http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...v=st&type=lgns
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA (TICKER) —New York Yankees All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez will play for the Dominican Republic in March’s World Baseball Classic, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports on Thursday.
According to the report, Rodriguez told close friend David Ortiz that he wants to play for the country. The Yankees superstar will participate in the Boston Red Sox slugger’s charity golf tournament in the Dominican city of Punta Cana this weekend, where he is expected to make the announcement.
“He wants to play for the Dominican team,” Ortiz told the web site by telephone Thursday. “We’ll talk about it now after he gets here, and he’ll probably announce it here.”
Rodriguez was on the United States team that failed to advance to the semifinals of the inaugural WBC in 2006. The two-time American League MVP’s parents both were born in the Dominican Republic.
Ortiz said he has not spoken to his friend recently, but that he learned of Rodriguez’s desire to play for the Dominican as far back as the All-Star Game in July.
A player can play for a country for which either he, his parents or grandparents were citizens. In 2006, Mike Piazza elected to play for Italy, the country of his grandparents’ birth.
Rodriguez flip-flopped during the inaugural WBC about which team to play for before ultimately choosing the U.S. He originally said he would not play at all because he could not choose between allegiances.
Rodriguez’s name was listed on the initial roster submitted by Dominican officials but was added to the American roster just hours before the deadline.
As for his involvement, Ortiz told Yahoo! Sports it depends on how his surgically repaired wrist responds when he resumes baseball activities.
“I would love to,” Ortiz said of playing again for a Dominican team that in 2006 lost in the WBC semifinals. “It all depends on how I’m feeling.”
The 2009 WBC, a 16-country event, is scheduled to begin on March 5 with first-round action in four venues - Tokyo, Mexico City, Toronto and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The championship game is scheduled for March 23 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Thats awesome.
Hes an American citizen deciding which country to play for.
Hockey has rules exactly against this sort of thing for this exact situation.
I can totally see why he would choose to play for the DR, I mean, look at all that country has done for him since....well, never.
Yeah, I'm sure ARod having Dominican parents had nothing to do with him becoming a great baseball player.
Good choice, ARod. Time to start a WBC dynasty
How did the Dominican team do last WBC? I forget. USA team is going to suck ass again!!
No, no, no. Thats not what I meant. Its like I said, hockey has rules against being able to just play for wtf-ever team you want to, and I amsurprised baseball does not.Yeah, I'm sure ARod having Dominican parents had nothing to do with him becoming a great baseball player.
Good choice, ARod. Time to start a WBC dynasty
Yeah, I guess it's totally understandable that ARod, having been born, raised and developed his game as an American citizen, being the highest paid athlete in pro sports, playing for the NYY while playing for the American team last time out would totally choose the DR this time around.
Because he was born there...oh wait...
Because he makes his living there....nah...
Because he has dual citizenship! Whoops...
Because his parents were born there. Yeah, thats it. Its his "genetic reason".
Oh, thats right. Hes Latino and he has to "represent" amongst his Latino peers.
Thats the only reason hes doing it. Make no mistake. Because he gets no credit from his Latino leaguesmen. Hes doing it for street cred....period.
Which is lame.
My grandparents were born in Germany. Im totally going to play for Germany, that country has done so much for me.
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All sarcasm aside, ARod can play for who he wants. But I cant believe baseball allows players to choose who they want to play for as they see fit (meeting some weakass criteria). Seems odd he would play for the US then play for the DR.
Really, I dont care. But he isnt doing it for national pride or to make his parents proud. Hes doing to get cred with his Latino brethren in the league. Its professionally convenient for ARod to start speaking more Spanish and start identifying more with Latino culture than American culture.
Hes a fake, a fraud, but a damn fine baseball player. To each his own.
F Cuba.
That's where you're wrong. ARod was born in the US but his family went back to the DR and that's where he picked up the game. His family moved back later in his childhood but that DR crash course set the stage for his dominance. If it was solely blood and nothing to do with the actual country, your point might be valid. But that's not the case.
Not sure what those two points have to do with picking which country you play for. Should David Ortiz also play for the US since he makes a lot of money and plays for the Red Sox?
Chris Kaman is that you?
That doesn't make much sense. If anything, he'll lose endorsements for playing for the DR over the US. Street cred? In baseball? What would that accomplish?
I can't see how it's a controversy at all that a player who learned the game where both of his parents were born wants to play for said country. The DR started him on his road to being worth a half a billion dollars, I don't think it's asking too much for him to play in some small tournament with the DR on his chest.
They got eliminated by Cuba?
Ya. Cuba shouldn't be allowed to play. They train year round for hours a day under government order for a compe ion everyone else gets only a couple weeks to prepare for.
Damn commies.
Adrian Gonzales and Jorge Cantu are going to the whole WBC up when it starts.
LOL yeah plus arent all those guys the same guys that have played together for years and years. Im sure they juice as well.
I knew I should have googled this before saying anything. I stand completely corrected.
No, Ortiz wasnt born here and I dont believe (w/o googling) that he is even an American citizen, unlike ARod.Should David Ortiz also play for the US since he makes a lot of money and plays for the Red Sox?
David Ortiz becomes US citizen
"My whole family, kids, and everyone have been born here," Ortiz said. "It's a great country, proud to be here, now proud to be a part of it."
For as great a player as he is, A-Rod's biggest problem is that he doesn't have the balls to do what he wants. He's not a leader, and he looks to what everyone else thinks he should do. I think that's the biggest reason why he's such a playoff choker. It's obvious he wanted to play for DR the first time around but he pussed out and did what he thought would be the popular thing.
that pick of ortiz with the shades kind of looks like your avitar of biggie.
David Ortiz becomes US citizen
"My whole family, kids, and everyone have been born here," Ortiz said. "It's a great country, proud to be here, now proud to be a part of it."
I might have to make the change.
Good for him. But , we didn't need la Republica Dominicana to get more fire power...damn.
If I could manage to go see that PR v RD game i would be immensely happy. With the big Dominican community here in PR, and the caliber of both teams, that match up is always fun.
Off Topic did you notice I might face you if I get passed this round in our fantasy football playoffs.........LOL your becoming my fantasy sports rival.
doesn't matter, it's better he plays for another country because nobody he plays for ever wins
Tweak that logic a little bit, and there's a good reason for LeBron to leave Cleveland in 2010 because no one whoever plays for Cleveland ever wins.
goodone
ejhhhhh...without googling bc i could really care less about ortiz or a rod. but that article is dated june of this year. wasnt the wbc before that?
David Ortiz becomes US citizen
"My whole family, kids, and everyone have been born here," Ortiz said. "It's a great country, proud to be here, now proud to be a part of it."
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