Andy Dirks becomes a hero in Dominican Republic – Detroit Tigers News
Detroit Tigers’ outfielder Andy Dirks is looking in great shape these days. He has just returned from Dominican Republic where he displayed some high quality hitting skills. The atmosphere was absolutely stunning in a tie game. Cheerleaders were dancing
on the dugouts, music was playing and Dirk was the centre of attention for media and the fans.
Baseball in Dominican Republic is very different to Major League Baseball. It is loud, exciting and sometimes s**y. The fans love to talk about the game and the results at all times. When Dirk scored the winning run, the fans screamed to break onto the field
and then there were fireworks everywhere. Dirks enjoyed every minute of his team’s sensational victory, high fiving his team mates. He also posed for picture with his fans at the end of the game.
"They have great fans," Dirks said. "They love the game so much, and they are intense. It is their passion. It is their hobby. It is what everybody talks about. You get a group of people like that together, for a whole country, it gets pretty rowdy, and
they get pretty excited about it."
"One thing I learned a long time ago is that players (who play in the Dominican) are more advanced than the ones who didn't do anything all winter," Leyland said. "He's going to be more ready than some of the other guys. That's good.”
In some ways, Dirk’s participation in Dominican Republic winter league can be crucial for the Tigers. It has been observed that players who play winter league have a better chance of performing well in Spring Training. While sitting in his office in Lakeland,
Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland stated that Dirks is looking in commanding form and he is expected to be on Tigers’ roster as a backup outfielder.
Dirks instantly became the most talked about player in Dominican Republic after he recorded his game winning hit. From today onwards, he will be recognised by everyone in the country. The outfielder gave decent results last season as he batted .251 in 78
games. He will be looking to be more consistent and reliable this season to secure a permanent place on Tigers’ roster.
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