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Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic Central America and the Caribbean Santo Domingo 10,349,741 inhabitants 48,670 sq km 212.65 inhabitants/sq km Dominican pesos (DOP) population evolution

Famous people from Dominican Republic

Here is a list of famous people from Dominican Republic. Curious if anybody from Dominican Republic made it our most famous people in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.

Manny Ramírez

Baseball Player

Manuel Arístides "Manny" Ramírez Onelcida is a Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who is a free agent. Previously he played in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. Ramirez is recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. His 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 29 post-season home runs are the most in big league history. He appeared in 12 All-Star Games, with a streak of eleven consecutive games beginning in 1998 that include every season that he played with the Boston Red Sox. Ramirez was allegedly among a group of 104 major league players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during 2003. In 2009 he was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy by taking human chorionic gonadotropin, a women's fertility drug. According to steroid dealer Victor Conte, hCG is often used to restart natural testosterone production after a steroid cycle. In the spring of 2011, Ramirez was informed by MLB of another violation to its drug policy. He chose to retire on April 8 rather than face a 100-game suspension.

David Ortiz

Baseball First baseman

David Américo Ortiz Arias, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins from 1997 until 2002. Ortiz is a nine-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champion and the holder of the Red Sox single-season record for home runs with 54, set during the 2006 season. In 2005, Red Sox ownership presented Ortiz with a plaque proclaiming him "the greatest clutch-hitter in the history of the Boston Red Sox". Ortiz has hit 431 career home runs, which ranks 45th on the MLB all time home run list.

Mary Joe Fernández

Tennis Player

Mary Joe Fernández Godsick is an American former professional tennis player. She was the runner-up in three Grand Slam singles tournaments and won two Grand Slam women's doubles titles and two Olympic gold medals.

Sammy Sosa

Baseball Player

Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican retired professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989–2007. Sosa's Major League career began with the Texas Rangers in 1989. After three seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Sosa became a member of the Chicago Cubs in 1992 and became one of the league's best hitters. In 1998, Sosa and Mark McGwire achieved national fame for their home run-hitting prowess in pursuit of Roger Maris' home run record. Sosa finished his career with brief stints with the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers. With the Rangers, Sosa hit his 600th career home run to become the fifth player in MLB history to reach the milestone. He is also the all-time home run leader among foreign-born MLB players. Sosa is one of only two National League players to ever reach 160 RBIs in a season, a milestone he reached in 2001. Sosa is the only player to have hit 60 or more home runs in a single season three times.

Oscar de la Renta

Fashion Designer

Óscar Arístides Ortiz de la Renta Fiallo is a Dominican American fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, De la Renta was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio Castillo, he became internationally known in the 1960s as one of the couturiers to dress Jacqueline Kennedy. An award-winning designer, he worked for Lanvin and Balmain; his eponymous fashion house continues to dress leading figures, from film stars to royalty, into the 2010s. De La Renta is particularly known for his red carpet gowns and evening wear.

Robinson Canó

Baseball Player

Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a Dominican American baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He made his debut in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees in 2005, after spending four years in the minor leagues. Canó is a five-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He won two Gold Glove Awards and has been named American League Player of the Month twice. In 2011, Canó won the Home Run Derby. He was a member of the Yankees' 2009 World Series championship team and the Dominican Republic's 2013 World Baseball Classic championship team, for which he won tournament's most valuable player award.

Pedro Martínez

Pitcher

Pedro Jaime Martínez is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion. At the time of his 200th win in April 2006, Martínez had the highest winning percentage of any 200-game winner in modern baseball history. His WHIP is the lowest of any live-ball era starting pitcher in MLB history, and his ERA+ is the best of any starting pitcher in MLB history. Officially listed at 5 ft 11 in and 195 pounds, Martínez was unusually small for a modern-day power pitcher, and he is believed to be somewhat smaller than his officially listed height and weight.

Bartolo Colón

Pitcher

Bartolo Colón is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics. He won the American League Cy Young Award with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005. He returned to MLB after an experimental medical procedure that revitalized his career. During the 2012 season, Colon was suspended 50 games by MLB after testing positive for synthetic testosterone.

Dania Ramirez

Actor

Dania Ramirez is a Dominican American TV and film actress. She is recently known for playing Rosie in Devious Maids, Alex in Entourage, and Blanca during the last season of The Sopranos on television. She also played Callisto in the feature film X-Men: The Last Stand.

