World Baseball Classic: Nelson Cruz Is Dominican Republic’s General Manager

Asked what he learned in his new role, Cruz said, “You see the game from a different perspective since you’re on the other side, the part the player doesn’t see.”

Núñez commended Cruz for learning fast and for always having a backup option when a player dropped out. “He told me,” Núñez said, “‘Brother, I thought this was easier but I’m realizing that this is harder than playing. You have to work.’ But he really does have the ability.”

Cruz and Soto have previously referred to the Dominican squad as a version of the Dream Team, the nickname for the 1992 United States men’s gold medal-winning Olympic basketball team. That team featured 11 future Hall of Famers, from Michael Jordan to Larry Bird. While the name might be a bit of hyperbole — this Dominican squad may end up producing only a few Hall of Famers — the underlying point was valid.

“On paper, it looks like a dominant team,” Cruz said. “The depth that we have, I think there hasn’t been a team with so much talent, and the desire to participate.”

Baseball, he said, is part of the Dominican Republic’s religion. The Caribbean island of 11 million people has produced more baseball players than any country outside the United States. While the W.B.C. may not register as much in the United States, the composition of the Dominican team was daily fodder for sports talk radio on the island even last summer.

The squad would be even more stacked with talent if not for injuries.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/10/sports/baseball/nelson-cruz-dominican-republic-wbc.html