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Thursday 9 June 2022 locAl
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Continuation

Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Baseball the team sponsored by that was referred to as A-
was played on the island Roxy Café started to play class, ABBA established a
of Aruba in the 1930’s, but as“Dodgers”. B-class league in which the
only by United States ex- Dodgers became the dom- “Budweiser’ and “Braves”
patriates working for LAGO inant baseball powerhouse played the first years.
and living inside the LAGO till the 1950s.
colony. Jim Bluejacket, the Other teams that entered By 1952 Aruba became a
legendary US Indian who the baseball scene in the member of the Internation-
had played in two major late 1940s: Pepsi Cola al Amateur Baseball Asso-
league teams, worked for (Oranjestad) and St. Thom- ciation and fielded a team
LAGO during 14 years and as Boys (former students of managed by Joe Proterra,
was a key factor in the St. Thomas College, Oran- (former pitcher of “Barnes’
growth of the popularity of jestad). “Baby Ruth” in Ramblers”), that would play
the game in the colony. San Nicolas played initially for the first time ever in the
There is no record of Blue- under the name “Camel” Amateur Baseball World
jacket ever playing outside and “Barnes` Ramblers” Series that took place in
the colony. the only team consisting of Havana, Cuba in Septem-
Lago Colony players to par- ber. Surprisingly, Aruba won
In the ‘40s only the Lago ticipate in the Lago Sport two of its six games and
Sports Park organized Park championships. “Red became the darling of the
baseball championship Rock Cola” was formed in Havana fans. Nell Harms
games. The first teams to Oranjestad in 1950. of the Aruban team was
participate were Artraco, In 1952 the team Pepsi named the “Outstanding
(Aruba Trading Co.), Esso Cola became “Nesbitt’s” player of the week” for his
Garage and Botica San and had players of seven performance against Hon-
Lucas. In 1945 Venezuelan countries, including two duras. He allowed just two
employees of the Lago re- American expats from hits, struck out 15 and hit Texas-New Mexico League. produced many players
finery participated under Lago Colony. the only homerun of the They were the first Arubans who earned baseball schol-
the name of “Cafenol”, a game. Joe Cambria, the to play professionally, but arships at universities in the
very popular Venezuelan In 1950 a group of promi- famous scout for the Wash- not the only ones. United States, a few who
coffee brand. Two other nent members of the Aru- ington Senators offered played professionally in the
groups of Venezuelanim- ba community founded him a contract, but Nel During the games in Ha- Netherlands and different
migrants formed the teams the Amateur Baseball Bond was not interested, butthe vana, contacts were made countries in the Caribbe-
“Cerveceria”(named af- of Aruba (ABBA) to give next year, at the Amateur with the organizers of Little an andfive who reached
ter the iconic team Cer- structure to the manage- Baseball World Series in Ca- League Baseball in Cuba the major leagues: Calvin
veceria Caracas), and ment of the sport and be- racas, Venezuela, Nel and which eventually resulted Maduro, Eugene Kingsale,
“Venezuela”, although came the organizers of of- Ruben Phillips did sign and in the introduction of Lit- RadhamesDijkhoff, Sydney
not all members of these ficial championship games. in 1954 they played profes- tle League in Aruba. Little Ponson, and XanderBo-

teams were Venezuelans. While maintaining the ex- sional baseball the Geor- League of Aruba has been gaerts one of the brightest
This was also the year that isting teams in a league gia-Florida League and the extremely successful:It has stars of Boston Red Sox.q