BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic _ The Rangers are not rebuilding. At least not here.
Here, they are starting fresh, building from the ground up.
Beyond the center-field fence of their "academy," where their youngest, and often poorest, minor leaguers get their professional start, dirt is being moved. At least today. Maybe it's all a show since ownership has flown down from Texas in mass to check on the progress of construction, or the lack thereof.
Eventually, a $10 million complex that will serve as the foundation for the Rangers' Latin American operations will rise from the dirt. It will replace the overcrowded, aging, prison-gray cellblock that currently houses their academy. The Rangers hope it will get them back on equal footing with a host of other major league clubs that have invested heavily in not just talent in Latin America, but also its development. The Rangers have fallen perilously behind on the infrastructure side to accelerate that talent's growth.
"We pride ourselves on being the best in player acquisition and development across the world," said Paul Kruger, who is the Rangers' assistant director of player development and manages the Dominican program. "This new first-class facility will allow us to continue to excel and take us to new heights in terms of what is possible for all Rangers players on the field, in the classroom, the gym, the training room and nutritionally _ in many ways we've only been able to dream of until now."
Eventually. Probably. They believe.
Right now, it's still just a bunch of dirt, occasionally being pushed around.
