An Insider’s Tour of the Dominican Baseball Machine
November 9-16, 2022
A baseball pilgrimage to the Dominican Republic is like a soccer fan’s trip to Brazil or a pizza lover’s trip to Italy. Join us for a tour of this beautiful, baseball-crazed Caribbean island and see béisbol in its most vibrant form.
You’ll receive an insider’s experience of the island and its baseball culture, including visits to rocky sandlots with cows grazing the outfield, pristine development academies of MLB teams, and raucous professional winter league (LIDOM) games. All the while, we’ll enjoy visits with Dominican baseball players and executives, and immerse ourselves in the D.R.’s unique, Latino-Caribbean culture.
Check out our 2021 Tour recap for an idea on what to expect.
The Dominican Republic’s climate is very hot and humid, even in the winter months. We will spend a lot of time outside and have a full schedule of activities. We do not recommend this trip if you have health issues that may be strained by being active in a tropical climate.
As of this writing, the D.R. does not require that travelers are vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter the country. However, it is likely that we will still make it a requirement for all tour guests to be fully vaccinated; stay tuned for more details.
*Itinerary
- Wednesday, November 9: Arrival to Santo Domingo (Las Américas International Airport); if you can’t arrive by 3:00 PM, I recommend arrive a day early to not miss the evening’s welcome meeting and dinner.
- Nov. 10: Visit amateur prospect baseball academy and do grocery run + LIDOM game #1
- Nov. 11: Visit MLB team development academy and MLB’s official bank + LIDOM game #2
- Nov. 12: Morning off for hotel and beach + LIDOM game #3
- Nov. 13: Colonial Zone train tour + LIDOM game #4
- Nov. 14: Rum factory tour (optional) and group dinner
- Nov. 15: Visit the Museum of the Dominican Ballplayer + LIDOM game #5
- Wednesday, November 16: Departure from Santo Domingo (Las Américas International Airport) or join the optional Outdoors Adventure Add-On Tour
- Nov. 17: Outdoors Adventure Add-On Tour activities TBD (beach, dune buggies, farm visits, natural scenic points, etc)
- Friday, November 18: Outdoors Adventure Add-On Tour guests departure from Santo Domingo (Las Américas International Airport)
*This itinerary is subject to change. The details of the daily activities are contingent upon the release of the LIDOM schedule and other factors.
What's Included
- A guide to lead you through a detailed itinerary, giving a unique personal tour of the country.
- Boutique seaside accommodations, complete with a private beach.
- All in-country travel via private bus, including airport transfers to and from Santo Domingo (SDQ).
- Breakfast and at least one additional meal per day.
- Best available seats for 4-5 professional games.
- Tours of MLB team academies.
- Visits to amateur training programs that produce some of baseball’s best prospects.
- Visits with local baseball personalities.
- Additional cultural and baseball sightseeing.
- Scheduling flexibility. Want to come early or stay late? We can help you plan that.
- Translation and travel desk services.
- A truly remarkable time.
Not included: Airfare and meals eaten at the ballpark.
Price
$TBA Double Occupancy
$TBA Single Supplement
$TBA “Outdoor Adventures” add-on excursion
(Not yet available. Sign up for list below to receive updates.)
Sign up if you’re interested in attending but aren’t quite ready to commit. The no-obligation list simply allows us to plan better and assures your spot on the tour. You’ll begin to receive trip information emails, and if you find you cannot go on the tour, no worries.
Questions?
Great baseball experiences, fabulous food and some History & culture mixed in. Staff was wonderful and gave us a real taste of D.R. hospitality. Small group made travel easy & group was all baseball aficionados & very compatible. Loved it, ready to go on next Japanball trip.
Bruce
Anaheim, CA
Having met Shane Barclay on a JapanBall trip in Japan when he was understudying Bob Bavasi, before Shane took command of JapanBall, I was expecting great things from his first Dominican Republic baseball foray. Unbelievably, he exceeded my high expectations. Although it was not possible to completely escape the "mañana" mentality of service in a Latin American country, Shane managed the logistics to near perfection, overcoming this handicap. Everything from the selection of lodgings, to restaurant outings, not to mention the baseball heart of the trip (visiting youth baseball games, local baseball academies, and the Dominican League games in three different stadiums) was done with first class precision. If this was only the first such D.R. excursion, it bodes well for all future participants. Recommended without any reservation whatsoever.
Martin
Sun City, AZ
I just returned from the inaugural JapanBall trip to the Dominican Republic. What a terrific experience. The group was great, our group leaders were terrific, and the itinerary was super fun. While baseball is the primary focus, the tour blended in cultural activities that help provide a deeper understanding of the country and its people. The four LIDOM games were a primary highlight while other baseball-oriented activities helped build an understanding of the developmental system for players in the D.R. The tour provided a comprehensive view of players' experiences including meeting team executives, scouts (Pablo Cruz and others), trainers (Alfredo Arias), bankers, former players and coaches (Raphael Landestoy and Mel Rojas were highlights), and serendipitously, current stars (Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis, Jr. - how could you do better?). The hotel, food, and island beach day were great, too. This was a fabulous, well-run, first-class experience. Many thanks to Shane, Pachi, and Tomas for their work to put it together and make it happen smoothly.
Bill
Lawrenceville, GA
We went on the inaugural JapanBall tour to the Dominican Republic to experience the culture, food and of course baseball. Who knew that Shane Barclay, President of JapanBall, would take our group of 12 baseball fanatics (The Dominican Dozen) to paradise 🌴🏝
This trip exceeded our expectations. If you’re a baseball fan and want to broaden your experience overseas to Japan, Korea, Europe and the DR, check out JapanBall. ⚾️⚾️⚾️
Steve
Whittier, CA
Great trip. It doesn't get any better then traveling with JapanBall. 5 STARS
Martin
Kutztown, PA
If you are into baseball this is the trip for you. Besides the 4 Dominican Republic winter league ballgames, we got a glimpse into the path that aDominican child takes to get to the big leagues. From community camps to trainers camps to the mlb academies, these kids are taught not only baseball but receive some education so they have something to fall back on. We also visited cultural, recreational, and historic sites along with a Rum manufacturer. Shane and his crew really outdid themselves with meetings with scouts, former and current players, trainers, and even an executive from one of the Dominican teams! Highly recommended!
Eddie
Mentor, OH
Loved this trip! It had everything, plus a few good surprises. Really, there was nothing to take issue with as the accommodations, activities and meals were all great! Shane is a great tour leader and he selected top-notch help with Pachi and Tomas. I had been on one JapnBall trip previously and will not hesitate to go on another.
Gordon
Hillsboro, OR
I had a great time. Shane Barclay and his team put on an amazing cultural and baseball experience in the Dominican Republic. The hotel was incredible, the food was outstanding, and the baseball games at three different stadiums were tons of fun. Would 100% recommend this trip to any baseball fan and will definitely go again in a future year.
Paul
Toronto, ON
The JapanBall trip to the Dominican Republic was terrific. It was very well planned and executed and went off without a hitch. Though baseball games were the primary focus, the schedule was filled with interesting things to do other than the games. We visited baseball academies and the Dominican Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as seeing some sights and getting a few cultural tours. There was also a beach excursion one day that was a great break completely unrelated to baseball. The hotel was excellent, and the restaurants where we ate were very good. I highly recommend this trip.
Carter
San Francisco, CA