VLADIMIR GUERRERO – Finally, the Dominican Republic will have one of its sluggers at Cooperstown

In three days, Vladimir Guerrero will be exalted to the Hall of Fame in a well-deserved way, after a 16-season race during which he exhibited a huge talent to produce, he amazed everyone with its ability to make it good I contact almost all the throwers outside the hitting area and, in general, I leave the baseball fans speechless with their right field arm and their other tools on the ground .

The figures speak for themselves: 449 circuits, 447 doubles, 1,496 points produced and .931 OPS, among many others.

With this trajectory in the major leagues, Guerrero became the first player of the Dominican position elected to the Hall of Fame, being the former pitchers Juan Marichal (1983) and Pedro Martínez (2015) the first two born in the media Hispaniola Island by having a license plate at Cooperstown.

Fifteen years ago, it seemed unlikely that Dominicans would have to wait so long for a hitter in their country to be recognized with this honor. At that time, they seemed to have everything in their favor Sammy Sosa and Manny Ramírez to be "immortal" in baseball.

We all know what happened with Sosa and Ramírez.

In the case of the first, suspicion of substance use to increase performance, in addition to the use of a stubborn bat in 2003-year where according to the New York Times Sosa was next to Ramirez among the 104 who were positive by banned substances in an "anonymous" way – they tainted what was a spectacular career of the native of San Pedro de Macorís. Regardless of whether Sosa has ever been tested positive for doping or has not been included in the Mitchell report, voters have not supported it. This year, Sosa received only 8.6% of the vote from the North American Baseball Writers' Association (BBWAA), far from the 75% needed to be elected.

Speaking of Ramírez, his two positive tests by Doping (2009 and 2011) stained what was one of the most productive bat careers in the history of the majors. With 555 circuits (including 21 with complete bases), 1,831 RBI and 0,96 OPS, the candidacy of the native of the Dominican Republic and a graduate of George Washington High School in New York would have been easy to support at his first opportunity in The vote However, in 2018 Ramírez received 22% of the vote for the Hall.

With 609 home runs in the major leagues, Sosa is second behind Albert Pujols among those born in the Dominican Republic. The same can be said of Ramírez in the thrust line. And no one from the Dominican Republic had a higher OPS than Ramírez.

Guerrero's candidacy is not in question, because of the impact it has caused in the majors with the Expos, Angels, Rangers and Orioles. It will be an event that deserves to be celebrated especially for Dominican fans, who did not know that they would have to wait so long to see one of their sluggers with a spot at Cooperstown.