The Predatory Industry Behind MLB’s Dominican Superstar Pipeline
About this episode
This episode explores the predatory practices surrounding Major League Baseball's recruitment of young talent from the Dominican Republic.
Major League Baseball has built a pipeline in the Dominican Republic to scoop up young players with the potential of superstars like Red Sox hero David “Big Papi” Ortiz. But reporter Gus Garcia-Roberts uncovered how MLB has allowed a shadow industry to flourish — one that exploits young players and their families. In this episode, Gus brings us the story of Belfi Rivera, a supernaturally talented young Dominican player who experienced firsthand how the system is broken. Support our journalism by donating at propublica.org/donate .
People in this episode
Guest: Gus Garcia-Roberts
Topics covered
- sports
- exploitation
- youth
- Dominican Republic
- baseball
- MLB
- systemic issues
Keywords
- MLB
- Dominican Republic
- youth baseball
- exploitation
- Belfi Rivera
- David Ortiz
- sports industry
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Major League Baseball
Places: Dominican Republic
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