round of the playoffs is happening, which is a round robin tournament with the top 4 of 6 regular season teams. Then comes the Dominican Championship series and after that the Caribbean Championships. Then, I have to wait a few months before the affiliated Dominican Summer League and MLB starts. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what y'all think, so please leave impressions/ suggestions/ questions in the comments.