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Baseball Player Juan Marichal and Margarita Madera, New York, N.Y., n.d.

Photo - Juan Marichal, first Dominican in Baseball Hall of Fame
Photo - Juan Marichal, first Dominican in Baseball Hall of Fame
Dominican Studies Institute, CUNY, 1044_DSI_MaM_BF_1044
 
Document Description
Juan Marichal (left), the first Dominican baseball player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, poses with Margarita Madera during a Dominican festival, New York, N.Y., n.d.; Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 1949, Margarita Madera moved to New York City in 1959. Over the years Madera was a dancer, union activist, president and secretary of various Dominican community organizations, and served on the Hispanic Day Parade committee.
 
Questions
Use your inference skills to guess who the other person in the photo might be.
What clues are in the photo to help you figure this out?
During what type of event was this photo taken?
 
Historical Challenges
Who is Johnny Roseboro, and what does he have in common with Juan Marichal?
Who was the first Dominican player to play in the major leagues?
How did baseball become popular in the Dominican Republic and the rest of Latin America?
How many players are there in the major leagues today who come from the Dominican Republic?
 
Interdisciplinary Connections
Physical Education: Take your class outside and play a baseball game. Have each student try to throw like Juan Marichal.
Science: Research the science behind the curveball and how it’s thrown. What causes it to curve?
 
Resources
Time Magazine cover showing Juan Marichal
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19660610,00.html
A short magazine article on baseball in the Dominican Republic
http://ezinearticles.com/?Dominican-Republic-Baseball&id=18000
Excellent research site for statistics on every Major League baseball player
http://baseballreference.com/
New York State Library. "Selected Hispanic and Latino Websites."
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/reference/hisref.htm
 

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Historical Context
Juan Marichal was born on October 20, 1937 in Laguna Verde, Dominican Republic.  He made his major league debut on July 19, 1960 for the San Francisco Giants.  Marichal spent most of his Hall of Fame career with the Giants, but also played with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.  In his sixteen seasons, Marichal won 243 games and was named to nine All-Star Teams.  After finishing his career, he became Minister of Sports in his native Dominican Republic.

Marichal became the first baseball player of Dominican descent to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  His Hall of Fame plaque reads:

"The pride of both the Dominican Republic and the Giants, Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez won 243 games and lost only 142 over 16 marvelous seasons. The high-kicking right-hander enjoyed six 20-win seasons, hurled a no-hitter in 1963, and was named to nine All-Star teams. The “Dominican Dandy” twice led the National League in complete games and shutouts, finishing 244 contests during his career, while fanning 2,303 and compiling a 2.89 ERA."

Marichal was known for his signature wind-up and pitching delivery.  It was so famous that he made the cover of Time Magazine.  The cover shows his pitching motion and touts him as having the best right arm in baseball. Marichal was also famous for pitching a sixteen-inning complete game victory against the Milwaukee Braves.  Pitching sixteen innings in one game is unheard of today.

 
Essential Question
How are sports connected to culture?
 
Check for Understanding
Describe the the scene in the photograph and explain the connection between sports and culture.