Spanish
SANTO DOMINGO. – Dominican umpire Félix Neón will make history this weekend by becoming the country's most recent representative to debut in Major League Baseball.
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Neon will premiere this Friday in the city of Boston, during the match between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers, to be held at the emblematic Fenway Park. The president of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League, Vitelio Mejía Ortiz, valued the achievement as a source of pride for Dominican baseball. "Félix Neón is an example of discipline and perseverance. His arrival in the Major Leagues confirms the quality of the umpiring development in our country," expressed Mejía Ortiz. Neon is a product of the LIDOM training system, after his time at the Baseball Umpire Development Academy (ADAB) and his experience in the Dominican Summer League. In 2019 he participated in an MLB camp in Myrtle Beach and, a year later, entered the Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach, Florida. Although his debut in minor leagues was scheduled for 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its start. Finally, in 2021 he began his professional career in Class A Short Season, progressively ascending thanks to his performance to higher levels of the system. Born in Barahona and 29 years old, Neón has been part of the LIDOM arbitration team since 2018, establishing himself as one of the main Dominican talents in this area. With his debut, he joins Ramón Ferrer as the Dominican umpires who have reached the highest level of professional baseball.
