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Baseball factory https://forum.costaricaticas.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7924	Page 1 of 1

Author:	Firedude [ Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Baseball factory
Gentlemen, I recently heard that the baseball factory in CR make's all the baseballs for the U.S. Major Leagues. I'm not sure if this is true but thats what a friend of mine told me. Anyhow I am curious if these balls can be purchased in the SJ area. Firedude

Author:	DildoMan [ Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:58 pm ]
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MLB moved its baseballs factory from Haiti to Costa Rica in 1986. A million dollar question on the TV show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" was: In what country are all the United States major league baseballs manufactured? Haiti and Costa Rica were among the 4 answers. I visited the Rawlings baseball factory in Turrialba some 3-4 years ago. Go check it out! Dildo Man

Author:	Witling [ Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:32 pm ]
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Low-Wage Costa Ricans Make Baseballs for Millionaires TIM WEINER / NY Times 25jan04 TURRIALBA, Costa Rica, Jan. 22 â€” The game of baseball is a pure product of America. The ball itself is another matter. Every baseball used in the major leagues is made here, millions of them. They are handcrafted with the precision of a machine by the men and women of Turrialba and the towns in the green hills beyond. The baseball workers typically make about $2,750 a year. A baseball player in the United States makes, on average, about $2,377,000, the Players Association says. "It is hard work, and sometimes it messes up your hands, warps your fingers and hurts your shoulders," said Overly Monge, 37. Temperatures inside the factory can rise to 90 to 95 degrees, he said, and when they do, "we suffocate." He makes $55 a week after 13 years at the baseball factory, barely above Costa Rica's minimum wage. After he pays for the necessities of life, he has about $2 a day left over for himself, his wife and daughter. His salary, adjusted for inflation, is about the same as when he started. But that's life, he said with a shrug. Hard work, but far better than no work at all. Many of the coffee and sugar cane plantations around here have collapsed, done in by the forces of globalization. There is only one other factory in Turrialba, population 30,000. Without baseballs, Mr. Monge said, life here "would be more like Nicaragua," the poor neighbor to the north. The baseball workers arrive at 6 a.m. and work until 5 p.m. Peak production pressures have pushed the day deep into the night. Each can make four balls an hour, painstakingly hand-sewing 108 perfect stitches along the seams. They are paid by the ball â€” on average about 30 cents apiece. Rawlings Sporting Goods, which runs the factory, sells the balls for $14.99 at retail in the United States. "After I make the first two or three balls each week, they have already paid my salary," Mr. Monge said. "Imagine that." Warny GomÃ©z, 33, worked for four years at Rawlings, put himself through college and became a primary school teacher. "People here have no choice but to work there," he said. "There are almost no other jobs." "There's tremendous pressure to produce," he added. "The balls have to be exactly alike, totally perfect, and for this work people are paid $50 or $60 a week. A machine can't make them â€” it has to be done by hand. But they demand the precision and speed of a machine." Rawlings workers past and present say that while their real wages have not risen over the years, workplace safety has improved â€” particularly since a new manager, Ken West, arrived four months ago. Previous bosses, they say, screamed at them, pressured them to go faster. Mr. West, an affable 62-year-old Missourian, is not that kind of boss. Rawlings, founded in 1887, has had an exclusive contract to supply the major leagues with baseballs since 1977. Mr. West says the Costa Rica plant makes about 2.2 million balls a year and sells about 1.8 million of them to the majors. Officials at K2 Inc., the sporting goods company that acquired Rawlings last year, say the wholesale price the majors pay for those balls is a trade secret. Industry analysts say Rawlings sells about $35 million worth of baseballs a year, about one-third of the world market. Rawlings came to Costa Rica 16 years ago, from Haiti, where workers made $15 to $25 a week. It moved after a 1986 coup deposed the dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier. "About the time the coup was going on in Haiti, they could see some problems coming," Mr. West said. Rawlings sought "a neutral country that has a good work force." Rawlings was awarded a 54,000-square-foot free-trade zone by Costa Rica. It pays no taxes. It imports duty-free the makings of millions of baseballs â€” cores from the Muscle Shoals Rubber Company in Batesville, Miss.; yarn from D&T Spinning in Ludlow, Vt.; cowhide from Tennessee Tanning in Tullahoma, Tenn. Its operations are a harbinger of a pending free-trade accord between Costa Rica and the United States; negotiations on that agreement, expected to bring more such ventures to Costa Rica, are in their final stages. "Free trade is excellent for the United States, because they consume so much," Mr. Monge, the Rawlings worker, said. "For other nations, it's more complicated." As the sole source for major league baseballs, and the biggest employer by far in Turrialba, Rawlings seems to have things sewn up. Mr. West sees no social or economic tensions at the plant. He says his work force is more like a team or a family. "These people are so good â€” they're just very good at it," he said. "I am just so impressed by the people." "The best thing's the pay," he said. "We're a good place to work." The work itself, he said, is "not demanding." As for repetitive-stress injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome, "we just do not have that problem." However, Dr. Carlos Guerrero, who worked at the Rawlings plant as a company doctor in 1998, and at the national health insurance clinic in Turrialba from 1991 to 1997, said a third of Rawlings workers developed carpal tunnel syndrome in those years. (The syndrome, which causes pain and numbness in the hands, is common among assembly-line workers, typists and computer operators worldwide.) He said perhaps 90 percent of Rawlings workers experienced pain from their exacting work, from minor cuts to disabling aches. Officials at Major League Baseball headquarters in New York referred questions about the plant to Rawlings. The head of baseball's Players Association, Donald Fehr, said workplace injuries at the plant had not been brought to his attention. Dudley W. Mendenhall, a senior vice president of K2, also said he was unaware of any workplace injuries at the plant. Few baseball players are aware of where the ball comes from, said Charles Kernaghan, the executive director of the National Labor Committee, an international workers' rights group based in New York. "But if the players would actually stand up, it would have enormous consequences" for the baseball workers, including better pay, he said. Some past employees say they had to quit after developing repetitive stress injuries, and they have the medical records to prove it. "The work deforms your fingers and arms," said Maribel Alezondo Brenes, 36, who worked seven years at the plant â€” until her doctor told her to stop sewing baseballs. Soledad Castillo, 46, cannot make a fist, or touch her right palm with her middle finger after nine years at Rawlings. Disputing Mr. West's contention that workers are not injured by their labor, she said, "If he ever worked a day sewing, he'd know it's hard." Despite their injuries, the two women say they liked the camaraderie and the atmosphere at the Rawlings plant. "I can't complain about the work environment," Ms. Alezondo said. "The ventilation improved over the years," even if the pay did not. There was time to make small talk and good friends. Still, when she talks about the difference in wages between baseball workers and baseball players, it takes her breath away. "We sacrifice a lot so they can play," she said. "It's an injustice that we kill ourselves to make these balls perfect, and with one home run, they're gone."

