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Saturday 13 May 2023 locAl
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Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Baseball
was played on the island
of Aruba in the 1930’s, but
only by United States ex-
patriates working for LAGO
and living inside the LAGO
colony. Jim Bluejacket, the
legendary US Indian who
had played in two major
league teams, worked for
LAGO during 14 years and
was a key factor in the
growth of the popularity of
the game in the colony.
There is no record of Blue-
jacket ever playing outside
the colony.

Outside the colony, the
game of baseball was in- Julio, all played several in- late 1940s: Pepsi Cola became the darling of the
troduced to Aruba by Ven- struments. (Oranjestad) and St. Thom- Havana fans. Nell Harms
ezuelan immigrants and as Boys (former students of of the Aruban team was
sailors on the Venezuelan In San Nicolas, baseball St. Thomas College, Oran- named the “Outstanding
fishing boats that used Aru- was played on the grounds jestad). “Baby Ruth” in player of the week” for his
ba as their home port. They next to where the LAGO San Nicolas played initially performance against Hon-
formed pick-up teams and Sport Park (now Laveist under the name “Camel” duras. He allowed just two
played games on Sundays Sport Park) was officially in- and “Barnes` Ramblers” hits, struck out 15 and hit
on an open field behind augurated in March 1941. the only team consisting of the only homerun of the
what is now the Court of Lago Colony players to par- game. Joe Cambria, the
Justice. One of the Venezu- During the WWII years, ticipate in the Lago Sport famous scout for the Wash-
elans that comes to mind is baseball got a big lift from Park championships. “Red ington Senators offered
Felix Garrido, grandfather the influx of Puerto Rican Rock Cola” was formed in him a contract, but Nel
of our current Prime-Minis- and US soldiers stationed Oranjestad in 1950. was not interested, but the
ter. here. As LAGO was play- In 1952 the team Pepsi next year, at the Amateur

ing a very important role in Cola became “Nesbitt’s” Baseball World Series in Ca-
In the late 30s the leader of the struggle against Hitler, and had players of seven racas, Venezuela, Nel and
this group was Raúl Apari- in those games have also it was able to get all the countries, including two Ruben Phillips did sign and
cio, a cousin of Luis Apari- been enshrined. sports equipment needed American expats from in 1954 they played profes-
cio who is now enshrined in here to allow more people Lago Colony. sional baseball the Geor-
the Hall of Fame in Cooper- Luis Aparicio’s father was to participate. gia-Florida League and the
stown. The Aparicios were the super popular Luis “El Texas-New Mexico League.
evidently very good at Grande” (the great one) In the ‘40s only the Lago In 1950 a group of promi- They were the first Arubans
sports. Raúl had two broth- after whom the base- Sports Park organized nent members of the Aru- to play professionally, but
ers who also played base- ball stadium in Maracai- baseball championship ba community founded not the only ones.
ball, René and Roman. bo is named. He and his games. The first teams to the Amateur Baseball Bond
Rosendo, his only brother brother owned the pro- participate were Artraco, of Aruba (ABBA) to give During the games in Ha-
who did not play baseball fessional baseball teams (Aruba Trading Co.), Esso structure to the manage- vana, contacts were made
became a professional “Gavilanes” which later Garage and Botica San ment of the sport and be- with the organizers of Little
soccer player in the Ven- became the “Aguilas”, Lucas. In 1945 Venezuelan came the organizers of of- League Baseball in Cuba
ezuelan league. Rosendo and the “Cabimas”. employees of the Lago re- ficial championship games. which eventually resulted

was nicknamed “Cabeza finery participated under While maintaining the ex- in the introduction of Lit-
de oro” (golden head) for In the early ‘40s, another the name of “Cafenol”, a isting teams in a league tle League in Aruba. Little
a memorable header he group, mostly immigrants very popular Venezuelan that was referred to as A- League of Aruba has been
scored to win a game for from the Dominican Re- coffee brand. Two other class, ABBA established a extremely successful: It has
his team. public also became very groups of Venezuelan im- B-class league in which the produced many players
active with pickup teams. migrants formed the teams “Budweiser’ and “Braves” who earned baseball schol-
Interestingly, it was in Aruba Some of these remained “Cerveceria” (named after played the first years. arships at universities in the
that Luis Aparicio played active in baseball well into the iconic team Cervece- United States, a few who
his first game outside of the early ‘50s; as umpires, ria Caracas), and “Ven- played professionally in the
Venezuela. This took place managers even as players. ezuela”, although not all By 1952 Aruba became a Netherlands and different
in 1950 when he played Among these were Nestor members of these teams member of the Internation- countries in the Caribbe-
shortstop for the school he “Pantin” Guerrero who also were Venezuelans. This was al Amateur Baseball Asso- an and five who reached
attended. Later he played had a musical band. Per- also the year that the team ciation and fielded a team the major leagues: Calvin
for “Cabimas” in a double- haps not so coincidentally, sponsored by Roxy Café managed by Joe Proterra, Maduro, Eugene Kingsale,
header of the Venezuelan many of Pantin’s players started to play as “Dodg- (former pitcher of “Barnes’ Radhames Dijkhoff, Sydney
Western League. These of- were also musicians. Luthai ers”. Ramblers”), that would play Ponson, and Xander Bo-
ficial games of the league Pantophlet who umpired Dodgers became the dom- for the first time ever in the gaerts one of the brightest
were authorized to be many years was a well- inant baseball powerhouse Amateur Baseball World stars of Boston Red Sox.
played in Aruba by the known drummer. Gaston till the 1950s. Series that took place in
Professional Baseball Or- Hazel was a bongo player; Havana, Cuba in Septem- Written by Mr. Clyde Harms
ganization of Venezuela. José Bryson and the broth- Other teams that entered ber. Surprisingly, Aruba won
Several others who played ers Nicholson, Teddy and the baseball scene in the two of its six games and