Baseball Tri-Weekly: The Devils have their vices

Thousand of fans flock to Estadio Quisqueya during an rally to support efforts to bring an EHCC team to the Dominica Republic. Will the White Devils come to the Caribean?

By Listen Deplayohs, Baseball Tri-Weekly

While impoverished, the people of the Dominican Republic are not without imagination, and if they play their cards right, they may finally put their baseball loving nation on the EHCC map.

Francisco "Frank" Favas and the Hispanola Free Trade Group hope to bring the first permanent world-class professional baseball franchise to the Caribbean Islands. Based out of Santa Domingo, the White Devils are one of four ownership groups looking join the EHCC this offseason.

“There is already a massive and very exciting and unique baseball culture here that seems to be waiting only for a major league team to unite a populus ravenous for all things baseball,” said Alberto Gonsalves, acting VP in charge of Public Relations for the Hispanola Free Trade Group. “Favas plans on tapping into the major and largely ignored Caribbean market. The beauty of expanding in Santo Domingo is that it already has a huge baseball fan base with only the lack of a major league team and world class stadium to gratify it.”

How Favas will deliver that stadium is still a point of contention in Dominica. The White Devils group is hoping to renovate Estadio Quisqueya, a multi-use stadium in Santo Domingo that currently holds 14,000 people, with help from the Federal Travel and Tourism Board.

“[The board has] agreed to substantial tax breaks in order to subsidize the large cost of expanding seating and facilities on site,” said Gonsalves. “Ownership is considering private funding from several of the gambling organizations in exchange for exclusive or semi-exclusive access rights.”

While major corporations like Coca-cola and Corona have also pledged support for a Santo Domingo franchise, the backing of several island gambling agencies has raised concerns.

“Gambling shouldn’t have any place in our sport,” said Chris Duncan, Peoria’s newly acquired outfielder. “It sounds like dirty money. In a clean league, that shouldn’t be allowed.”

When asked about the influence of gambling organizations with his former team in Las Vegas, Duncan wouldn’t comment directly, but did ask, “is there really a shader character then HoweDogg?”

Given the current state of the Dominican Republic’s economy, the team’s financial stability will always be a question, but Gonsalves said the organization is looking for a low-cost approach to developing team.

“Due to the immense costs associated with expansion, experience working with a somewhat limited budget will probably also be taken into consideration for the initial hires in most front office positions.”

He added, “the personnel plan in place will mirror that of the MLB's Florida Marlins as a model for a successful expansion team, focusing on young, dynamic talent.”

Despite the problems, no one can argue Favas’ determination to bring baseball to Santo Domingo. To curry favor in the community, he hosted a block party in and around the stadium.

“It was the greatest day of my poor, poor life,” said Jaun Poorito.


Todd Woodard is the prospective owner of the Santo Domingo White Devils. To read the full transcript of the interview, check out the Expansion Committee Report coming out next week.