Hanley Ramírez

Baseball Player

Hanley Ramírez is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop and third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. Ramírez was the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year. In 2009, Ramírez won the National League batting title and in 2010 finished runner-up in the Home Run Derby. Ramírez is a three-time All-Star starter.

José Bautista

Baseball Player

José Antonio Bautista is a Dominican professional baseball right fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He has major league experience at six different positions, because of his role as a utility player earlier in his career. Bautista was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 First Year Player Draft. After spending three seasons in the minor leagues, Bautista made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2004. He spent the rest of the season with five MLB organizations, returning finally to the Pirates. He played with the Pirates for parts of five seasons where he struggled to perform at a high level, and eventually found himself traded to the Blue Jays on August 21, 2008. Beginning in September 2009, and over the next two seasons, Bautista would emerge as one of the best players in the major leagues. In the 2010 season, Bautista became the 26th member of the 50 home run club. He led the major leagues in home runs in 2010 and 2011. He has won two Hank Aaron Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards, and has appeared in four MLB All-Star Games. He has been named the American League Player of the Week three times and has been the Player of the Month on five different occasions.

José Valverde

Pitcher

José Rafael Valverde is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is known as "Papa Grande." He has played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball.

José Reyes

Baseball Player

José Bernabé Reyes is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He previously played for the New York Mets and Miami Marlins. Reyes is a four-time MLB All-Star. He led MLB in triples in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2011. Reyes also led the National League in stolen bases in 2005, 2006, and 2007. He was the NL batting champion in 2011. He is also the New York Mets' all-time leader in triples and stolen bases.

Melky Cabrera

Baseball Player

Melky Astacio Cabrera is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants. Cabrera signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent. He made his MLB debut for the Yankees in 2005. After playing as a fourth outfielder, the Yankees included him in a trade to the Braves after the 2009 season. Struggling with the Braves in 2010, he was released, and signed by the Royals in 2011. Recommitting himself to the game, Cabrera had a strong year with the Royals, and was traded to the Giants for the 2012 season. In 2012, Cabrera made his first All-Star Game appearance, winning the All-Star Game MVP Award. One month later, Cabrera received a 50 game suspension after testing positive for high levels of testosterone.

Miguel Tejada

Baseball Player

Miguel Odalis Tejada is a baseball infielder who is a free agent. Since debuting in Major League Baseball in 1997, Tejada has played for the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Tejada spent his first six seasons in MLB with the Athletics, where he began his streak of 1,152 consecutive games, that ended with the Orioles on June 22, 2007. He is a six-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. In 2002, he won the American League Most Valuable Player Award, and he was the 2005 All-Star Game MVP. Tejada's nickname is "La Guagua" which means "the bus" in certain Spanish dialects, as Tejada was known for his ability to drive in runs. On February 11, 2009, he pleaded guilty to one count of perjury for lying to Congress in his testimony on whether or not Rafael Palmeiro lied about his steroid use. On August 17, 2013, Major League Baseball suspended Tejada for 105 games for violating the organization's drug policy. It was the third longest, non-lifetime suspension ever issued by MLB for a drug-related violation.

Al Horford

Basketball Center

Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso is a Dominican professional basketball player who currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association. Horford played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was the starting center on the Florida Gators teams that won back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007. He also plays for the Dominican Republic national team. On December 24, 2011, he married singer and 2003 Miss Universe Amelia Vega.

Junot Díaz

Novelist

Junot Díaz is a Dominican-American writer, creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and fiction editor at Boston Review. He also serves on the board of advisers for Freedom University, a volunteer organization in Georgia that provides post-secondary instruction to undocumented immigrants. Central to Díaz's work is the immigrant experience. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, in 2008. He is a 2012 MacArthur Fellow.

Carlos Peña

Baseball First baseman

Carlos Felipe Peña is a Dominican-American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He played with the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals. Although he was born in Santo Domingo and his family is from San Francisco de Macorís, he spent a significant portion of his childhood in the United States. He is portrayed in the film Moneyball by actor Adrian Bellani.

Adrián Beltré

Baseball Player

Adrián Ginormo Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers. The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, Beltré has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, and Boston Red Sox. He bats and throws right-handed. He is known for his signature home run swing, dropping to one knee when connecting with an off-speed pitch.

Carlos Mármol

Baseball Player

Carlos Agustín Mármol is a professional baseball relief pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.

