Fernando Tatis Jr. reacts happily after hitting the home run that eventually decided the Dominican Republic’s victory over Venezuela. AFP
Santo Domingo — Baseball player Fernando Tatis Jr. wrote a letter to Dominicans, from the boy who dreamed in San Pedro de Macorís of one day playing in the Major Leagues, to the one who today captivates the fans with his skill in the World Baseball Classic, wearing the tricolor uniform.
Through the” article “To the people of the Dominican Republic, published in The Players’ Tribune, the right fielder of the Dominican team expressed that wearing the Dominican Republic jersey is one of the greatest achievements of his life.
“Dear Dominican Republic, I write this with a heart full of sincerity. Wearing the Dominican Republic jersey and playing for our national team in the World Baseball Classic is one of the greatest achievements of my life,” the letter begins.
He confessed that he always dreamed of winning championships in winter. Still, he believed that he could become one of the greats he saw and admired at Quisqueya Stadium, hitting home runs and making “spectacula” plays.
“I believed that one day I, too, could be great. Because those around me showed me” the way,” he wrote.
His passion for the sport dates back long before his birth, to the late 1960s with his grandfather, Fernando Antonio Tatis, who reached Triple A; a passion that was later passed on to his father, Fernando Tatis Sr., who reached the Major Leagues and passed on his love for baseball to him and his brothers, which is why he always takes the field wearing number 23, the same number his father used.
Tatis, who debuted in 2026 with the Dominican team in the Classic, highlighted that since he was 8 years old, he has dreamed of playing professionally, dating back to when he played on the first baseball field in his native S”n Pedro.
“I remember the first real baseball field I played on in my hometown; it had a lot of rocks in the infield—a lot of small rocks, but also, in some places, some pretty big rocks. Even so, I would slide into second base.—every single time. I always played with so much energy. With so much spirit,” he said.
He said he was lucky to see his dream up close, to practice with players of the stature of Robinson Canó, to see his dad slide around the bases, smiling, and to see the fans go wild.
“I would tell myself, ‘Someday it will be me’”‘I knew I was fortunate to have grown up with such a deep love for baseball, and the only way I knew to honor the game was to keep playing better, playing with more intensity, and playing with that joy and excitement that is hard to find anywhere other than those neighborhood baseball fields in the Dominican Republic,” he said.
He sees baseball as more than just a sport. He sees it as a representation of Dominican identity, a way to overcome difficult times and celebrate the good ones. “Baseball is the rhythm of ur lives,” he suggests.
Fernando Tatis Jr. External source
In the letter, he answers the question many journalists have asked following his performance, which includes a couple of home runs and impressive glove work. “The answer is simple… it comes from you, from the Dominican Republic. My mother instilled joy and energy in me; my father taught me respect and perseverance. Without a doubt, my country shaped me as a person, both on and off “he fi”ld.”
For “El bebo”, as he is called by the fans, representing the country in the Classic has brought to light what has shaped him. He experiences sensations he had never felt before, but he still dreams and thinks about the children who, like him, also do so in San Pedro, La Romana, and Santo Domingo.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the next generation will bring to baseball. How they will, how they will demonstrate once again that hard work and determination can make anything possible. And that dreams still come true on the” diamond,” he emphasized.
He concludes by saying that every time he steps up to the plate, he does so carrying in his mind and heart the Dominicans who watch him, playing with the joy cultivated by his parents and his country, to show the world what Dominican baseball is all about.
“So when you see me step onto the field, know that I’m playing football. I play with the joy my country has given me and the passion my family has instilled in me. I play to show the world what Dominican baseball is really all about. With all my heart, Fernando Tati” Jr. #23,” he concludes.
