A 'special,' 'precious,' 'awesome' homecoming for Rays' Dominicans

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- First pitch was about two hours away, and Jose Siri was exhausted.

A seemingly inexhaustible source of energy, Siri was on his way back to the Rays’ clubhouse on the first-base side of Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal after batting practice when he finally took a moment to breathe. The action had been nonstop since the Rays’ charter flight landed in Santo Domingo late Friday afternoon, from posing for a photo with his fellow Dominican teammates to dinner with family to a Play Ball clinic early Saturday morning to a steady stream of guests and interviews at the ballpark Saturday afternoon.

It was a lot. It meant everything.

“Honestly, it’s a little bit stressful,” Siri admitted through interpreter Manny Navarro, “but it feels really good.”

Siri’s spark shone through the moment he stepped back on the field Saturday night. He and Amed Rosario, another Dominican native, squatted by home plate to catch ceremonial first pitches from Hall of Famers David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez. From that moment until the last blast of a postgame fireworks show, the energy from the crowd of 11,853 matched that of Siri throughout the Rays’ 4-0 loss to the Red Sox in Game 1 of the Dominican Republic Series.

“Very special,” Siri said. “They have a lot of fun. In America, in the playoffs, they have a lot more emotion. But here, they just have a lot of fun all day long.”

It felt that way as soon as the Rays walked into the clubhouse that typically belongs to the Dominican winter league’s Leones del Escogido early Saturday afternoon. There were still hints of Escogido’s red color scheme. But the room looked like it belonged to the Rays, with their logo and colors posted on the walls and Tampa Bay nameplates in every locker.

“You feel like you’re at home,” bullpen coach Jorge Moncada said.

Of course, many Rays were. Top prospect Junior Caminero met up with his family as soon as the team arrived, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to sleep in his own bed since he lives near the stadium. Major League field coordinator Tomas Francisco welcomed his parents and brother to the game, a feeling he said he couldn’t describe. Ronny Simon said “everybody” in his family visited Friday night then came to Saturday’s game.

“It’s a precious thing. It’s beautiful. I’m very excited to be here,” Simon said through Navarro. “As a kid, this is something you drive for.”

Pitching prospect Yoniel Curet, who gave up a pair of runs and struck out three in a 38-pitch first inning, said this was the first time he had taken the mound with his family in attendance since he joined the Rays.

“I feel good. Especially with my family being here, it kind of felt like that was a big league game for me,” Curet, the Rays' No. 18 prospect, said through Navarro. “Having them here and the support from all the fans was awesome.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash had been to Estadio Quisqueya during a brief winter ball stint during his playing career. He was so impressed by the ballpark and accompanying atmosphere that he noted afterward the Dominican Republic Series could only be better if it took place during the regular season.

The fans banged drums and blared horns throughout the night, then cheered as Siri tossed balls into the stands between innings. The Rays didn’t give them much to cheer about as they managed only four hits, but they came to life when Siri singled, stole second and hustled to third on a flyout in the fifth.

“Tremendous atmosphere. Really cool for our players, cool for me to see David Ortiz come out and Pedro Martinez come out,” Cash said. “Just a tremendous experience.”

The Rays were perfectly built to enjoy the environment. In addition to the Dominicans Rosario, Siri, Caminero and Curet in their lineup, they started an entirely Latin American lineup with José Caballero from Panama, Randy Arozarena from Cuba, Harold Ramírez from Colombia, René Pinto from Venezuela and Jonathan Aranda and Isaac Paredes from Mexico.

“A chance to break up Spring Training a little bit, and more importantly, we've got so many Dominican players and also Latin players,” principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. “We felt it was a great thing to do for them and their families, too.”

That appeared to be the case Saturday. As fireworks lit up the night sky in his hometown, Caminero sat on the grass in front of the Rays’ dugout, tilted his head back and smiled.

“I'm here right now,” Caminero said through Navarro, “and I still can't believe it.”