Nelson Cruz

Baseball Player

Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers. Cruz is best remembered for his dominant performance in the 2011 ALCS, against the Detroit Tigers. He had 6 home runs and 13 RBIs, en route to being named the MVP of the series.

Johnny Pacheco

Bandleader

Johnny Pacheco is a Dominican musician, arranger, producer, and bandleader of Cuban music. He is one of the most influential figures in Latin music, best known for being the creator of the Fania All-Stars, and for coining the term "Salsa" to denote the genre.

Nicky Jam

Reggaeton Artist

Nick Rivera Caminero, and known artistically as Nicky Jam, is a American singer. He was born to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father. He is a reggaeton artist. Jam is known for such hits as "Me Voy Pa'l Party", "Chambonea", "Vive Contigo", "En La Cama", "Buscarte", "Guayando", among others.

Antony Santos

Bachata Artist

Antony Santos is a bachata musician from the Dominican Republic, renowned for his role in redefining the genre to include romantic music. Santos entered onto the scene in the early 1990s, beginning his career as the guira player for fellow bachatero Luis Vargas, only to leave the group and maintain a very public feud with Vargas that would last until Vargas' career faded into obscurity. Santos became the first rural bachatero to reach a mainstream audience, with his hit "Voy pa'llá", shortly after Blas Durán had introduced the electric guitar into the genre. Santos' adoption of soft romantic lyrics was more socially accepted than the bawdy style common to bachata before him, and he shortly became the genre's leading artist, helping move bachata into the mainstream. Santos has helped define the sound of modern bachata, mainly through his use of a chorus pedal and the Yamaha APX series of guitars. He is supportive of Anthony "Romeo" Santos, lead singer of Aventura, even to perform alongside him in Romeo's latest album alongside Vargas and Raulín Rodríguez in both one skit and the track "Debate De 4". His hit songs include: "Voy Pa Lla", "Cuantos Dias Mas", "Creiste","Vete y Alejate de Mi", "Un Muerto Vivo", "Por Mi Timidez", "Pegame Tu Vicio", "Corazon Culpable", "Pequeño Huracan" and "Muchos Cambios" "among others

Ubaldo Jiménez

Pitcher

Ubaldo Jiménez García is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He pitched the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies history on April 17, 2010.

Rafael Soriano

Pitcher

Rafael Soriano is a Dominican professional baseball player for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. The relief pitcher has played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees. Soriano bats and throws right-handed. Soriano was an All-Star in 2010. That year, he also led the American League in saves, and was named the winner of the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award for May, July, and August, and the AL Rolaids Relief Man Award in the postseason.

Michael Pineda

Pitcher

Michael Francisco Pineda Paulino is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He signed as an international free agent with the Seattle Mariners in 2005, and made his MLB debut for the Mariners in 2011. In his rookie season, Pineda was named an All-Star and finished fifth in balloting for American League Rookie of the Year. After his rookie season, he was traded to the Yankees. Pineda is listed at 6 feet 7 inches and 260 pounds. His fastball in 2011 averaged 94.7 miles per hour, which was the highest among MLB rookies with at least 100 innings pitched, and fourth overall in MLB.

Michel Camilo

Latin American Artist

Michel Camilo is a Grammy-award winning pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Camilo lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Art Tatum.

Fernando Rodney

Pitcher

Albert Fernando Rodney is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Rodney throws a fastball between 94-98 mph, and a palmball in the low 80s. Rodney is cousin of Alfredo Fígaro.

Roberto Heredia Hernández

Pitcher

Roberto Heredia Hernández is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Hernández made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians on April 15, 2006 under the name of Fausto Carmona, the name he used to obtain a visa in order to pitch in the United States. He is known for his hard sinker and exhibiting good control of his pitches. He did not throw exceptionally hard when he first debuted in the minor leagues at age 21, but has since developed a fastball that can reach 97 mph. He also throws a slider and a changeup, but relies mostly on his hard sinker to get many ground ball outs. He was initially used as a starting pitcher, but later in the season was turned into a reliever, and now is a starting pitcher again.

Jhonny Peralta

Baseball Shortstop

Jhonny Antonio Peralta is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball.

Fernando Villalona

Merengue Artist

Fernando Villalona, the first artist named "El Mayimbe", is a Dominican merengue singer that began singing in the early 1970s, his popularity started to grow by the late 1970s and has not declined ever since. Fernando began singing at a very early age and became popular after participating in "El Festival de la Voz", an amateur TV talent show. After that, merengue icon Wilfrido Vargas hired him to be part of his group Los Hijos del Rey but Fernando and the group would soon be separated after his popularity became larger than the group itself. He would then go into a period of drugs and isolation but never stopped singing, recording some of his best music during that period. In 2012, Villalona recorded "El Color de tu Mirada" with American singer/songwriter Victoria Daly. The music video was directed by Rene Brea in the Dominican Republic. It went to be nominated for "Best Music Video" at the Soberano Awards in 2013. Villalona began recording two singles with Latin sensation, Olga Tanon. Recording began in April, set to be released on her upcoming album. Songs such as "Tabaco y ron", "Celos,", "Te Amo Demasiado,","La Hamaquita", "Dominicano Soy," "Sonámbulo," and "Carnaval" among others became popular in the 1980s. "Quisqueya," "No Podrás," "Música Latina," "Retorno," and "Me he Enamorado" were some of his biggest hits in the 1990s. In recent years he has had some health problems making performing a difficult task. But besides the fact that he has not been able to perform frequently, he probably still is the most important merengue singer in Dominican history. He was married to a Puerto-Rican woman named Evelyn Jorge and they have a daughter named Paloma.

Juan Uribe

Baseball Shortstop

Juan Cespedes Uribe Tena is a Dominican professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He stands 6 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds. He has played for the Colorado Rockies, the Chicago White Sox, the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws right-handed. Uribe began his career in 1997 when he was signed by the Colorado Rockies. After advancing through the minors, he debuted with the Rockies in 2001. He became their shortstop in 2001 and spent all of 2002 in that capacity. He missed part of 2003 with an injury and was traded to the Chicago White Sox following the season. After one season as a utility player, Uribe became the starting shortstop for the White Sox in 2005; he held that position for the next three years. While Uribe was with the White Sox, the team won the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros. Uribe hit 21 home runs in 2006 but had a low on-base percentage. He hit 20 home runs in 2007 but had a low batting average with runners in scoring position. In 2008, Uribe lost his shortstop role to Orlando Cabrera and returned to a utility role. In 2009, Uribe signed with the Giants and was again used as utility player. He spent most of 2010 as the Giants' shortstop, hit a career-high 24 home runs, and had several key hits in the playoffs as the Giants won the 2010 World Series. Following that season, he signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The next two years were plagued by injuries and poor hitting, but he regained his starting role in 2013 and made a strong contribution to the team.

Andrés García

Actor

Andrés García is a Dominican-born Mexican actor. He is one of the most popular and well known actors throughout Latin America and among Hispanics in the United States.

Joaquín Balaguer

Politician

Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo was the President of the Dominican Republic who served three non-consecutive terms for that office for his first term from 1960 to 1962, again for a second term from 1966 to 1978, and again for a third and final term from 1986 to 1996.

Pedro Álvarez

Baseball Player

Pedro Manuel Álvarez Jr. is a Dominican-American professional baseball third baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Álvarez has been nicknamed El Toro, Spanish for "the bull", because of his strength and muscular physique.

Leonel Fernández

Politician

Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and was President of the Dominican Republic from 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2012. Fernández became the first elected president of the Dominican Republic under his political party, the Dominican Liberation Party, although party founder Juan Bosch was also sworn in as president in 1963 after the first democratic elections held in roughly four decades in the country. Fernández's administrations have focused much on technological and infrastructural development and macroeconomic and monetary stability. He is a native of Villa Juana, Distrito Nacional and lived for much of his childhood and early adulthood in New York City.

Johnny Cueto

Pitcher

Johnny Brent Cueto [KWAY-toe] is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball. Cueto made his major league debut in 2008, and by 2011 had emerged as one of the top pitchers in the National League. He won 19 games in 2012, helping lead the Reds to the NL Central title, but had to leave the first game of the playoffs after only 8 pitches with a back injury.

Neftalí Feliz

Baseball Relief pitcher

Neftalí Feliz Antonio is a Dominican right-handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball. Feliz was the Rangers best prospect according to Baseball America, and one of the top five pitching prospects in baseball at the start of 2010. His best pitch is his fastball, which consistently hits the upper-90s and can reach triple digits.

Edwin Encarnacion

Baseball First baseman

Edwin Elpidio Encarnación, is a Dominican professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He stands 6 ft 2 in and weighs 235 pounds.

