Geovany Soto's press conference in San Juan, PR

by Fraggin Judge on Nov 11, 2008 8:30 AM CST Comment 4 comments

Here is a recap of an article in El Nuevo Día (Nov. 11, 2008) about Geovany Soto's press conference last night in San Juan Puerto Rico.

Geovany Soto was interviewed by the local media in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after he became the fifth Puerto Rican baseball player to win the Rookie of the Year award. Fifty years ago, in 1958, Orlando Cepeda was named rookie of the year. Benito Santiago, Santos Alomar, Jr. and Carlos Beltrán, have also won the prize.

The new NL Rookie of the Year will donate the $20,000 cash award to a juvenile diabetes charity, in support of his former minor league coach, Allan Dunn, and the coach’s son, Davis.

Soto expressed his gratitude to his teammate, Henry Blanco, for helping him during the season. After he mentioned his personal idol, Iván Rodríguez, Soto claimed that “Puerto Rico is the cradle of catchers in the United States and we have shown an ability to spawn catchers in the island.” Santiago and Alomar, Jr. were catchers, too. So are active players Yadier, José and Bengie Molina, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cancel, Ramón Castro, Rodríguez and Soto, all born and raised in the island.

The Cubs catcher expressed that his goal for next season is to avoid the “second year jinx”: “No negative thought can cross my mind. Sometimes we put extra pressure on ourselves and the mind is too powerful. I’m getting ready to get better numbers next year, offensively and defensively, and do a better job in October to try to get the Cubs to a World Series…. We have a lot of talent and a lot of new players who can also do the job, but it’s not what you see on paper. We have to execute on the field.”

Geovany Soto wants to play for Puerto Rico in next year’s World Baseball Classic. And if his left hand heals completely, he intends to play in December for the Carolina Gigantes (Giants) in the Puerto Rico Winter League, against the wishes of Cubs management.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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I thought the PR winter league was dead. It's back?

"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007

by DeRoMyHero on Nov 11, 2008 1:58 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

Linky

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Nov 11, 2008 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Can't the Cubs keep him from playing if they don't want him to?

Contractually? Surely there is some provision for off-season activities being approved by management (i.e WBC yes, winter league no).

Tommie Agee was out.
"This field, this game, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good, and it could be good again." TM

by Weeghman Park on Nov 11, 2008 2:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That kind of clause was against the agreement between the Commisioner's office and the winter leagues.

I don’t know what the current situation is regarding those prohibitions. In any case, major league teams usually prevailed on their stars, persuading them not to play winter ball. That affected the quality of the competition in those leagues and was a factor that caused apathy among fans.

by Fraggin Judge on Nov 11, 2008 4:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs