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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-