Juan Bosch

Politician

Juan Emilio Bosch Gaviño was a politician, historian, short story writer, essayist, educator, and the first democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic for a brief time in 1963. Previously, he had been the leader of the Dominican opposition in exile to the dictatorial regime of Rafael Trujillo for over 25 years. To this day he is remembered as an honest politician and regarded as one of the most prominent writers in Dominican literature. He founded both the Dominican Revolutionary Party in 1939 and the Dominican Liberation Party in 1973. In 1934, he married Isabel García and had two children with her: Leon and Carolina. During Trujillo's dictatorship, Bosch was jailed for his political ideas, being released after several months. In 1938, Bosch managed to leave the country, settling in Puerto Rico.

Amelia Vega

Model

Amelia Vega Polanco is a Dominican musician, model and beauty pageant title holder. She became the first Dominican woman to be named Miss Universe, in 2003. At the age of 18, she was the youngest winner since 1994. Vega's father, Otto Vega, is a general medical practitioner with offices in New York City and Miami. Her mother, Patricia Polanco Álvarez, is a licenced Pilot and was also a previous national titleholder who represented the Dominican Republic in 1980 at the Miss World pageant. Vega is niece-in-law of the Grammy Award–winning singer Juan Luis Guerra and wife of NBA player Al Horford. They were married on December 24, 2011.

Juan Pablo Duarte

Man

Juan Pablo Duarte Díez is one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. He was a visionary and liberal thinker, who along with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella, is widely considered to be the architect of the Dominican Republic and its independence from Haitian rule in 1844. He would help create the political-military organization La Trinitaria to fight against the Haitian occupation, achieve independence, and a create a self-sufficient nation established on the liberal ideals of a democratic government. Duarte helped supervise and finance the Dominican War of Independence, paying a heavy toll which would eventually ruin him financially. His then radical views would also make him a controversial figure among fellow Dominicans of the time, and he would be exiled at various occasions after the founding of the new nation. His liberal views went against the conservative elites who sought for heavy-heanded control of the nation, and wanted to maintain the traditional regionalisms of the past. Duarte had strong disagreements with Pedro Santana in particular, who he saw as a tyrannical figure directly opposed to his ideals of liberty and independence. Ultimately, he would spent his last days away from the nation he helped shape and would die in exile, this made him a political martyr in the eyes of subsequent generations.

Juan Marichal

Pitcher

Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters' helmets. Marichal also played for the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers for the final two seasons of his career. Although he won more games than any other pitcher during the 1960s, he appeared in only one World Series game and he was often overshadowed by Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson in post-season awards. Marichal was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

Twin Shadow

Synthpop Artist

Twin Shadow is the stage name of American musician George Lewis Jr.

Frank Reyes

Bachata Artist

Frank Reyes, born Francisco López Reyes, is one of the best known bachata artists, famous throughout Latin America. He was born in the town of Tenares in Joba Arriba, Dominican Republic. Reyes discovered his musical talent when he was a young boy. He and his brothers started their own musical group and had great singing talent. When he was only 12 years old, he decided to travel to Santo Domingo where he worked hard and had many jobs, always dreaming of having his own business. As he got older he recorded his first album Tu serás mi reina and became the self-appointed "prince of bachata".

José Veras

Pitcher

José Enger Veras Romero nicknamed "The Spider", is a Dominican Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization in 1998, but did not make his major league debut until 2006 with the New York Yankees. After playing with several other Major League teams, Veras signed with the Astros in December 2012. The Tigers acquired Veras prior to the trade deadline in 2013 but did not renew the club option for 2014.

Angela Carrasco

Singer

Angela Carrasco is a Dominican Republic singer. Carrasco was one of a group of Latin American divas in the 1970s. This group also included Susana Giménez, Charytín, Iris Chacón, Ednita Nazario, Yolandita Monge and Rocío Dúrcal. Carrasco moved to Spain from her native country. In Spain, she enjoyed wild success. She had her first big hit when she was chosen to play Mary Magdalen together with Camilo Sesto in the first Spanish version of Jesus Christ Superstar in the mid-1970s. She also hit the airwaves strongly in the late 1970s, with songs such as "Cariño Mio" and "Quererte a Ti". "Quererte a Ti" in particular gave her much exposure all over Latin America, in the United States and Europe. She later had a great comeback with albums such as Dama del Caribe and Candela, as well as Angela. Her single "Boca Rosa" peaked at number-one in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in late 1988. Angela continues to make music, and after her recent A Puro Dolor, she released a new album, Muy Personal, which includes some new songs in new styles as well as remakes of some of her most famous songs such as "No, no hay nadie mas" and "No se como amarle" from Jesus Christ Superstar. Her voice continues to be strong and her music fresh and unique. She has also taken several steps into theatre.

