Betances: Dominican at Heart
By Roberto Salvador Klapisch
“Even though I was born in this country and my passport says I’m American, I’m really Dominican on the inside.”— Yankees reliever Dellin Betances
Dellin Betances had heard the question often enough that he could intercept it dead cold in mid-sentence and answer in one word.
“Dominican,” is what the New York Yankees reliever said with a smile. That ended the debate that’d been hatched in February, back when the World Baseball Classic was ramping up and the American-born Betances had to choose sides.
He either obeyed his birth certificate or his heart. Joe Torre, representing Team USA, asked Betances to join the star-studded roster — and for good reason. Not only was Betances one of baseball’s hardest throwers, he was born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan and thus eligible to play with his fellow Americans.
Torre must’ve known it was a long shot — the fact that Betances proudly identifies as a Latino was hardly a secret. Still, Major League Baseball’s chief baseball officer, who’s enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for his career as a manager, worked his sales pitch.
You are a Yankees star and there’s nothing more American than the pinstripes, is how Torre’s message went. All due respect to the family, but the U.S. players would love to have you on board.
Betances, 29, nodded politely and said he would consider the argument. Of course, it was an empty vow, uttered merely out of respect for Torre and his legacy. Truth was, Betances had already made up his mind to play for the Dominican Republic — his parents’ homeland — long before the conversation ever began.
“It was a couple of years ago that I promised my parents I would play for the D.R. if I ever got the chance,” Betances said. “Even though I was born in this country and my passport says I’m American, I’m really Dominican on the inside. That’s what I consider myself. I grew up around Dominicans, I’ve eaten Spanish food my whole life. It’s in my blood.”
Or like he said in Spanish to reporters before the WBC, “Los dominicanos nacemos donde nos da la gana.” Idiomatically translated: “Dominicans are born wherever the hell they want.”
Clubhouse leader
Betances’ strong ties to the Dominican community make him a leader in the Yankees clubhouse — a bridge between Spanish-speaking stars like Gary Sánchez and Aroldis Chapman and American players like Aaron Judge and CC Sabathia. Betances affects a uniquely low-key vibe, poised and mature, two essential qualities for a reliever who appears only in high-leverage situations.
Manager Joe Girardi says, “I have confidence in Dellin every time I give him the ball. He never lets the moment get away from him. He can slow a game down, which is what you need in those important moments.”
No wonder Team USA used a heavyweight like Torre to recruit Betances. No wonder the Yankees consider him indispensable. The big right-hander — in his fourth season as a full-time fixture in the Bronx as both a closer and setup man — has totaled 483 strikeouts in 299.2 innings with a career 1.03 WHIP as of August 15.
Betances’ willingness to shift roles speaks to his team-first philosophy, although his relationship with the front office hasn’t been without conflict. Betances took the Yankees to arbitration last spring, and ended up sparring with president Randy Levine even after losing his case.
Levine questioned whether Betances deserved to be paid like Chapman, saying the demand was “over the top” and based on “very little sense of reality.”
Levine argued that Betances’ case was “like me saying I’m not the president of the Yankees, I’m an astronaut.”
Betances wasn’t happy hearing those remarks, although he kept his cool and insisted the incident was behind him.
“All I’m thinking about is helping us win,” Betances said. “I decided no matter what happened (during arbitration), it was my responsibility not to let it affect the way I pitch.”
Betances’ measured response only served to boost his standing among teammates. Not that he wasn’t already popular, but the Yankees saw Betances as no less a steadying influence than Mariano Rivera once was.
Betances obviously has years to go before his successes can compare with the legendary closer’s, but he’s already carving out a reputation as a stand-up guy who reaches across the aisle — a communicator to both the Spanish and English speakers in the clubhouse.
‘A dream come true’
It is a source of pride for Betances, his Dominican-born parents Jaime and María, his two older brothers and younger sister.
“It’s a dream come true, because my mother and father supported me from the very beginning. They knew how much I wanted to be a major leaguer,” Betances said. “The fact that I’m playing for the Yankees, especially growing up here (in New York), means a lot.”
And whether Betances wants to admit it or not, he’s one of the reasons the clubhouse is looser than in past years. He modestly says, “It’s because we’re younger,” although it doesn’t hurt that one of the Bombers’ most successful Spanish speakers is a goodwill ambassador in every quadrant.
Maybe it’s because Betances has had experience as a go-between in his earlier years in the Yankees’ farm system. That’s where his combined Dominican-New York City roots came in handy.
“In the minors, most of the players came from the Dominican, probably about 75 percent of them, and a lot them couldn’t speak English,” Betances said. “So, I was the one who helped them, even in the little things like ordering food in restaurants. I took that seriously. I still feel that’s part of my responsibility.”
Even though he’s a Dominican at heart?
Betances’ smile was as wide as that big, sweeping curveball of his.
“Yes, I’ll always consider myself a Dominican at heart,” he said. “That’s me.”
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