Swing to the future - Baseball in the Dominican Republic
Updated 14:01, 07-Dec-2019
Danny Beard
South America;Dominican Republic
05:40

In the Dominican Republic, three out of 10 Dominicans live under poverty. For Alberto, as manager and scout in a baseball academy, baseball runs in many Dominicans' blood, it's in their culture. 

Alberto mentioned the baseball academy exists to help kids stay in school and give them the ability to play for the MLB, which stands for Major League Baseball.

MLB is a professional baseball organization founded 116 years ago in 1903. It is the oldest of the major professional sports leagues in the U.S. and Canada. Every year, 30 teams compete in this championship.

The MLB spends 125 million U.S. dollars annually developing new talent in the Dominican Republic. Roughly 10 percent of MLB players are from the Dominican Republic, more than any other foreign country. 

"To be a good baseball player, you have to use your mind and heart. The best players are Dominican because we carry it in our blood," 15-year-old Dominican baseball player Jelfrey Marte said with enthusiasm.

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