FanPost

Juan Dominguez: The True Underdog

 

It has been a busy few weeks.  Trying to get the word out about Juan Dominguez without any help from the media or any type of publicity.  Juan had a few showcases set up with the Marlins.  The Marlins were impressed with the stuff of Dominguez, but said “they didn’t have any room in the minors”.  It was evident that the organization couldn’t get over the past problems that Juan has endured. 

It didn’t help that the past agent for Juan Dominguez called him an alcoholic.  Nothing like a guy that represents you that has no faith in you and assumes you have a drinking problem because of what happened years ago. 

After the fallout with the Marlins, its was time to hit up the independent leagues.  For some reason, the Fort Worth Cats are full of themselves and think they are above everyone.  I will leave it at that so I do not further embarrass them.

The Laredo Broncos showed immediate interest and offered straight up.  The location and money was not enough, it is not a good situation to put Juan in the middle of nowhere earning 1500 dollars a month.

The Broncos refereed to The Silver Sox from Reno who would provide Juan with a better situation to be put in and better monetary services.

            The Washington Nationals showed interest in Juan and set up a showcase in the Dominican Republic.  I learned the true meaning of a work horse.  Just a few days prior to the Nationals showcase, Juan threw 100 pitches.  A day later, he threw even more pitches.  Remember, this is a few days before he has one of the most important showcases of his life.  Juan wanted to workout and run for an hour before the showcase the next day, I disagreed full heartily.  The only thing he needed to do was stay home and ice his arm.

            Regarding the independent leagues, it will be hard to get Dominguez on Payroll.  Dominguez has a visa that is valid if he is offered a contract.  The independent leagues need a social security card and a US ID to verify him being on payroll.

            The sad thing is many teams write Juan off for being a “headcase”, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  This is a guy that gives everything he has to help others, he is a humble guy.  He is always on the field working out; he is determined to make a comeback to show he still has his stuff and can help a team win.

            The Washington Nationals showcase was set for 9:30 in the morning.  Mr Santos and Juan had to drive far away for the showcase, out of the city.  It was a rainy day, but they still went.  They showed up but no one was there, so they waited.  They ended up waiting for 3 hours, and the Nationals scout never showed up.  Remember, gas is a bargain in the U.S. compared to the Dominican Republic.

            This comes with another point that I have learned about Dominican scouting.  The scouts think they are lords over everyone else, and are usually cruel and unfair.  They believe they are above everyone else, and it is their way or the highway.

            Now it is time to go back to option B, get Juan the visa to get a contract in order with an independent league.  The next move is to talk with Jeoffrey Leonard who is in charge of the Silver Sox about the visa problem at hand.