Raulín Rodríguez

Musical Artist

Raulín Rodríguez is a bachata artist, one of the first major bachata artists to have national success and popularize this style of music in the Dominican Republic.

Wilfrido Vargas

Merengue Artist

Wilfrido Radamés Vargas Martínez is a bandleader, trumpeter, vocalist, arranger, composer and producer who was instrumental in making the merengue style a worldwide phenomena. He was surrounded by musical influences; namely, his father Ramón, an accordionist and guitarist, and his mother Bienvenida, a flute player and guitarist. Vargas began his musical studies early, attending the Municipal Academy of Music beginning at age 10. He has been a trumpeter and a vocalist, but has also arranged, composed, and led his band, and is also a producer.

Carlos Gómez

Baseball Player

Carlos Argelis Gómez Pena, nicknamed "Go-Go", is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Edinson Volquez

Pitcher

Edinson Volquez [VOL-kez], is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws right-handed. Volquez signed with the Rangers in 2001 under the name of Julio Reyes. He went by Edison Volquez after 2003, before adding an n to his first name in 2007.

Ramon Ortiz

Pitcher

Ramón Diógenes Ortiz is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Anaheim Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays as well as the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Rafael Furcal

Baseball Player

Rafael "Rafa" Antonio Furcal, is a professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He played for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

Aramis Ramírez

Baseball Player

Aramis Nin Ramírez is an Major League Baseball third baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has been named an All-Star two times during his career. He started his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998, before being traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2003. On November 12, 2006, Ramírez signed a five-year deal with the Cubs. On December 12, 2011, he signed a three-year contract with the Brewers.

Eddy Herrera

Merengue Artist

Eddy Jose Herrera de los Rios, also known as Eddy Herrera, is a merengue singer and winner of more than seven Casandra Awards. Born on 30 April 1964 in the Dominican Republic, in the city of Santiago de Los Caballeros.

Julio Franco

Baseball First baseman

Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In 2007, Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49. While Franco was an All-Star and posted above-average hitting statistics throughout his career, he is best known for being the oldest regular position player in Major League history. Franco was the all-time hits leader among Dominican-born players until surpassed in 2011 by Vladimir Guerrero. He made his debut on April 23, 1982, as a shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies. During his long career, Franco saw significant time as a shortstop, second baseman, first baseman, and designated hitter.

Víctor Estrella

Tennis Player

Victor Estrella Burgos is a professional tennis player from the Dominican Republic. He reached his highest individual ranking on the ATP Tour on July 11, 2011, when he managed to be number 163. He has played primarily on the Futures circuit with a record of 191-55 and ATP Challenger Tour where he currently has a record of 74-80. Estrella has been a member of the Davis Cup team in the Dominican Republic since 1998, posting a record of 33-13 in singles and 18-18 in doubles.

Maria Montez

Actor

Maria Montez was a Dominican American motion picture actress who gained fame and popularity in the 1940s as an exotic beauty starring in a series of filmed-in-Technicolor costume adventure films. Her screen image was that of a hot-blooded Latin seductress, dressed in fanciful costumes and sparkling jewels. She became so identified with these adventure epics that she became known as "The Queen of Technicolor." Over her career, Montez appeared in 26 films, 21 of which were made in North America and five in Europe.

Francisco García

Basketball Small forward

Francisco García is a Dominican professional basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. A 6'7", 195-pound guard–forward from the University of Louisville, García was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Chichí Peralta

Musical Artist

Chichi Peralta is a Merengue percussionist, singer, musician, arranger and producer from the Dominican Republic.

Alex Bueno

Singer

Alex Bueno is a singer and guitarist from the Dominican Republic, specializing in merengue and bachata music. He joined Gerardo Vera's All-Stars in 1979 and formed Orquesta Liberacion in 1982. Alex Bueno began singing and playing guitar at a very young age. He moved from his native San José de las Matas to Santo Domingo when he was a teenager, looking for a better chance to get involved in show business. In 1979, Bueno joined Gerardo Vera's All-Stars, later recording a local hit called "Piel Canela" with Fernando Villalona. In 1982, Alex Bueno formed a tropical act called Orquesta Liberación, singing along with Andrés de Jesus. After issuing 1993's Ternura, the successful album Me Equivoque was recorded and produced in 1995 by Jaime Querol and Manuel Tejada. Following 1999's Corazón Duro and Bachata A Su Tiempo, Alex Bueno returned in 2001 with Unicamente Tú, the title was based on a popular song composed by Felipe Pirela.

