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local Friday 14 July 2023

Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Baseball in those games have also
was played on the island been enshrined.
of Aruba in the 1930’s, but
only by United States ex- Luis Aparicio’s father was
patriates working for LAGO the super popular Luis “El
and living inside the LAGO Grande” (the great one)
colony. Jim Bluejacket, the after whom the base-
legendary US Indian who ball stadium in Maracai-
had played in two major bo is named. He and his
league teams, worked for brother owned the pro-
LAGO during 14 years and fessional baseball teams
was a key factor in the “Gavilanes” which later
growth of the popularity of became the “Aguilas”, migrants formed the teams (former pitcher of “Barnes’
the game in the colony. and the “Cabimas”. “Cerveceria” (named after Ramblers”), that would play
There is no record of Blue- the iconic team Cervece- for the first time ever in the
jacket ever playing outside In the early ‘40s, another ria Caracas), and “Ven- Amateur Baseball World
the colony. group, mostly immigrants ezuela”, although not all Series that took place in
from the Dominican Re- members of these teams Havana, Cuba in Septem-
Outside the colony, the public also became very were Venezuelans. This was ber. Surprisingly, Aruba won
game of baseball was in- active with pickup teams. also the year that the team two of its six games and
troduced to Aruba by Ven- Some of these remained sponsored by Roxy Café became the darling of the
ezuelan immigrants and active in baseball well into started to play as “Dodg- Havana fans. Nell Harms
sailors on the Venezuelan the early ‘50s; as umpires, ers”. of the Aruban team was
fishing boats that used Aru- managers even as players. Dodgers became the dom- named the “Outstanding
ba as their home port. They Among these were Nestor inant baseball powerhouse player of the week” for his
formed pick-up teams and “Pantin” Guerrero who also till the 1950s. performance against Hon-
played games on Sundays had a musical band. Per- duras. He allowed just two
on an open field behind haps not so coincidentally, Other teams that entered hits, struck out 15 and hit
what is now the Court of many of Pantin’s players the baseball scene in the the only homerun of the
Justice. One of the Venezu- were also musicians. Luthai late 1940s: Pepsi Cola game. Joe Cambria, the
elans that comes to mind is Pantophlet who umpired (Oranjestad) and St. Thom- famous scout for the Wash-
Felix Garrido, grandfather many years was a well- as Boys (former students of ington Senators offered
of our current Prime-Minis- known drummer. Gaston St. Thomas College, Oran- him a contract, but Nel
ter. Hazel was a bongo player; jestad). “Baby Ruth” in was not interested, but the
José Bryson and the broth- San Nicolas played initially next year, at the Amateur
In the late 30s the leader of ers Nicholson, Teddy and under the name “Camel” Baseball World Series in Ca-
this group was Raúl Apari- Julio, all played several in- and “Barnes` Ramblers” racas, Venezuela, Nel and
cio, a cousin of Luis Apari- struments. the only team consisting of Ruben Phillips did sign and
cio who is now enshrined in Lago Colony players to par- in 1954 they played profes-
the Hall of Fame in Cooper- In San Nicolas, baseball ticipate in the Lago Sport sional baseball the Geor-
stown. The Aparicios were was played on the grounds Park championships. “Red gia-Florida League and the
evidently very good at next to where the LAGO Rock Cola” was formed in Texas-New Mexico League.
sports. Raúl had two broth- Sport Park (now Laveist Oranjestad in 1950. They were the first Arubans
ers who also played base- Sport Park) was officially in- In 1952 the team Pepsi to play professionally, but
ball, René and Roman. augurated in March 1941. Cola became “Nesbitt’s” not the only ones.
Rosendo, his only brother and had players of seven
who did not play baseball During the WWII years, countries, including two During the games in Ha-
became a professional baseball got a big lift from American expats from vana, contacts were made
soccer player in the Ven- the influx of Puerto Rican Lago Colony. with the organizers of Little
ezuelan league. Rosendo and US soldiers stationed League Baseball in Cuba
was nicknamed “Cabeza here. As LAGO was play- In 1950 a group of promi- which eventually resulted
de oro” (golden head) for ing a very important role in nent members of the Aru- in the introduction of Lit-
a memorable header he the struggle against Hitler, ba community founded tle League in Aruba. Little
scored to win a game for it was able to get all the the Amateur Baseball Bond League of Aruba has been
his team. sports equipment needed of Aruba (ABBA) to give extremely successful: It has
here to allow more people structure to the manage- produced many players
Interestingly, it was in Aruba to participate. ment of the sport and be- who earned baseball schol-
that Luis Aparicio played came the organizers of of- arships at universities in the
his first game outside of In the ‘40s only the Lago ficial championship games. United States, a few who

Venezuela. This took place Sports Park organized While maintaining the exist- played professionally in the
in 1950 when he played baseball championship ing teams in a league that Netherlands and different
shortstop for the school he games. The first teams to was referred to as A-class, countries in the Caribbe-
attended. Later he played participate were Artraco, ABBA established a B- an and five who reached
for “Cabimas” in a double- (Aruba Trading Co.), Esso class league in which the the major leagues: Calvin
header of the Venezuelan Garage and Botica San “Budweiser’ and “Braves” Maduro, Eugene Kingsale,
Western League. These of- Lucas. In 1945 Venezuelan played the first years. Radhames Dijkhoff, Sydney
ficial games of the league employees of the Lago re- Ponson, and Xander Bo-
were authorized to be finery participated under By 1952 Aruba became a gaerts one of the brightest
played in Aruba by the the name of “Cafenol”, a member of the Internation- stars of Boston Red Sox.
Professional Baseball Or- very popular Venezuelan al Amateur Baseball Asso-
ganization of Venezuela. coffee brand. Two other ciation and fielded a team Written by Mr. Clyde Harms
Several others who played groups of Venezuelan im- managed by Joe Proterra,