Miami Marlins open development academy in Dominican Republic

By MARTÍN ADAMES
Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The Miami Marlins have opened their new academy in the Dominican Republic, where they hope to develop talents such as current ace Sandy Alcántara, a candidate for the National League Cy Young award. Sitting on 35 acres (14 hectares), the academy has three major league regulation playing fields, an area for agility drills, four tunnels for batting cages, a roofed set of six pitching mounds, a two-story administrative building and a residential complex. The facilities opened Friday are in Boca Chica, on the outskirts of the Dominican capital, where for years there have been academies of the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies.