PEORIA, Ariz. -- Earlier this month, Joel Peralta took the mound in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with the eyes of his island upon him.
The venue was Estadio Quisqueya and the event was the Caribbean Series, the annual tournament between the winter league champions from the D.R., Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba. Peralta, who is entering his 12th season in the big leagues, didn't have to be there. But he says there was no other place he would have rather been.
"I just like to compete and pitch," Peralta, 39, said. "Fans in the Dominican don't get a chance to see us live and I wanted to do it for the fans, too.