BRADENTON, Fla. — Before Dominican Republic manager Tony Pena and general manager Moises Alou even selected their roster, they knew who their center fielder would be.
They knew before the Pirates made Starling Marte their center fielder that he would be the Dominican center fielder. Pena had managed Marte in winter ball and saw his center-field prowess firsthand.
“He’s good. That’s the only thing I can say,” Pena said. “He’s good. He’s young and he’s got plenty of room to grow.”
The Dominican Republic brought Marte, Gregory Polanco and a powerful lineup to LECOM Park Wednesday for an exhibition game before traveling across the state to begin the World Baseball Classic.