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Saturday 26 November 2022 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
record of Bluejacket ever playing
outside the colony. Perhaps not so coincidentally, members of the Aruba commu-
many of Pantin’s players were also nity founded the Amateur Base-
Outside the colony, the game of musicians. Luthai Pantophlet who ball Bond of Aruba (ABBA) to give
baseball was introduced to Aruba umpired many years was a well- structure to the management of
by Venezuelan immigrants and known drummer. Gaston Hazel the sport and became the orga-
sailors on the Venezuelan fishing was a bongo player; José Bryson nizers of official championship
boats that used Aruba as their and the brothers Nicholson, Teddy games. While maintaining the ex-
home port. They formed pick-up and Julio, all played several instru- isting teams in a league that was
teams and played games on Sun- ments. In San Nicolas, baseball referred to as A-class, ABBA estab-
days on an open field behind what was played on the grounds next to lished a B-class league in which the
is now the Court of Justice. One where the LAGO Sport Park (now “Budweiser’ and “Braves” played
of the Venezuelans that comes to Laveist Sport Park) was officially in- the first years.
mind is Felix Garrido, grandfather augurated in March 1941. By 1952 Aruba became a mem-
of our current Prime-Minister. During the WWII years, baseball got ber of the International Amateur
In the late 30s the leader of this a big lift from the influx of Puerto Ri- Baseball Association and fielded
group was Raúl Aparicio, a cous- can and US soldiers stationed here. a team managed by Joe Proterra,
in of Luis Aparicio who is now As LAGO was playing a very impor- (former pitcher of “Barnes’ Ram-
enshrined in the Hall of Fame in tant role in the struggle against Hit- blers”), that would play for the first
Cooperstown. The Aparicios were ler, it was able to get all the sports time ever in the Amateur Baseball
evidently very good at sports. Raúl equipment needed here to allow World Series that took place in
had two brothers who also played more people to participate. Havana, Cuba in September. Sur-
baseball, René and Roman. Rosen- In the ‘40s only the Lago Sports Park prisingly, Aruba won two of its six
do, his only brother who did not organized baseball championship games and became the darling
play baseball became a profes- games. The first teams to partici- of the Havana fans. Nell Harms of
sional soccer player in the Venezu- pate were Artraco, (Aruba Trading the Aruban team was named the
elan league. Rosendo was nick- Co.), Esso Garage and Botica San “Outstanding player of the week”
named “Cabeza de oro” (golden Lucas. In 1945 Venezuelan employ- for his performance against Hondu-
head) for a memorable header he ees of the Lago refinery participat- ras. He allowed just two hits, struck
scored to win a game for his team. ed under the name of “Cafenol”, out 15 and hit the only homerun
Interestingly, it was in Aruba that a very popular Venezuelan coffee of the game. Joe Cambria, the
Luis Aparicio played his first game brand. Two other groups of Ven- famous scout for the Washington
outside of Venezuela. This took ezuelan immigrants formed the Senators offered him a contract,
place in 1950 when he played teams “Cerveceria” (named after but Nel was not interested, but the
shortstop for the school he attend- the iconic team Cerveceria Cara- next year, at the Amateur Baseball
ed. Later he played for “Cabimas” cas), and “Venezuela”, although World Series in Caracas, Venezu-
in a doubleheader of the Venezu- not all members of these teams ela, Nel and Ruben Phillips did sign
elan Western League. These official were Venezuelans. This was also and in 1954 they played profes-
games of the league were autho- the year that the team sponsored sional baseball the Georgia-Florida
rized to be played in Aruba by the by Roxy Café started to play as League and the Texas-New Mexi-
Professional Baseball Organization “Dodgers”. co League. They were the first Aru-
of Venezuela. Several others who Dodgers became the dominant bans to play professionally, but not
played in those games have also baseball powerhouse till the 1950s. the only ones. During the games
been enshrined. Other teams that entered the base- in Havana, contacts were made
Luis Aparicio’s father was the super ball scene in the late 1940s: Pepsi with the organizers of Little League
popular Luis “El Grande” (the great Cola (Oranjestad) and St. Thomas Baseball in Cuba which eventually
one) after whom the baseball sta- Boys (former students of St. Thomas resulted in the introduction of Little
dium in Maracaibo is named. He College, Oranjestad). “Baby Ruth” League in Aruba. Little League of
and his brother owned the profes- in San Nicolas played initially under Aruba has been extremely suc-
sional baseball teams “Gavilanes” the name “Camel” and “Barnes` cessful: It has produced many play-
which later became the “Aguilas”, Ramblers” the only team consisting ers who earned baseball scholar-
and the “Cabimas”. of Lago Colony players to partici- ships at universities in the United
In the early ‘40s, another group, pate in the Lago Sport Park cham- States, a few who played profes-
mostly immigrants from the Domini- pionships. “Red Rock Cola” was sionally in the Netherlands and dif-
can Republic also became very formed in Oranjestad in 1950. ferent countries in the Caribbean
active with pickup teams. Some of In 1952 the team Pepsi Cola be- and five who reached the major
these remained active in baseball came “Nesbitt’s” and had players leagues: Calvin Maduro, Eugene
well into the early ‘50s; as umpires, of seven countries, including two Kingsale, Radhames Dijkhoff, Syd-
managers even as players. Among American expats from Lago Colo- ney Ponson, and Xander Bogaerts
these were Nestor “Pantin” Guer- ny. one of the brightest stars of Boston
rero who also had a musical band. In 1950 a group of prominent Red Sox.q