Published: July 18, 2008 10:52 pm            

Deleon embraces background in Dominican Republic

PRINCETON — The Dominican Republic has long been a hotbed of baseball talent. Rafael Deleon knows why. He was there.

“That is a question of a million. We play baseball from the morning to the end of the day,” said Deleon, in his third season as the hitting coach with the Princeton Rays. “We just dreamed because we are a town that (has) so much passion for baseball.

“We know we (must) work hard because we don’t have the same facilities that the people have here in the United States going to the schools.”

A total of 468 players from the Dominican Republic have played in the major leagues. That’s why baseball is so popular in his small country located in the Caribbean.

“We look at the future as a baseball player because we think that is going to be one of the great opportunities in life,” Deleon said. “That’s why we emphasize to work so much all day long. That’s why we spend (much) time every day of the week playing baseball.”

It’s paid off for many, including the 43-year-old Deleon, who is pleased to be serving as a hitter instructor for a third year in Princeton.

“I feel very happy to be here, and everything is going fine,” said Deleon, with his ever-present smile. “The people here are very, very good, very nice, we feel good to be here and working with these players in this community.

“They pay a lot of attention. They follow, sometimes we get like everybody in a little slump, but with dedication and working hard every day, we’re coming back again.”

Raised in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, Deleon also played baseball in Colombia, Mexico and the Caribbean. All that baseball attracted the attention of professional scouts.

Deleon was a free agent signee at the same time as Sammy Sosa. All Sosa did was hit 609 home runs in an 18-year career, spent mostly with the Chicago Cubs.

“We signed together for the Phillies, but a year after we were declared free agents because (of) the person that represented the Phillies at that time from the Dominican Republic,” Deleon said. “He got fired and he (hadn’t) reported our contracts yet to the organization so we (became) free agents.

“So he goes with Texas and I go with the Tigers, but we are like brothers. We passed a lot of difficult times together and that was very good to remember.”

Deleon still remembers how hard Sosa worked to get his chance. He was the smallest of the players during their era together in the Dominican, but may have worked harder than any of them.

“We don’t have a lot an opportunity to get together, but I’ll tell you what, when we get together, we have a good time because we have so much to remember,” Deleon said. “I know he can do it...He trusts in himself and he does everything hard. He works hard to get better, he’s a great, great, great person and not only when he got to the big leagues.

“When he was nobody, when nobody he was him. He worked hard in the field, he wanted to be (in) on every play. It’s unbelievable how he worked when he was a kid.”

Deleon did the same, and spent 1986-88 with the Detroit Tigers, Oakland A’s and Cubs in the Dominican Summer League. He never was able to get the call to the big leagues.

“I never had that opportunity, but I feel proud with myself because I did everything that any player can do,” Deleon said. “I had an injury in my arm that never gave me an opportunity to make it, but I feel proud because I worked so hard to try and get it.”

He’s remained in baseball, starting as a scout for the Montreal Expos in the Dominican Republic in 1990-91. He also worked for the Mets and Yankees in the same league before becoming a manager, coach and scout with Tampa Bay.

“I’m fortunate in my life to be able to continue working in baseball,” Deleon said. “That’s the most important thing, it’s like I played in the big leagues.”

Deleon, also known as ‘Sweet Pea’, picked up his nickname through his love for baseball.

“When I was kid in school I used to leave from my school to the field to play baseball,” Deleon said. “I played baseball with no shoes, I just (played) hard in the dirt, rocks, everything.

“My calves developed bigger and all the kids started calling me ‘Sweet Potato’ in my hometown. When I got to professional baseball everybody started calling me ‘Sweet P’ and then that’s my nickname forever.”

Former P-Rays manager Jamie Nelson certainly enjoyed working with Deleon during the 2006-07 campaigns.

“‘Sweet P’ is a good man, the kids love him, he’s always jovial around the locker room and on the field,” said Nelson, during an interview last summer. “His personality is just outstanding and he is just a tireless worker.

“They know when they come to the ball park, if they want to work on some things in the cage that he’ll be there all day and all night.”

While every hitting instructor — from Charlie Lau to Walt Hriniak — have their own philosophies, Deleon teaches what the Tampa Bay organization wants the players to learn.

“It is a very important question, it is not my philosophy, it’s the organization and their guidelines and then you have to follow (those_ guidelines,” Deleon said. “Everybody in the organization works on one page.

“That is very important that you put the little knowledge you have hitting-wise and then the organization gives you the (instructions) for your work on what to work on.

“I hope that everything continues getting better because we are here for that, to try and get better and teach those youngsters to be better for the future.”

Deleon knows what he wants for his future. He’s already doing it.

“I hope the Lord continues to give me blessings and the opportunity to stay around and try to do the best I can,” he said.

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.