Baseball In Out At Home By Bruce Schoenfeld

641 Words3 Pages

Osvaldo Hernandez
8 June 2023 Baseball contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, even up to millions of dollars, are similar to winning the lottery for most baseball players; but, for Haitian Dominican players, their luck goes beyond gambling. Out At Home by Bruce Schoenfeld reveals the lives of young Haitian Dominicans that ignite their passion for baseball, attracting Major League Baseball (MLB) contracts as young as the age of sixteen, however, over time, most of their passions and opportunities fade away. Despite Haitian Dominican players’ promising baseball skills, it is only one of the many factors, some predetermined, they must fulfill to accomplish their dreams. A Haitian Dominican player born without legal documentation—something …show more content…

Many Haitian Dominicans lie about their age, say, when they are eighteen, indicating they are sixteen, to appear outstanding to scouts because “. . . fraudulent documents can . . . serve as the only lifeline to players born without a birth certificate.” (Out At Home) Before 2010, this fraud worked for some prospective players, such as Onil Joseph who, by simply showing papers of his identity, managed to sign with the Braves in 2000. (Out At Home) While trying to become more authentic, the MLB, perhaps unintentionally, paradoxically creates an environment for great aspiring players to be held …show more content…

For example, a 2013 court ruling “ . . . stripped some 200,000 Haitian Dominicans of their citizenship, even if they were born in the country.” (Out At Home) Similarly, in the case of Orlando Calixte, his older brother used his name when signing with Kansas City and the Giants, sparking the Red Sox, who gave him a contract worth up to three million, to investigate his real identity; the Red Sox did not like the uncertainty of his identity and, as a result, revoked his contract. (Out At Home) Afterward, when Calixte aimed to get his birth certificate from the government, they refused because both of his parents are from Haiti. (Out At Home) This factor is predetermined, and, unfortunately, there is little these Haitian Dominican players can do to alter their government’s