Dominican Republic leftovers for breakfast

SAN ANTONIO de GUERRA, Dominican Republic – Among the stacks of mental snapshots from yesterday’s opening of the Orioles’ new baseball academy, with its Sarasota vibe that whets the appetite for spring training, is the image of former pitcher Ubaldo Jiménez strolling into the complex with a big smile on his face and his old black cap with the orange bill perched atop his head.

The man doesn’t take the chance to represent lightly.

Jiménez was invited to the ceremony and made the trip from his Miami home, where his passions are real estate investments and helping to raise his three daughters. He last pitched in the majors with the Orioles on Sept. 22, 2017. The Rockies signed him in February 2020 and released him five months later.

Still appearing in baseball shape, could another comeback attempt be in the works? Jiménez flashed his familiar smile again and reminded us that he turns 40 next week.

Jiménez couldn’t single out just one feature of the state-of-the-art academy that most impressed him.

“Everything,” he said.

“First, you get to see the Orioles logo and that’s something that they didn’t have before. All the other teams had good representation when it comes to facilities and things like that. And now, being able to see the Orioles’ orange and black out there on buildings, and they have great fields, it’s something to be proud of.”

Rave reviews were passed around like the coveted bottles of chilled water on a warm Dominican day.

“Beautiful place,” said Nelson Cruz, who announced his retirement in November at age 43. “Like all the complexes, they look like resorts more than a baseball complex. They have all they need, and hopefully they can take advantage of it.

“Just to develop players, they have all the tools. There’s no reason why they can’t all grow into good players and bring the tools to another level and hopefully go to the big leagues.”

The ceremony, which began after the late arrival of Dominican Republic president Luis Abinader – accompanied by at least one guard armed with an Uzi – attracted Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, who played his final major league season with the Orioles in 2011.

“It makes me really happy,” Guerrero said via translator Brandon Quinones. “As a Dominican, I feel really proud that the Orioles did this and I hope other teams continue to do this in the future.

“I think it will make a big difference now that they’ll be a lot more wise and a lot more familiar with learning different things as far as American culture and different things with their education. I think they’ll be a lot more prepared heading to the United States now.”

* Former players who showed up yesterday are enjoying the Orioles’ resurgence in the American League East. They watch from a distance.

“It’s been nice, you know?” Cruz said. “I was pulling for them last year. I always have love for the city and the fans, the whole organization.”

“They have a great team,” Jiménez said, “but it doesn’t come from one day to the other. It’s gonna take days, it’s gonna take months, it’s gonna take years, and they’ve been able to put up with everything they’ve had to go through before. They didn’t put their head down. They put great players together, they signed great players, they developed great players, and they have a good chemistry right now.

“That’s good for the Orioles and the city, especially. The fans. They deserve to have great teams out there.”

The Orioles dabbled a little in the international market during Melvin Mora’s playing days. What he’s seeing now, with the 22.5-acre complex and a team that posted the best record in the American League, practically floors him.

“This is a competition,” Mora said. “When the Orioles build something like that, it’s kind of like, they’re on track. Especially the last couple years, what they’ve been doing on the baseball field. The Orioles changed everything. … This is really, really cool.”

* Want to feel old?

Mora’s quintuplets are 22-years-old.

Gisel Mora gave birth to them in July 2001. Genesis came first, at 1.51 pounds, followed by Christian (2.48), Rebekah (1.88), Matthew David (2.01) and Jada Priscilla (1.88).

Born 2 ½ months premature but in good health.

Mora, who lives in Fallston, is a grandfather to a 1-year-old girl. His kids have stayed in the area.

The Orioles’ Hall of Famer, inducted in 2015, has his own baseball academy in the Dominican and is having one built in his native Venezuela. He’s always available to help the club with scouting.

* Timing is everything, and Kerry Watson is living proof.

The Orioles hired Watson in September as vice president of public affairs, with his job description overseeing government affairs, communications, community development and creative content. Three days later, the team clinched a playoff berth.

The second champagne celebration came after the Orioles secured the division title on the 28^th – their first since 2014.

Watson found himself in the middle of another celebration yesterday, though the champagne was passed around in flutes rather than sprayed and guzzled.

“This is a remarkable investment,” he said. “It’s beautiful. It is going to bring so much to the organization, so much to the D.R. And I think most importantly, so much for the young men that have an opportunity to learn amongst the best in the world. And I know that it’s eventually going to pay dividends for us in the big leagues.”

Now, about that timing …

“I don’t believe in luck,” he said, “but I am the most fortunate man in the world to be able to come in here in this situation and be right here on the precipice of … well, not even the precipice. I’m joining in once the greatness start to happen. And yes, the future is extraordinary bright and I’m really excited to be here.

“To be able to go through a full season with the organization is going to be amazing.”

* The Orioles are hosting a clinic this morning at the academy for kids from communities across the Dominican Republic.

Félix Bautista appreciates the gesture because many of the children come from where he grew up.

“It really is important for me to have kids from my hometown be able to come out here and be part of this and see this in person,” Bautista said via interpreter Brandon Quinones, “and hopefully they’re able to follow in my footsteps and see some of the things that I’ve been able to do and hopefully they can have the opportunity to do things like I’ve been able to do myself.”

The organization and the Orioles Advocates are providing 150 gloves to the participants that were gathered at collections in Baltimore throughout the 2023 season. Players, coaches and alumni will provide the teaching of baseball skills.

“You think about it,” Watson said. “If you’re a young kid and you get to come out and play with superstars from your country, and even from those not in the country, that’s got to be one of the coolest experiences in your life. And then to break in this field and to be able to say that forever, you think about how inspirational it must be for those young men to actually touch this field and play with some of their heroes is really cool stuff.”

* Bautista hadn’t talked to local media since sustaining his elbow injury on Aug. 25. He was interviewed twice yesterday by MASNsports.com and MLB.com, the second time on camera, and stated again that he feels “really good.”

He’s also still really tall, in case anyone wondered.

“I feel really strong and healthy,” he said. “Honestly, I’m just doing everything that they ask out of me. I haven’t put a (return) date on it yet but I’m just working really hard to get there.”

Bautista underwent Tommy John surgery on Oct. 9 at Trinity Park Surgery Center in Arlington, Texas. The Orioles had to move on without him, reaching the Division Series before the Rangers swept them.

“It was very difficult, obviously, the way everything turned out,” said Bautista, who was chosen as the American League’s top reliever. “But at the end of the day I’m still really thankful and I’m still really proud of everything I was able to do this season, and the way the team was able to play and what we were able to do as a team. All things considered, I’m really proud of what we were able to do as a whole and thank God that my season went really well.

“Things happen for a reason.”