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Saturday 4 February 2023 locAl
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Short history of the beginnings of baseball in Aruba

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

became a professional baseball got a big lift from While maintaining the ex- arships at universities in the
soccer player in the Ven- the influx of Puerto Rican isting teams in a league United States, a few who
ezuelan league. Rosendo and US soldiers stationed that was referred to as A- played professionally in the
was nicknamed “Cabeza here. As LAGO was play- class, ABBA established a Netherlands and different
de oro” (golden head) for ing a very important role in B-class league in which the countries in the Caribbe-
a memorable header he the struggle against Hitler, “Budweiser’ and “Braves” an and five who reached
scored to win a game for it was able to get all the played the first years. the major leagues: Calvin
his team. sports equipment needed Maduro, Eugene Kingsale,
here to allow more people Radhames Dijkhoff, Sydney
Interestingly, it was in Aruba to participate. By 1952 Aruba became a Ponson, and Xander Bo-
that Luis Aparicio played member of the Internation- gaerts one of the brightest
his first game outside of In the ‘40s only the Lago al Amateur Baseball Asso- stars of Boston Red Sox.q
Venezuela. This took place Sports Park organized
in 1950 when he played baseball championship
shortstop for the school he games. The first teams to
attended. Later he played participate were Artraco,
for “Cabimas” in a double- (Aruba Trading Co.), Esso
header of the Venezuelan Garage and Botica San
Western League. These of- Lucas. In 1945 Venezuelan
ficial games of the league employees of the Lago re-
were authorized to be finery participated under
played in Aruba by the the name of “Cafenol”, a
Professional Baseball Or- very popular Venezuelan
ganization of Venezuela. coffee brand. Two other
Several others who played groups of Venezuelan im-