While Garry Sheffield’s assertions of Latino ballplayers as pushovers has recently been rebuffed time and time… and time again, it seems that the on-the -field aggression may have to do with some back room shenanigans. In particular, Dominican Esmailyn Gonzalez, formerly of the Washington Nationals. Back in ‘06, Gonzales was trotted out to the press to gawk at, along with piece of information that was meant to serve notice to all the Latin ballplayers that D.C. was where it’s at—that he was going to be making a $1.6 million signing bonus. But it seems that on the way from the team’s bank account to the player’s, some might have ended up in the pockets of the Nat’s GM Jim Bowden and his special assistant Jose Rijo. Well, the Feds are now looking into the matter and investigating all the teams for corruption that they seemed pick up from the business owners who skim salaries from paroled ex-cons.

With some variation, the mechanism by which team representatives can skim is simple: The team official overvalues the player and asks for money back from the player and his family… [then] teams sent the bonus money in the form of a check to MLB headquarters in the Dominican Republic. A team official and a parent or guardian accompanied the player to the offices where they received the check. Most players, according to those entrenched in Dominican baseball, typically head straight for the bank to cash the check. Once the check is cashed, the handouts begin.

Too bad the fist-outs come only after they get to the big leagues, and against the player’s teammates. Apparently, there needs to be some more front office beat downs being administered, as well.

Nationals’ signing of Gonzalez is focus of FBI, MLB investigation [SI.com]
Image [SI.com]