The post White Sox break ground on new facility in the Dominican Republic appeared first on Sox On 35th.
The White Sox have officially begun work to improve their facilities in the Dominican Republic.
According to reports from Noticias SIN and El Pregonero, the franchise broke ground on a new baseball academy in Santo Domingo on Tuesday. The project “promises to become a benchmark for the training, development, and promotion of young talent throughout Latin America,” per the articles.
The new complex is part of a $12 million investment by the organization and is expected to take roughly a year to complete, though no official target date has been publicly announced. In addition to becoming a state-of-the-art facility for players, coaches, and other White Sox staffers, the commitment is expected to have positive impacts on the surrounding community.
White Sox director of player development Paul Janish touched on the importance of the organization’s efforts to those in attendance.
“… Paul Janish expressed his gratitude for the government’s support and emphasized that the organization’s priority is to ‘elevate excellence in talent engagement and development, while also building strong relationships with community and nonprofit organizations to contribute beyond the field.’”
Translated from El Pregonero
Along with Janish, other known attendees at the groundbreaking include Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz, Deputy Minister Franklin de la Mota; Mayor Leocadia Núñez (Doña Nellys); the director of the MLB office in the country, Nelson Tejada; and numerous White Sox representatives – Lowis Silverio, Katie Savarise, Jared McMahon, Geoff Head, David Keller, and Wellington Morrobel.
The White Sox currently operate an academy that houses the DSL White Sox in Boca Chica, which last underwent known upgrades in 2017. It’s become clear that the organization’s international scouting department has fallen behind over the years, especially when signing impactful players from the area. The new facility should help improve matters for David Keller, who took over as the team’s international director of scouting last year, and the rest of his revamped department.
As we learn more info, we’ll provide further updates. Follow us on social media @SoxOn35th and @PipelineTo35th for additional news, notes, and anecdotes!
Featured photo: Noticias SIN
The post White Sox break ground on new facility in the Dominican Republic appeared first on Sox On 35th.