The Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana (LIDOM) season started on October 17. Two-time champion Tigres del Licey honored Elly De La Cruz at their home opener.
The Tigres del Licey played their first game at their home stadium, Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, on October 17. The first pitch was thrown out by none other than Cincinnati Reds star De La Cruz.
The Tigres drafted De La Cruz in the 2021 Riikie Draft. In 2022, he played 24 games with the Tigres del Licey. He slashed .286/.396/.813 with one home run and nine stolen bases.
De La Cruz was a star in Major League Baseball this season. He led all players in stolen bases with 67. The Tigres del Licey honored De La Cruz with a plaque recognizing him for being the first player in MLB history to steal 100 bases and hit 30 home runs in his first two seasons.
De La Cruz was born in Sabana Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic. He is one of many superstars in MLB who call the Dominican Republic their home. The Tigres lost their second straight game to start the year, but the story of the night was one of the country’s best players returning home to be a part of the LIDOM festivities.
Photo Credit: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds dives into home plate for an inside-the-park home run. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images)