Author:	DildoMan [ Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:06 pm ]
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Witling, during my visit to the factory, I talked to some ladies whom I found attractive. They were glad they had a job. I admired them since they weren't selling their bodies in a massage parlor. Most of these workers are uneducated and will receive a lower salary if they decided to work for a Tico company. However, it's a shame they are subject to bad working conditions. Dildo Man

Author:	Zigmonger [ Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:16 pm ]
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baseball factory for live players>>>>NICARAGUA...the next Roberto Clemente will come from here, and I will be signing him to a contract....(possible big bucks for me)

Author:	DildoMan [ Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:21 pm ]
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Zig, are you a baseball scout? I recommend you take a look at the players in Panama. Lots of undiscovered gems in that country. Dildo Man

Author:	Orange [ Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:23 pm ]
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Speaking of baseball... during my first trip in June, I ran into a sports agent in McDonald's. He saw I was wearing a "Syracuse Basketball" shirt and thought I was a player. So we got to talking and it turns out he was in SJ to sign 5 Cuban baseball players who defected and ended up in CR. He was going to get them visas to the US once they signed with his company. Supposedly (Supposebly? ) one was already being offered $2 million from the Braves. Who knows. -Orange

Author:	Zigmonger [ Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:38 am ]
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hey orange, that was me....

Author:	Bombero [ Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:58 am ]
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wow. they should give them a raise so we can have some more "Happy Haitian" seasons...