Octavio Dotel

Pitcher

Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Dotel has played for thirteen major league teams, more than any other player in the history of Major League Baseball. He set the mark when he pitched for the Detroit Tigers on April 7, 2012, breaking a record previously held by Mike Morgan, Matt Stairs, and Ron Villone. Dotel made his Major League debut on June 26, 1999, for the New York Mets and lost. His first MLB win came July 1, 1999, against the Florida Marlins. He ended the season as the winning pitcher in the 1999 National League Championship Series game five against the Atlanta Braves. He was voted Player of the Week for the week of July 25, 1999. Dotel won the 2011 World Series as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Danilo Medina

Politician

Danilo Medina Sánchez is a dominican politician and the current President of the Dominican Republic, since 2012. Medina previously served as Dominican Secretary of State to the President from 1996 to 1999 and from 2004 to 2006, and is a member of the Dominican Liberation Party. He won the May 2012 Dominican presidential election, defeating Hipolito Mejía with 51% of the votes.

Plácido Polanco

Baseball Player

Plácido Enrique Polanco is a Dominican-American professional baseball player who is a free agent. He is a third baseman, but in the past has played second base and shortstop. He was twice voted to start in Major League Baseball All-Star Games: in 2007, and again in 2011. In a July 9, 2008, ceremony at Comerica Park prior to the Tigers–Indians game, Polanco received his U.S. citizenship, along with 99 other people. He wore his Tigers uniform for the ceremony.

Miguel Sano

Athlete

Miguel Angel Sano is a Haitian-Dominican professional baseball third baseman in the Minnesota Twins organization. He is currently represented by Rob Plummer of SFX Baseball Group.

Emilio Bonifacio

Baseball Second baseman

Emilio Jose Bonifacio Del Rosario is a Dominican professional baseball utility player for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball.

Luguelín Santos

Olympic athlete

Luguelín Santos is a Dominican sprinter, who specialises in the 400 m. He was the silver medallist in the event at the 2012 London Olympics at the age of eighteen. His personal best is 44.45 seconds. Santos emerged with two gold medals at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics and made his senior breakthrough at the 2011 Pan American Games, taking individual and relay silver medals with Dominican national record times. He won his country's first medal at the World Junior Championships in Athletics by winning the 400 m title in 2012.

Carlos Santana

Baseball First baseman

Carlos Santana is a Dominican professional baseball player who is a catcher/first baseman with the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball's American League.

Guillermo Mota

Pitcher

Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Dominican baseball relief pitcher. In his career, he pitched for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants. Mota stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds. He throws and bats right-handed. He throws three pitches: a fastball, a slider, and a circle changeup. Mota was originally signed by the New York Mets in 1990 as an infielder. After several years in their organization, he was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the Rule 5 draft in 1996 and converted into a pitcher in 1997. Mota had a 2.96 ERA in 1999, his rookie season, but he struggled in his next two seasons and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to 2002. His struggles continued in his first year with the Dodgers, but Mota had a career year in 2003, as he had a 6–3 record with a 1.97 ERA in 76 games. He became the setup man to closer Éric Gagné in 2004, but was traded to the Florida Marlins midseason. Mota started 2005 as their closer, but Todd Jones took over the role when Mota got hurt in April. Following the year, Mota was traded to the Boston Red Sox. Before Mota ever played for the Red Sox, however, he was traded again to the Cleveland Indians. He struggled in his time with the Indians in 2006 and was designated for assignment by them in August. The New York Mets acquired him, and Mota improved mightily upon joining them. Following the season, he became a free agent, but he again signed with the Mets. After struggling in 2007, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He got off to a poor start with Milwaukee in 2008 but improved in the second half. Following the season, Mota became a free agent and signed with the Dodgers again. He had his best year since 2004 and became a free agent again after the season. For the first time in his career, in 2010 he signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. After making the team out of spring training, Mota won his first career World Series despite struggling at times during the season. Following the season, he signed another minor league contract with the Giants and made the team out of spring training again. During the 2012 season, Mota became one of three players in league history to fail a drug test twice when it was shown he tested positive for Clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing drug.

