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Tuesday 5 sepTember 2023 locAl
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            Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba



            ORANJESTAD  —  Baseball                                                                                             isting  teams  in  a  league
            was  played  on  the  island                                                                                        that  was  referred  to  as  A-
            of Aruba in the 1930’s, but                                                                                         class,  ABBA  established  a
            only  by  United  States  ex-                                                                                       B-class league in which the
            patriates working for LAGO                                                                                          “Budweiser’  and  “Braves”
            and living inside the LAGO                                                                                          played the first years.
            colony. Jim Bluejacket, the
            legendary  US  Indian  who                                                                                          By  1952  Aruba  became  a
            had  played  in  two  major                                                                                         member of the Internation-
            league  teams,  worked  for                                                                                         al  Amateur  Baseball  Asso-
            LAGO during 14 years and                                                                                            ciation and fielded a team
            was  a  key  factor  in  the                                                                                        managed by Joe Proterra,
            growth of the popularity of                                                                                         (former pitcher of “Barnes’
            the  game  in  the  colony.                                                                                         Ramblers”), that would play
            There is no record of Blue-                                                                                         for the first time ever in the
            jacket ever playing outside                                                                                         Amateur  Baseball  World
            the colony.                                                                                                         Series  that  took  place  in
                                         that  Luis  Aparicio  played  “Pantin” Guerrero who also  Lucas.  In  1945  Venezuelan  Havana,  Cuba  in  Septem-
            Outside  the  colony,  the  his  first  game  outside  of  had  a  musical  band.  Per-  employees of the Lago re-  ber. Surprisingly, Aruba won
            game  of  baseball  was  in-  Venezuela. This took place  haps not so coincidentally,  finery  participated  under  two  of  its  six  games  and
            troduced to Aruba by Ven-    in  1950  when  he  played  many  of  Pantin’s  players  the  name  of  “Cafenol”,  a  became the darling of the
            ezuelan  immigrants  and  shortstop for the school he  were also musicians. Luthai  very  popular  Venezuelan  Havana  fans.  Nell  Harms
            sailors  on  the  Venezuelan  attended. Later he played  Pantophlet  who  umpired  coffee  brand.  Two  other  of  the  Aruban  team  was
            fishing boats that used Aru-  for “Cabimas” in a double-  many  years  was  a  well-   groups  of  Venezuelan  im-  named  the  “Outstanding
            ba as their home port. They  header of the Venezuelan  known  drummer.  Gaston  migrants formed the teams  player of the week” for his
            formed pick-up teams and  Western  League.  These  of-    Hazel was a bongo player;  “Cerveceria” (named after  performance  against  Hon-
            played games on Sundays  ficial games of the league  José Bryson and the broth-        the  iconic  team  Cervece-  duras. He allowed just two
            on  an  open  field  behind  were  authorized  to  be  ers  Nicholson,  Teddy  and  ria  Caracas),  and  “Ven-      hits,  struck  out  15  and  hit
            what  is  now  the  Court  of  played  in  Aruba  by  the  Julio, all played several in-  ezuela”,  although  not  all  the  only  homerun  of  the
            Justice. One of the Venezu-  Professional  Baseball  Or-  struments.                   members  of  these  teams  game.  Joe  Cambria,  the
            elans that comes to mind is  ganization  of  Venezuela.                                were Venezuelans. This was  famous scout for the Wash-
            Felix  Garrido,  grandfather  Several others who played  In  San  Nicolas,  baseball  also the year that the team  ington  Senators  offered
            of  our  current  Prime-Minis-  in  those  games  have  also  was played on the grounds  sponsored  by  Roxy  Café  him  a  contract,  but  Nel
            ter.                         been enshrined.              next  to  where  the  LAGO  started  to  play  as  “Dodg-  was not interested, but the
                                                                      Sport  Park  (now  Laveist  ers”.                         next  year,  at  the  Amateur
            In the late 30s the leader of  Luis  Aparicio’s  father  was  Sport Park) was officially in-  Dodgers became the dom-  Baseball World Series in Ca-
            this  group  was  Raúl  Apari-  the  super  popular  Luis  “El  augurated in March 1941.   inant baseball powerhouse  racas, Venezuela, Nel and
            cio, a cousin of Luis Apari-  Grande”  (the  great  one)                               till the 1950s.              Ruben Phillips did sign and
            cio who is now enshrined in  after  whom  the  base-      During  the  WWII  years,                                 in 1954 they played profes-
            the Hall of Fame in Cooper-  ball  stadium  in  Maracai-  baseball got a big lift from  Other  teams  that  entered  sional  baseball  the  Geor-
            stown.  The  Aparicios  were  bo  is  named.  He  and  his  the  influx  of  Puerto  Rican  the  baseball  scene  in  the  gia-Florida League and the
            evidently  very  good  at  brother  owned  the  pro-      and  US  soldiers  stationed  late  1940s:  Pepsi  Cola  Texas-New Mexico League.
