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local Friday 29 december 2023

Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Baseball the super popular Luis “El
was played on the island of Grande” (the great one) af-
Aruba in the 1930’s, but only ter whom the baseball stadi-
by United States expatriates um in Maracaibo is named.
working for LAGO and living He and his brother owned
inside the LAGO colony. Jim the professional baseball
Bluejacket, the legendary teams “Gavilanes” which
US Indian who had played later became the “Aguilas”,
in two major league teams, and the “Cabimas”.
worked for LAGO during 14
years and was a key factor In the early ‘40s, another
in the growth of the popular- group, mostly immigrants
ity of the game in the colony. from the Dominican Repub-
There is no record of Blue- lic also became very active
jacket ever playing outside with pickup teams. Some of
the colony. these remained active in
baseball well into the early
Outside the colony, the ‘50s; as umpires, managers sponsored by Roxy Café ries that took place in Ha-
game of baseball was intro- even as players. Among started to play as “Dodgers”. vana, Cuba in September.
duced to Aruba by Venezu- these were Nestor “Pantin” Dodgers became the domi- Surprisingly, Aruba won two
elan immigrants and sailors Guerrero who also had a nant baseball powerhouse of its six games and became
on the Venezuelan fishing musical band. Perhaps not till the 1950s. the darling of the Havana
boats that used Aruba as so coincidentally, many of fans. Nell Harms of the Aru-
their home port. They formed Pantin’s players were also Other teams that entered ban team was named the
pick-up teams and played musicians. Luthai Pantophlet the baseball scene in the “Outstanding player of the
games on Sundays on an who umpired many years late 1940s: Pepsi Cola (Oran- week” for his performance
open field behind what is was a well-known drummer. jestad) and St. Thomas Boys against Honduras. He al-
now the Court of Justice. Gaston Hazel was a bongo (former students of St. Thom- lowed just two hits, struck out
One of the Venezuelans player; José Bryson and the as College, Oranjestad). 15 and hit the only homerun
that comes to mind is Felix brothers Nicholson, Teddy “Baby Ruth” in San Nicolas of the game. Joe Cambria,
Garrido, grandfather of our and Julio, all played several played initially under the the famous scout for the
current Prime-Minister. instruments. name “Camel” and “Barnes` Washington Senators offered
Ramblers” the only team him a contract, but Nel was
In the late 30s the leader of In San Nicolas, baseball was consisting of Lago Colony not interested, but the next
this group was Raúl Aparicio, played on the grounds next players to participate in the year, at the Amateur Base-
a cousin of Luis Aparicio who to where the LAGO Sport Lago Sport Park champi- ball World Series in Caracas,
is now enshrined in the Hall of Park (now Laveist Sport Park) onships. “Red Rock Cola” Venezuela, Nel and Ruben
Fame in Cooperstown. The was officially inaugurated in was formed in Oranjestad Phillips did sign and in 1954
Aparicios were evidently March 1941. in 1950. they played professional
very good at sports. Raúl In 1952 the team Pepsi Cola baseball the Georgia-Florida
had two brothers who also During the WWII years, base- became “Nesbitt’s” and League and the Texas-New
played baseball, René and ball got a big lift from the in- had players of seven coun- Mexico League. They were
Roman. Rosendo, his only flux of Puerto Rican and US tries, including two American the first Arubans to play pro-
brother who did not play soldiers stationed here. As expats from Lago Colony. fessionally, but not the only
baseball became a profes- LAGO was playing a very ones.
sional soccer player in the important role in the struggle
Venezuelan league. Rosen- against Hitler, it was able to In 1950 a group of prominent During the games in Ha-
do was nicknamed “Cabeza get all the sports equipment members of the Aruba com- vana, contacts were made
de oro” (golden head) for needed here to allow more munity founded the Ama- with the organizers of Little
a memorable header he people to participate. teur Baseball Bond of Aruba League Baseball in Cuba
scored to win a game for (ABBA) to give structure to which eventually resulted
his team. In the ‘40s only the Lago the management of the in the introduction of Lit-
Sports Park organized base- sport and became the orga- tle League in Aruba. Little
Interestingly, it was in Aruba ball championship games. nizers of official champion- League of Aruba has been
that Luis Aparicio played his The first teams to participate ship games. While maintain- extremely successful: It has
first game outside of Venezu- were Artraco, (Aruba Trad- ing the existing teams in a produced many players who
ela. This took place in 1950 ing Co.), Esso Garage and league that was referred to earned baseball scholarships
when he played shortstop Botica San Lucas. In 1945 as A-class, ABBA established at universities in the United
for the school he attended. Venezuelan employees of a B-class league in which the States, a few who played
Later he played for “Cabi- the Lago refinery partici- “Budweiser’ and “Braves” professionally in the Neth-
mas” in a doubleheader pated under the name of played the first years. erlands and different coun-
of the Venezuelan Western “Cafenol”, a very popular tries in the Caribbean and
League. These official games Venezuelan coffee brand. five who reached the ma-
of the league were autho- Two other groups of Venezu- By 1952 Aruba became a jor leagues: Calvin Maduro,
rized to be played in Aruba elan immigrants formed the member of the Internation- Eugene Kingsale, Radhames
by the Professional Baseball teams “Cerveceria” (named al Amateur Baseball Asso- Dijkhoff, Sydney Ponson, and
Organization of Venezuela. after the iconic team Cer- ciation and fielded a team Xander Bogaerts one of the
Several others who played in veceria Caracas), and managed by Joe Proterra, brightest stars of Boston Red
those games have also been “Venezuela”, although not (former pitcher of “Barnes’ Sox.q
enshrined. all members of these teams Ramblers”), that would play
were Venezuelans. This was for the first time ever in the Written by Mr. Clyde Harms
Luis Aparicio’s father was also the year that the team Amateur Baseball World Se-