George F. Ortíz: Puerto Rico. el patito feo del baseball…

By: George F Ortiz

Former MLB Scouting Supervisor

Pirates & Angels/Seattle & Reds Scout

I have just arrived from the tryouts I achieved in Dominican Republic for the Puerto Rican baseball players that were not selected in the last draft 2013, that the «Role» step above a lot of baseball players of 18 to 20 years old here in PR. That is why the signing of 16 and a half years of age players on July 2 at the international level including DR is the reason for the decline of Puerto Rican baseball players in MLB. Why is that? The Commissioner Office of the MLB and much less to Kim Ng, executive of MLB Int’l, is not looking for a solution of this problem of unequal competition that exists in PR and for baseball players no matter where they come from with 17 to 20 years old that now after the draft both of PR-USA and DR (July 2) are ignored. I am observing in the Dominican Republic that baseball players from 17 to 20 years are not being signed, although the «Scout Supervisor» in DR wants to sign it, they cannot, because they do not have space to put it on the team even when the Dominican and Puerto Rican baseball players have talent. My colleague Agent in DR, Josue Herrera, has a young player, SS, good arm; runs good, good hitter with power with 17 years old cannot get a professional contract. I also have one in the same condition, has 17 years old and I have not been able to get a contract, runs on 60 yards 6.4, MLB arm, batter with MLB swing and line hitter with some power as Short Stop, I can’t get a contract even if it is for a bat and glove, because there is no space in the team. The International Office of MLB should demand that these teams have make two teams in the “DR Summer Rookie League” so the 17 – 20 year old baseball players can have more opportunity to participate in the» Dominican Republic Summer League», baseball players that were not signed on July 2 in DR and in the draft of PR. The office of the Commissioner MLB International, is looking for the draft at global level in 2017, in my opinion you’re not going to achieve on international level because Latin baseball players that play at the MLB, are taking for example the 25 years of failure in PR, where there is a decline of Puerto Rican baseball players on MLB level and the debacle of signatures of baseball players in PR.. Because at International level in July 2, 80 to 100, 16 years and a half year old players are signed. Here in Puerto Rico are signed from 12 to 14 Puerto Rican high school (HS) players, are very few which are also selected in the draft. There is a serious problem with the 17 to 20 year old players in DR and in PR if MLB teams do not make two teams for the «Dominican Republic Summer League», the problem will continue y and thus it will not stop juvenile delinquency. MLB International (office of the Commissioner) «should raise the age for July 2, from 16 1/2 to 17 years, when the player plays at 18 year old next year, should also require an academic degree even though it is with a «9 ninth grade» to middle school level because many baseball players of 16 years old are receiving millionaires bonus, without forgetting that when this minor is signing the coach or the Agent ,person in charge of the player, he takes 40% of that contract, also others receive money under the table that we cannot see because they are «invisible». There is too much money for baseball players that do not know how to even write the name, money is handled by the parents of these minors and often misused the money of the player. Tell me, how many baseball players from these millionaires bonus in the last 6 years are playing in the ML teams? I am going to answer, NONE. Please MLB commissioner’s office knows that there is a poor management of these $$$ bonus. In the past Scouts, Supervisors and even Executives were fired for that problem. At the International level is a serious problem and the executives of MLB International (Office of the Commissioner) know that this problem exists for a long time. I invited Lou Melendez, and Kim Ng of MLB Int’l to remove the age policy of 16 years old players for the July 2, International level, bringing a new rule for 2015 because I’m sure MLB International no will not have an international draft in 2017. A lot of people are against this. This newspaper & I, always say it all the time. My column has been congratulated because we are known to defend the good & to Point out what’s bad management.

On march 11th 2014, in Santo Domingo, the police reported the dismantle of a group that for years dedicated in connect Cuban prospects with “Scouting Supervisors” for the signing with baseball teams in PR, Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua and Colombia so they can make it in the MLB (Big League). The Colonel Jacobo Mateo Moquete identified as Angel Oscar Abueye Valdes and Johan M. Jimenez Hernandez reoffenders in organizing illegal travels from Cuba. The Dominican Republic Department of Intelligence arrested 12 Cubans in the area of Juan Dolio, San Pedro de Macoris, DR. Nine (9) Cuban men and three(3) women that wanted to arrive to PR with the purpose to find MLB level contracts. They were arrested on Tuesday march 11th, 2014; a boat and a 2001 Volkswagen were confiscated during the arrest. Remember that I wrote some columns ago “The Cubans invading the MLB”, about the signing of two SS for more than 70 millions of dollars between the two prospects. Both are in the Spring Training with the Dodgers, one is 27 years old & the other is 23 years old. God Bless all the Cuban ballplayers, they has the talents to play in MLB (Big League teams).