![Pitcher Hector Rodriguez, 23, talks about Sammy Sosa and other...]()
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby
Pitcher Hector Rodriguez, 23, talks about Sammy Sosa and other Dominicans playing in the major leagues. Rodriguez pitches for the Orioles' farm team in San Pedro de Macoris.
![Yefri Perez, 11, pitches in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican...]()
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby
Yefri Perez, 11, pitches in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Sammy Sosa's hometown. Although his popularity has waned somewhat in much of the country, Sosa remains beloved here.
![A statue of Sammy Sosa stands outside the Plaza 30/30...]()
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby
A statue of Sammy Sosa stands outside the Plaza 30/30 shopping mall in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Sosa helped fund the three-story mall, which includes a busy health clinic.
![Robelto de Losante, 12, takes a swing during a baseball...]()
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby
Robelto de Losante, 12, takes a swing during a baseball game in San Pedro de Macoris, where boys seemingly spend every free moment playing baseball with sticks, bottle tops and homemade balls.
![A group gathers on a Sunday morning to watch children...]()
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby
A group gathers on a Sunday morning to watch children play in the street in Sammy Sosa's hometown of San Pedro de Macoris.
![Boys in a baseball league wait for the start of...]()
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby
Boys in a baseball league wait for the start of their game. Leagues provide real bats and baseballs to children who often spend most of their free time playing with sticks and homemade balls. For young players, the popularity of Dominican players such as Alex Rodriguez and Pedro Martinez rivals that of Sammy Sosa.
![Caps for sale in the capital city of Santo Domingo...]()
Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby
Caps for sale in the capital city of Santo Domingo show some of the many Dominicans in Major League Baseball.
