Rangers started planning for new Dominican academy in 2012. Now, its doors are open
The Texas Rangers’ new Latin America academy was dedicated Friday morning, roughly the distance of a Joey Gallo home run from the old, decrepit facility they called home for the past decade.
The project cost $12.5 million and took more than three years to build, but it has finally caught up the Rangers in the facilities race in the Dominican Republic.
It features three full fields and a half-field spread across 26 acres. A 30,000-square foot dormitory can house 96 players and 29 coaches, and the 18,500-square foot clubhouse holds 100 lockers.
There is a large classroom where the Rangers hope to give players a chance to earn a GED.
Ninety-four players, including top 2019 international signees Bayron Lora and Maximo Acosta, are housed here and took part in workouts Friday.
While it might not convince a player to sign with the Rangers — dollars and opportunity talk the loudest in the Dominican — the academy will be part of the overall recruiting package.
“I think it’s pretty well understood among the community here of trainers and agents which teams are most committed to the development of their players, which teams provided the best facilities and staffs and programs,” general manager Jon Daniels said.
“When you have a facility like this, it only adds to that. We’ve developed some good players without the best facilities possible. Now, to have this in our back pocket is big.”
On the MLB landscape, it might be just another facility in an ultra-competitive market for amateur talent, but it’s a big deal for the Rangers and, apparently, for the Dominican Republic.
The dedication ceremony featured Dominican president Danilo Medina and the U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Robin S. Bernstein. Several Rangers players from the Dominican Republic, including Jose Leclerc, Danny Santana and Ronald Guzman, also attended the ceremony.
The game field was named Adrian Beltre Field and will be Field 29. Beltre did not attend, as he is vacationing in Europe, but his parents took part in the event.
“This is a significant for us,” Rangers owner Ray Davis said. “And we expect big returns as it helps us to develop the greatest baseball players in the world.”
Guzman spent time at the old facility, which was cramped and outdated. Players shared one large room and had to keep their minds focused on baseball rather than the lack of amenities they had.
He was floored by the new facility, which has housed players since early October.
“This is big-league stuff,” Guzman said.
Assistant general manager Mike Daly, director minor league operations Paul Kruger and chief financial officer Kellie Fischer spearheaded the design and oversaw the construction of the facility.
The dedication is the endgame for a process that started as far back as 2012, when Daniels, Davis and former team president and CEO Nolan Ryan toured other facilities throughout the area.
Finding the right parcel of land was tricky, Fischer said, and it turns out that it was across the outfield fence from the facility they rented.
“When this one came up and we were able to negotiate and own the land outright, we jumped on it,” she said. “We started in earnest in building this project in May of 2016. We toured every facility in the country. Our baseball guys ... knew exactly what they wanted in terms of flow and function, where the players should be going, and what’s most efficient. We feel we achieved that here.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 12:32 PM.
