Page 8 - HOH

Saturday 1 april 2023 locAl
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Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Baseball was
played on the island of Aruba in
the 1930’s, but only by United States
expatriates working for LAGO and
living inside the LAGO colony. Jim
Bluejacket, the legendary US In-
dian who had played in two major
league teams, worked for LAGO
during 14 years and was a key fac-
tor in the growth of the popularity of
the game in the colony. There is no Perhaps not so coincidentally, In 1950 a group of prominent
record of Bluejacket ever playing many of Pantin’s players were also members of the Aruba commu-
outside the colony. musicians. Luthai Pantophlet who nity founded the Amateur Base-
umpired many years was a well- ball Bond of Aruba (ABBA) to give
Outside the colony, the game of known drummer. Gaston Hazel structure to the management of
baseball was introduced to Aruba was a bongo player; José Bryson the sport and became the orga-
by Venezuelan immigrants and and the brothers Nicholson, Teddy nizers of official championship
sailors on the Venezuelan fishing and Julio, all played several instru- games. While maintaining the ex-
boats that used Aruba as their ments. isting teams in a league that was
home port. They formed pick-up In San Nicolas, baseball was referred to as A-class, ABBA estab-
teams and played games on Sun- played on the grounds next to lished a B-class league in which the
days on an open field behind what where the LAGO Sport Park (now “Budweiser’ and “Braves” played
is now the Court of Justice. One Laveist Sport Park) was officially in- the first years.
of the Venezuelans that comes to augurated in March 1941. By 1952 Aruba became a mem-
mind is Felix Garrido, grandfather ber of the International Amateur
of our current Prime-Minister. During the WWII years, baseball got Baseball Association and fielded
In the late 30s the leader of this a big lift from the influx of Puerto Ri- a team managed by Joe Proterra,
group was Raúl Aparicio, a cous- can and US soldiers stationed here. (former pitcher of “Barnes’ Ram-
in of Luis Aparicio who is now As LAGO was playing a very impor- blers”), that would play for the first
enshrined in the Hall of Fame in tant role in the struggle against Hit- time ever in the Amateur Baseball
Cooperstown. The Aparicios were ler, it was able to get all the sports World Series that took place in
evidently very good at sports. Raúl equipment needed here to allow Havana, Cuba in September. Sur-
had two brothers who also played more people to participate. prisingly, Aruba won two of its six
baseball, René and Roman. Rosen- In the ‘40s only the Lago Sports Park games and became the darling
do, his only brother who did not organized baseball championship of the Havana fans. Nell Harms of
play baseball became a profes- games. The first teams to partici- the Aruban team was named the
sional soccer player in the Venezu- pate were Artraco, (Aruba Trading “Outstanding player of the week”
elan league. Rosendo was nick- Co.), Esso Garage and Botica San for his performance against Hondu-
named “Cabeza de oro” (golden Lucas. In 1945 Venezuelan employ- ras. He allowed just two hits, struck
head) for a memorable header he ees of the Lago refinery participat- out 15 and hit the only homerun
scored to win a game for his team. ed under the name of “Cafenol”, of the game. Joe Cambria, the
Interestingly, it was in Aruba that a very popular Venezuelan coffee famous scout for the Washington
Luis Aparicio played his first game brand. Two other groups of Ven- Senators offered him a contract,
outside of Venezuela. This took ezuelan immigrants formed the but Nel was not interested, but the
place in 1950 when he played teams “Cerveceria” (named after next year, at the Amateur Baseball
shortstop for the school he attend- the iconic team Cerveceria Cara- World Series in Caracas, Venezu-
ed. Later he played for “Cabimas” cas), and “Venezuela”, although ela, Nel and Ruben Phillips did sign
in a doubleheader of the Venezu- not all members of these teams and in 1954 they played profes-
elan Western League. These official were Venezuelans. This was also sional baseball the Georgia-Florida
games of the league were autho- the year that the team sponsored League and the Texas-New Mexi-
rized to be played in Aruba by the by Roxy Café started to play as co League. They were the first Aru-
Professional Baseball Organization “Dodgers”. bans to play professionally, but not
of Venezuela. Several others who Dodgers became the dominant the only ones.
played in those games have also baseball powerhouse till the 1950s. During the games in Havana, con-
been enshrined. tacts were made with the orga-
Luis Aparicio’s father was the super Other teams that entered the base- nizers of Little League Baseball in
popular Luis “El Grande” (the great ball scene in the late 1940s: Pepsi Cuba which eventually resulted
one) after whom the baseball sta- Cola (Oranjestad) and St. Thomas in the introduction of Little League
dium in Maracaibo is named. He Boys (former students of St. Thomas in Aruba. Little League of Aruba
and his brother owned the profes- College, Oranjestad). “Baby Ruth” has been extremely successful: It
sional baseball teams “Gavilanes” in San Nicolas played initially under has produced many players who
which later became the “Aguilas”, the name “Camel” and “Barnes` earned baseball scholarships at
and the “Cabimas”. Ramblers” the only team consisting universities in the United States,
In the early ‘40s, another group, of Lago Colony players to partici- a few who played profession-
mostly immigrants from the Domini- pate in the Lago Sport Park cham- ally in the Netherlands and dif-
can Republic also became very pionships. “Red Rock Cola” was ferent countries in the Caribbean
active with pickup teams. Some of formed in Oranjestad in 1950. and five who reached the major
these remained active in baseball In 1952 the team Pepsi Cola be- leagues: Calvin Maduro, Eugene
well into the early ‘50s; as umpires, came “Nesbitt’s” and had players Kingsale, Radhames Dijkhoff, Syd-
managers even as players. Among of seven countries, including two ney Ponson, and Xander Bogaerts
these were Nestor “Pantin” Guer- American expats from Lago Colo- one of the brightest stars of Boston
rero who also had a musical band. ny. Red Sox.q