Born in Laguna Verde on October 20, 1937, Juan Marichal would become twenty-three years later the fifth Dominican to break into Major League Baseball.
The peculiar history of his signing with the New York Giants, prior to becoming one of the most successful pitchers in the game, must be remembered.
The first pages of the “Dandy’s” career were written in the Monte Cristi Summer Leagueparticipating hand in hand with the team “Las Flores” and later with the ninth of the Grenada Company in the circuit of his native province.
Ramfis Trujillo, son of the dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, was stunned by Marichal’s skills after seeing him win a game, taking advantage of the opportunity to get their services and take him to the ranks of the Dominican Air Force.
The lanky six-foot man’s time in the military was considerably short, receiving an opportunity that would later make him a member of the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.
Horacio “Rabbit” Martínez, Frank “Chick” Genovese and Alex Pómpez, Giants scouts, they gave him a $500 signing bonus to the young Marichal in 1958, who after three seasons in the Minor Leagues made his Major League debut and never looked back.
The Dominican spent 16 years in the Major Leagues, a period in which he wore the uniforms of the Giants, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, receiving the honors of 10 invitations to the All-Star Game and his induction to the Hall of the Fame in 1983.
Marichal pitched in 471 games throughout his career, completing 244 of them and posting a career 2.89 ERA, as well as retiring 2,303 of his opponents by way of strikeout.
On the stage of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), “The monster of Laguna Verde” compiled 108 games played in all stages with the Leones del Esgidoposting a 1.90 ERA, 151-point adjusted ERA, and a 1.05 hit-to-walk-to-innings pitched (WHIP) ratio.
Marichal is the all-time leader of the Lidom for his effectiveness as well as for his WHIP. He was elected to the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.