ESPN Deportes broadcasters awed by trip to Cooperstown
By Craig Muder
Kevin Cabral and Carlos Jose Lugo traveled more than 1,500 miles from the Dominican Republic to Cooperstown.
But once inside the Baseball Hall of Fame, the two ESPN Deportes broadcasters felt right at home.
“I stepped inside this building and felt just like a little boy,” said the 40-year-old Cabral, who does play-by-play for ESPN Deportes. “For anyone who loves baseball, this is the place to be.”
Cabral and Lugo, who visited the Hall of Fame on March 13, made a special stop in the Plaque Gallery to check out the plaque of Juan Marichal, the only Hall of Famer from the Dominican Republic. The pair also quickly found the ball on display from Marichal’s 1963 no-hitter against Houston — the first Major League no-hitter thrown by a Latin-American pitcher.
“‘Don Juan’ is royalty in the Dominican Republic,” Cabral said. “Not just for what he did on the field, but for the way he carries himself off the field.”
The accomplishments of Marichal and other Latin-American stars will be celebrated with the opening of the Hall of Fame’s new exhibit ¡Viva Baseball! on May 23.
Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Pretty random, but I really hope Dale Murphy and Lee Smith get into the Hall. Both two great players getting zero support.
http://rootzoo.com/users/register/54267
http://darion.mlblogs.com/
That is a great idea for that new exhibit.
http://thewrightway.mlblogs.com/
That sounds like a great exhibit. The Latin-American contribution to the game is immense, and continues to be that way. I will always remember all the Jays that have come and gone from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. They were a big part of the team in the 80′s and early 90′s.
http://homerfoodandhistory.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/08/fishing_in_familiar_waters.html