Should it be called Santo Domingo Baseball Park? Or just Caledonia Park?

Well, a growing  numbers of people in Toronto who play  baseball and  take part in other community activities in Caledonia Park, want to rename it ” Santo Domingo Baseball Park.”

Community  activist  Luis Feliz Cambumbo who hails from the Dominican Republic and  like so many  of his countrymen, is an avid baseball fan,  is pushing  for the  name change.

Feliz  told the Caribbean Camera that  he has already spoken to Toronto Mayor John  Tory about ” the new name for the old park.”

As he  explained, Caledonia Park  is already the  “unofficial baseball home” of that community around the park where one can see the sport being played  by people  of all ages.

Feliz recalled that when he came to Canada in 1990, there were only a few hundred people from the Dominican Republic in Toronto and his native country “was not well known by many fellow Torontonians.

“Today, thousands of us have made Toronto our home and our country is now better known because of our outstanding baseball players.”

He  said  that  so far he  has not  met  anyone  opposed to the name change

Now a committee  is being organized to  make  a  formal application to  (Toronto ) City Council  for the renaming of  the park.

Feliz, Jose Cid, Aurelio Bonilla and Rey Perez Nani are the key leaders of the Park Renaming Committee  who volunteer their time and resources with many other Dominicans in developing baseball in Toronto.

Feliz noted that the committee has been having discussions with Ken Jeffers, a retired Manager with Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, about the name change.

He said that  the Toronto Blue Jays and their farm teams have always had a “significant amount “ of Dominican players who have “demonstrated great affection and love for the city of Toronto.

” And since there are no monuments at this time that recognize the proud contributions that the Dominican community has made to the city, this recognition – the  name change – would be greatly appreciated.”

Commenting   on  the proposed  name change, Alfredo Griffin, a former  Blue Jays player,  said that  it  was  “a good idea.”

Speaking on his cell phone from the Dominican  Republic, Griffin , now a coach with the Los Angeles Angels, told  the  Caribbean Camera  that he is looking forward to visiting the Park when the new name becomes official

The  Park Renaming Committee is calling for the support  and endorsement of all sectors of the community, private and public, and the Blue Jays for the name change.