Above: Dominican-born star Jose Reyes (Photo: Miami Marlins)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Major League Baseball will be hosting a showcase for top amateur players in the Dominican Republic this month, the league said in a release Friday.

The Sept. 15 event will occur over a three-day period, and will be led by former Houston Astros star Moises Alou, a Dominican-American.

It will begin with a programme aimed at educating players on the serious effects of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), the use of which has been a continual problem in the Dominican Republic.

Earlier this year, the Dominican Republic’s government signed an agreement with Major League Baseball for the latter to provide vocational training and youth employment at the country’s baseball academies.

All of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball have training academies in the Dominican Republic.

The league has been putting on a series of similar showcases globally for major league teams and scouts.

The showcase will take place at the Dominican Republic’s Tetelo Vargas stadium in San Pedro de Macoris, one of the Dominican’s top sporting cities.

The Dominican Republic continues to be one of the top sources of Major League baseball talent, producing stars such as Miami Marlins shortstop Jose Reyes and Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hanley Ramirez.