August 24, 2006 By Ashley Matthews Jonathan Castro crouches over home plate, clutching a bat, two strikes against him. He intently studies the ball gripped in the pitcher's hand, but when the pitch comes, it sails past Castro, untouched. Strike three! Strikeouts are not uncommon in minor league baseball, but for Castro, 22, the disappointment of a strikeout isn't about ego or embarrassment -- it is a missed opportunity to prove he belongs here. Like all his teammates on the Vermont Lake Monsters, Castro dreams of making it in the big leagues, of fame and fortune, of big houses and expensive cars; but this young infielder's measure of success is different from that of many of his American teammates. "It's going to be better, because when I'm in the major leagues, my whole family can live together in the Dominican Republic," Castro said in Spanish, speaking through an interpreter. "This is another of my dreams -- it would be the happiest for my family." Eight players on the Vermont Lake Monsters' 31-man roster are Dominican, and according to Major League Baseball statistics, more than 20 percent of the players in minor-league baseball are from the Dominican Republic. There, America's pastime is a lifeline -- a boy's opportunity to leave poverty behind. Castro came to the United States from a family divided by the poor living conditions in their country. Several of Castro's siblings and much of his extended family live in the Dominican Republic, but his father, mother and little sister moved to Puerto Rico several years ago, "looking for a better future," Castro explained. Even as a rookie minor-leaguer living on a monthly paycheck of $850, Castro contributes, sending more than half of each paycheck home. Part of that money goes to his daughter, 3-year-old Ashley, who lives in the Dominican Republic with her mother. Castro said it's easy to spend money conservatively in Vermont because he lives with a generous host family -- Kevin Rogers and Anne Growski of Burlington -- who provide food and housing free of charge. Unlike most of his American teammates, Castro rarely eats out or goes shopping. "While the others are out spending their paychecks, I sleep," Castro said. In Castro's mind, failing to reach the big leagues -- "la grande liga" -- is not an option. He talks about "when" he makes it to the majors, not "if." Although he has grand aspirations of success, Castro said he's not driven by financial incentives alone. He said baseball is in his blood. "It's a dream I've had since I was 7 years old to play in the major league," Castro said. "The major league is the dream of every boy." Dominican pastime Baseball is the national sport of the Dominican Republic, where Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle have taken a back seat to a new school of idols -- Dominican superstars like David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez. The Caribbean country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, supplies the largest number of non-American players to major and minor league baseball. Dominicans who are talented enough to be noticed are often brought to the United States by major league clubs -- Lake Monsters players are part of the Washington Nationals minor league system. Like their American counterparts, Dominicans try to work their way up through the unglamorous "farm" system, hoping to land in the major leagues. Players on the Lake Monsters play 76 games over 80 days. As this season nears an end, each moment on the field is magnified. Each player knows he could be gone tomorrow, promoted to a higher-level team or demoted to the lowest-level rookie league. Even worse, an unsuccessful player could be released and sent home. Lake Monsters team manager, 34-year-old Jose Alguacil, spent 10 years playing on professional baseball teams before he became a coach and administrator in the Washington Nationals organization. He came from Venezuela and, like this team's Dominican players, once struggled to adjust to a new country and an unfamiliar language. When Alguacil received his signing bonus more than 10 years ago, he gave the money to his family. "I know where they're coming from. I know what they have," Alguacil said. "I am hard on them because I want them to succeed. I want to open their eyes. The American players come here from college. Most of the Latin players won't go to college -- they'll have to go straight to work. I tell them, 'You have a chance. Don't let anyone take it from you.'" Lake Monsters spokesman Paul Stanfield said statistically about 1 in 10 Lake Monsters (formerly the Vermont Expos) reach the major leagues, but Alguacil trains the young men as though they'll all make it. He realizes what's at stake for many of the Dominican players. For them, Alguacil is more than a manager -- he's a mentor and a role model, a brother and a friend. "I tell the Latin guys all the time, 'Remember where you came from,'" Alguacil said. "I ask them, 'If you do not play baseball, what will you do?' I say, 'You have the opportunity to do something where you can take care of yourself, your family, for the rest of your life.'" From a poor country Michael Martinez takes Alguacil's words to heart. Although he's been in the United States for many months, the 23-year-old infielder said he never forgets his roots. "Since we're not born here, we have to work doubly hard," Martinez said in Spanish, speaking through an interpreter. "I have to work hard every day so I am noticed. I know this is not my country -- I come from a poor country. I remember where I come from every day." On the 15th of every month, Martinez sends $250 to his family in the Dominican Republic. He said it helps pay for daily necessities such as food and his father's heart medicine. Like Castro, Martinez dreams of succeeding in the big leagues so he can provide for his family, which he describes as middle class. "My family helped me when I wasn't a professional baseball player, and now I can give back to them," Martinez said. "They gave everything to me. Now, if I am successful, I will give them everything they need." Even those players who come from relatively wealthy families feel a sense of social responsibility to the people of the Dominican Republic. Francisco Guzman's family recently moved from Santo Domingo to the Queens borough of New York. Guzman, a 22-year-old outfielder, said his family lives comfortably -- his father is a successful entrepreneur and his mother is a retired lawyer. Unlike many Dominican players, he does not share paychecks with his family. Guzman said he is confident he will be successful in the major leagues, and when he is, he'll give back to the people of his country. "I will build a center for sick children in Santo Domingo," he said, speaking through an interpreter. "I had a foot problem when I was young, and I went to a rehab center and I saw kids much worse than I was. There are many poor children in the Dominican Republic." It could be years before Castro, Martinez, Guzman or any of their Lake Monsters counterparts play for a major league team, but Alguacil said the players' experiences here can shape their lives. He hopes the Dominican players realize there are many ways to be successful in life. "Hey, I am coaching. They can do anything -- coach, go work in an office," Alguacil said. "But, they have to learn world habits -- learn what it takes to be somebody in life. The reality is, not everybody is going to make it, but we want to teach them about life." --

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