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local Friday 28 July 2023

Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba

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

Venezuela. This took place Sports Park organized ficial championship games. United States, a few who
in 1950 when he played baseball championship While maintaining the exist- played professionally in the
shortstop for the school he games. The first teams to ing teams in a league that Netherlands and different
attended. Later he played participate were Artraco, was referred to as A-class, countries in the Caribbe-
for “Cabimas” in a double- (Aruba Trading Co.), Esso ABBA established a B- an and five who reached
header of the Venezuelan Garage and Botica San class league in which the the major leagues: Calvin
Western League. These of- Lucas. In 1945 Venezuelan “Budweiser’ and “Braves” Maduro, Eugene Kingsale,
ficial games of the league employees of the Lago re- played the first years. Radhames Dijkhoff, Sydney
were authorized to be finery participated under Ponson, and Xander Bo-
played in Aruba by the the name of “Cafenol”, a By 1952 Aruba became a gaerts one of the brightest
Professional Baseball Or- very popular Venezuelan member of the Internation- stars of Boston Red Sox.
ganization of Venezuela. coffee brand. Two other al Amateur Baseball Asso-
Several others who played groups of Venezuelan im- ciation and fielded a team Written by Mr. Clyde Harms