Dominican Republic Wins World Baseball Classic · Global Voices
Pamela Martínez Achecar

The hearts of the Dominicans are rejoicing thanks to their incredible performance during the III Baseball World Classic. On Tuesday, March 19, 2013, the Dominican team obtained the definite victory of the III Baseball World Classic 2013, after defeating the Puerto Rican national team [es] 3-0. This is the first time that a team that is undefeated throughout the Classic wins the championship. The last week has been a timely distraction from the social, economic and political uncertainities the nation currently faces.
The Dominican streets were flooded by people frenzily celebrating the team's victory. Even President Danilo Medina enjoyed the Dominican achievement. On the Twitter account, the Presidency shared:
@PresidenciaRD: ¡La bandera dominicana ondea por todo lo alto! ¡República Dominicana se corona campeona del Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2013! #MangúPower
@PresidenciaRD [es]: The Dominican flag is highly fluttering! Dominican Republic hits the top on the World Baseball Classic 2013! #MangúPower
Fans, and even those who aren't, have coined slogans such as “Plátano Power” [plátano is a kind of banana and a typical vegetable in Caribbean cuisine] and on social networks with the hashtag #ManguPower, refering to one of the main typical dishes, an important part of the diet of every Dominican.
The sports webpage En Pelota posted this image, from some fans at the stadium, where the enthusiasm is evident. Republished with authorization.
Also, cartoonist and illustrator Cristian Hernández [es], shared some images with his followers mentioning the great achievement:
Naked Dominican lady: “We won, we defeated the United States!”
The most influential figures have echoed the frenzy this tournament has caused. TV host Tania Báez told her followers:
@TaniaBaezHG: Cero Dieta! El MANGU tiene el verdadero POWER!
@TaniaBaezHG [es]: No diet at all! MANGU has the real POWER!
Very well respected journalist and communicator Huchi Lora also shared his joy using verses:
@HuchiLora: El plátano power pesa / y en duelo de tú a tú, / el poderoso mangú / hoy se comió la hamburguesa!
@HuchiLora: Plátano power weights/ and on a one on one duel / powerful mangú / ate today the hamburger!
On March 18, and after a not very promising first minutes for the Dominican Republic, when Netherlands was winning 1-0, the Dominican team managed to score four runs in the fifth inning, thus getting an advantage it never lost and going undefeated the whole tournament. In 2009, the Dominican team experienced a surprising defeat when the Netherlands got them off the competition, and then played against Cuba. Even the Dominican Baseball League posted on its Twitter account:
@LigaDomCom: Buenos días fanáticos.. Hoy llego el día de la verdad para nuestra selección Dominicana, hoy vida o muerte con Netherlands. #ManguPower
@LigaDomCom [es]: Good morning, fans… Today is the day of truth for our Dominican national team, today life or death with the Netherlands. #ManguPower
Vicepresident Margarita Cedeño de Fernández shared her excitement through her Twitter account by saying:
@MargaritaCDF: Qué gran equipo! #ArribaDominicana! #MangúPower imparable! #OrgulloDominicano
@MargaritaCDF [es]: What a great team! #ArribaDominicana! [Go Domincan] #MangúPower unbeatable! #OrgulloDominicano [Dominican pride]
Below, the timeline of the invincible Dominican team:
March 8: Dominican defeats Venezuela (9-3)
March 9: Dominican Republic defeats Spain (3-6).
March 11: Dominican Republic beats Puerto Rico (4-2) and becomes leader of Group C.
March 12: Quisqueya goes on undefeated after winning Italy (5-4).
March 14: Dominican Republic defeats United States (3-1).
March 16: Puerto Rico is defeated once again (2-0).
March 18: Victory against the Netherlands (4-1).
March 19: Final victory over Puerto Rico (3-0)
*The cover page image was taken from the Facebook page of World Baseball Classic.