Author:	Witling [ Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:02 am ]
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Orange, That is very possible. The Braves have two current players who both defected from Cuba. Brave escape from Castro Atlanta rookie turned lives with defection from Cuba Guy Curtright - Staff Sunday, August 21, 2005 Brayan Pena agonized over what to do. Just 17, he was ready to risk everything. Yunel Escobar shared the same baseball dream. But as Pena planned his great escape, he couldn't tell his best friend. Worse yet, Pena, now an Atlanta Braves rookie, knew Escobar, then 16, might never get his chance at a different life away from Fidel Castro's Cuba. "I was scared," Pena said, his usual bright smile disappearing as his mind flashed back six years. "It was very hard. But I knew I had to go alone." It was the spring of 1999 and the Cuban 17-and-under national team was in Venezuela for a tournament. Pena, the catcher, and Escobar, the shortstop, were in the same room, as always. Soon, there was an empty bed. Pena snuck out, looking for a man in a white hat. "I didn't know who he was, just that some men had been promised $25,000," Pena said. The plan went off without a hitch. The frightened teenager was hidden in the back seat, driven four hours away from Caracas, then put on a plane for Costa Rica. He was out. By the fall of 2000, Pena had signed with the Braves. The subject of a bidding war by major league teams, he received a bonus package worth a reported $1.2 million. Soon, Pena would start the successful process of getting his parents, two brothers and two sisters out of Cuba. "I didn't care if it took all my money," Pena said. "That was what I was determined to do." But he didn't know if he'd ever see his childhood friend and long-time teammate Escobar again. Then came the news last fall, while Pena was playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. A boat carrying 36 Cubans had made it to Florida. Six of them were baseball players. One was Yunel Escobar (pronounced un-El). "He called my mom in Miami and she gave him my cellphone number," Pena said. "We had so much to talk about. I was so happy for him." Now, they are together again in the Braves organization. Pena made his major league debut this season. Escobar, a second-round draft choice in June, is in the minors with Class A Rome and making an instant impression. "He could play in the big leagues right now defensively, and he's a good hitter, too," said veteran Braves outfielder Brian Jordan, who was Escobar's teammate briefly during a rehab stint at Rome. "He's got a little too much flash at times right now, but he's set to go quick [to the majors]," Rome manager Rocket Wheeler said. "He's a real player." Of course, Pena has known that since they were both 9. They grew up a street apart in the same neighborhood of Havana and were inseparable on and off the ballfield. That's what made what happened in Venezuela six years ago so hard. "At first, I was very upset," Escobar, who speaks almost no English, said through an interpreter. "I couldn't understand why he didn't even tell me he was leaving. Then I started to understand. It had to be a complete secret." "I didn't want him to get in trouble," Pena said. "That's why I couldn't tell him. I knew that Fidel's people would come after him." Once, Escobar had been a regular at Pena's house. After his friend's defection, he knew he couldn't go anywhere near it. He was told about Pena's baseball life in the United States, however, and dreamed about some day joining his friend. Although Escobar became part of a team he calls the "Yankees of Cuba," his goal was always to play for the Braves. That was the team he and Pena grew up adoring from afar in Cuba. It was Pena's team now. Last fall, Escobar pulled off his escape. It wasn't as well orchestrated as Pena's and didn't go off quite as smoothly. "I know that it was very difficult, but he hasn't told me all the details," said Pena, one of six Cuban defectors who have played in the majors this season. "I had to go," Escobar said. "This was my chance. I didn't know what would happen, but I had to take the risk." Escobar left Havana in the dark of night, hid out, then was smuggled aboard the boat. His trip to