            sports. Raúl had two broth-  fessional  baseball  teams  here.  As  LAGO  was  play-   (Oranjestad) and St. Thom-   They were the first Arubans
            ers who also played base-    “Gavilanes”  which  later  ing a very important role in  as Boys (former students of  to  play  professionally,  but
            ball,  René  and  Roman.  became        the   “Aguilas”,  the  struggle  against  Hitler,  St.  Thomas  College,  Oran-  not the only ones.
            Rosendo,  his  only  brother  and the “Cabimas”.          it  was  able  to  get  all  the  jestad).  “Baby  Ruth”  in
            who did not play baseball                                 sports  equipment  needed  San  Nicolas  played  initially  During  the  games  in  Ha-
            became     a   professional  In  the  early  ‘40s,  another  here to allow more people  under  the  name  “Camel”  vana, contacts were made
            soccer  player  in  the  Ven-  group,  mostly  immigrants  to participate.             and  “Barnes`  Ramblers”  with the organizers of Little
            ezuelan  league.  Rosendo  from  the  Dominican  Re-                                   the only team consisting of  League  Baseball  in  Cuba
            was  nicknamed  “Cabeza  public  also  became  very  In  the  ‘40s  only  the  Lago  Lago Colony players to par-    which  eventually  resulted
            de oro” (golden head) for  active  with  pickup  teams.  Sports    Park    organized  ticipate  in  the  Lago  Sport  in  the  introduction  of  Lit-
            a  memorable  header  he  Some  of  these  remained  baseball          championship  Park  championships.  “Red  tle  League  in  Aruba.  Little
            scored  to  win  a  game  for  active in baseball well into  games.  The  first  teams  to  Rock  Cola”  was  formed  in  League of Aruba has been
            his team.                    the  early  ‘50s;  as  umpires,  participate  were  Artraco,  Oranjestad in 1950.      extremely successful: It has
                                         managers even as players.  (Aruba  Trading  Co.),  Esso  In  1952  the  team  Pepsi  produced  many  players
            Interestingly, it was in Aruba  Among  these  were  Nestor  Garage  and  Botica  San  Cola  became  “Nesbitt’s”  who earned baseball schol-
                                                                                                   and  had  players  of  seven  arships at universities in the
                                                                                                   countries,  including  two  United  States,  a  few  who
                                                                                                   American    expats    from  played professionally in  the
                                                                                                   Lago Colony.                 Netherlands  and  different
                                                                                                                                countries  in  the  Caribbe-
                                                                                                   In  1950  a  group  of  promi-  an  and  five  who  reached
                                                                                                   nent  members  of  the  Aru-  the  major  leagues:  Calvin
                                                                                                   ba  community  founded  Maduro,  Eugene Kingsale,
                                                                                                   the Amateur Baseball Bond  Radhames Dijkhoff, Sydney
                                                                                                   of  Aruba  (ABBA)  to  give  Ponson,  and  Xander  Bo-
                                                                                                   structure  to  the  manage-  gaerts one of the brightest
                                                                                                   ment of the sport and be-    stars of Boston Red Sox.
                                                                                                   came the organizers of of-
                                                                                                   ficial championship games.     Written by Mr. Clyde Harms
                                                                                                   While  maintaining  the  ex-
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