Sergio Vargas

Merengue Artist

Sergio Vargas is a Dominican merengue singer. He was a member of the bands La Banda Brava and Los Hijos del Rey.

Jean Segura

Baseball Player

Jean Carlos Enrique Segura is a Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. He made his MLB debut on July 24, 2012, with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After playing in one game for the Angels, they traded him to the Brewers for Zack Greinke.

Arianna Puello

Singer

Arianna Puello or Ari is a Spanish rapper of Dominican descent. Her single "Juana Kalamidad" reached number six on the Spanish Singles Chart. She lived in Dominican Republic before moving to Salt when she was 8 years old. She started out in the world of hip hop in 1993 when she recorded a song with a friend, and later joined a band with Bano known as N.O.Del KRIB. After they split up, she joined another band, Discípulos del Micro, but she had her first hit with a collaboration on El Meswy's first album, Mujer chunga. In 1998, she released her first solo album, El tentempié .

Pedro Ciriaco

Baseball Shortstop

Pedro Ciriaco is a Dominican professional baseball player for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball.

Esmil Rogers

Baseball Player

Esmil Antonio Rogers is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.

Alexi Ogando

Pitcher

Alexi Ogando is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball.

Brenda Castillo

Volleyball player

Brenda Castillo is a female volleyball player from the Dominican Republic, who plays as a libero for the Dominican Republic national team and the Azerbaijani club Rabita Baku. Castillo participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics being awarded tournament's Best Libero. She won the Silver medal at the 2009 U20 World Championship, 2013 U23 World Championship and Bronze in the 2009 FIVB Women's World Grand Champions Cup. She won the gold medal of the 2009 NORCECA Championship, 2010 Final Four and the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Joaquín Benoit

Pitcher

Joaquín Antonio Benoit Peña is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers. He is 6'3" and weighs 220 pounds.

Milly Quezada

Merengue Artist

Milly Quezada is a singer and songwriter.

Raúl Mondesí

Baseball Player

Raúl Ramón Mondesí Avelino is a Dominican former Major League Baseball player and the current mayor of San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1994 as a right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He won Gold Glove Awards in 1995 and 1997 as an outfielder.

Víctor Martínez

Man

Víctor Martínez is an International Federation of BodyBuilders professional bodybuilder, and the second Dominican bodybuilder to turn professional. The first being Tony Domenench from Puerto Plata, who turned pro in 1995. His career highlights has been winning the Arnold Classic in 2007 and finishing runner-up at the 2007 Mr. Olympia. He signed a contract on a sponsorship deal with Maximum Human Performance who also sponsors Michael Kefalianos.

Juan Francisco

Baseball Player

Juan Ramón Francisco González is a Dominican professional baseball third baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. The then switch-hitting Francisco was signed as a non-drafted free agent on May 6, 2004 by Juan Peralta. He lives in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic.

Tony Fernández

Baseball Player

Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro, better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills, setting a nine-year record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.

Johnny Ventura

Singer

Juan de Dios Ventura Soriano, better known as Johnny Ventura is a Dominican singer and band leader of merengue music and former mayor of Santo Domingo.

Santos Rodriguez

Pitcher

Santos Rodriguez is a Dominican baseball player.

Charytín Goyco

Talk show host

Charytín Goyco, better known in the show business plainly as Charytín, is a singer, television hostess and actress from the Dominican Republic.

Antonio Bastardo

Pitcher

Antonio Francisco Bastardo Rafael is a relief pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.

Manny Albam

Big band Artist

Manny Albam was a jazz baritone saxophone player who eventually became a composer, arranger, producer, and educator. He was well known for his association with United Artists-Solid State Records.

Francisco Cordero

Pitcher

Francisco Javier Cordero is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He has served as the closer for several teams. On June 1, 2011, Cordero recorded his 300th career save with the Cincinnati Reds, becoming only the 22nd player to reach that mark. Cordero is frequently referred to by his nickname, CoCo, which is a combination of the last two letters of his first name and the first two letters of his last name. Cordero throws a hard fastball—capable of reaching the upper 90s, and also has an excellent slider that he can throw for strikes early in the count, and which he uses as his out pitch. He attended Colegio Luz Arroyo Hondo High School in the Dominican Republic.