freedom took nearly a week. Escobar didn't know what was ahead. "There were sad moments," Escobar said. But he had his dream. Many teams have been scared off in recent years from signing Cuban players, some of whom haven't turned out to be as good as touted. But the Braves liked what they saw during Escobar's workouts and, through Pena, they got a better feel of how the 22-year-old might adjust to life in the U.S. "We learned a lot about Yunel through Brayan," Braves scouting director Roy Clark said. "That helped us in making our decision to draft him. With most Cuban players, you don't really get to know much about the person and it can be hard to make the adjustment to playing here. It will take time with Yunel, too, but we think he'll handle it well." Pena, who has been up three times with the Braves this season, won the 2001 rookie Appalachian League batting title at Danville in his first season. Escobar, who got a $475,000 bonus from the Braves, has also made a quick adjustment on the field. He batted .400 in eight games at Danville, then has hit over .300 at Rome in the Class A South Atlantic League. Escobar hopes to bring his mother and sister to the United States. He knows that may take awhile. His stay in the minors, however, may be relatively short. "I think I'm close," he said. "It would be great to play on the same team again," said Pena, who talks to Escobar on a cellphone almost daily. "That would really be a dream come true." If it happens, Turner Field fans better get prepared for Escobar's piercing whistle. He does it constantly. "He's always whistled when he played, since he was real little," Pena said. Now he really has something to whistle about. "I'm playing where everyone in the world would like to play," Escobar said. "There are so many more possibilities now." Once they were teenage teammates in Cuba. Someday soon, Pena and Escobar may be teammates again in the major leagues. YUNEL ESCOBAR FILE > Position: Shortstop > Age: 22 > Birthplace: Havana, Cuba > Residence: Miami Lakes, Fla. > Size: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds > How acquired: Signed for $475,000 after being taken in the second round of June draft. Defected in fall of 2004. > 2005 update: After hitting .400 in the rookie Appalachian League, batting .331 with four homers and 17 RBIs through 43 games with Class A Rome. Has just four errors. BRAYAN PENA FILE > Position: Catcher > Age: 23 > Birthplace: Havana, Cuba > Residence: Miami. > Size: 5-foot-11, 200 pounds > How acquired: Signed as a free agent for $1.2 million in the fall of 2000 after defecting in April, 1999 and taking up residence in Costa Rica. > 2005 update: In third tour of duty with the Braves after making his major league debut in June. Has four hits in 30 at-bats, but was hitting .323 at Class AAA Richmond. TIMELINE OF CUBAN BASEBALL DEFECTIONS Before Fidel Castro, Cuba produced a number of major league stars, led by Camilo Pascual, Minnie Minoso and Pedro Ramos. But the door was closed after the Communist takeover, forcing players to take great risks to further their baseball dreams. > 1980: Infielder Barbaro Garbey is part of the Mariel Boatlift, which brings 125,000 Cubans to the U.S. He played with the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers. > 1993: Pitcher Rene Arocha reaches the majors with St. Louis after his defection. > 1994: Pitcher Ariel Prieto defects and is a first-round draft choice of Oakland in 1995. > 1995: Livan Hernandez signs with Florida after defecting and helps Florida win the 1997 World Series. > 1996: Pitcher Rolando Arroyo defects in Albany, Ga., before the Olympic Games in Atlanta. > 1997: Pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez signs with the Yankees for $6.6 million over four years. > 1999: Pitcher Danys Baez gets a four-year, $14.5 million deal with Cleveland. > 2001: The majors have 14 Cuban defectors, the most ever. > 2002: Pitcher Jose Contreras signs a four-year, $32 million deal with the Yankees. > 2005: Six Cuban defectors play in the majors, with Braves rookie Brayan Pena joining Livan Hernandez (Nationals), Baez (Devil Rays), Contreras and Orlando Hernandez (White Sox) and Alex Sanchez (Devil Rays and Giants)

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