WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania (Sept. 26) – PONY Baseball and Softball is proud to announce the election of Gustavo Santiago as the new President of Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico, PONY’s affiliate in the Caribbean Zone nation. Santiago was elected, as well as an entire new board of directors, two weekends ago at the organization’s headquarters in Caguas.
Santiago joined Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico in 1987 and became a member of the Board of Directors in 1994. He started as the Director of the Palomino age group before becoming the Director of all age groups. He then was nominated Treasurer, and before being elected President, he was the General Director.
“PONY is honored to continue to have a great relationship with the leaders at Boy's Baseball of Puerto Rico, including Gustavo Santiago,” said PONY Baseball and Softball CEO and President, Abraham Key. “For 55 years, Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico has continued to be a leader in the Caribbean Zone.”
Santiago has three main goals and objectives as he begins his time as President, and they are to increase participation in all of the age categories, to continue its long-standing relationship with PONY and to continue to send their Caribbean Zone championship teams to the United States to participate in World Series events. Puerto Rico currently holds 35 PONY World Series championship titles: Mustang (five), Bronco (11), Pony-13 (two), Pony (seven), Colt (seven) and Palomino (three).
“I want to continue to develop the organization,” said Santiago. “I want to improve the conditions, financial conditions and organization of Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico. I am hoping with a new board of directors that were elected, we will be able to do that.”
Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico has a storied history of sending PONY graduates to the Major Leagues, most recently, 2015 American League Rookie of the Year and shortstop of the Houston Astros, Carlos Correa and 2016 All-Star and shortstop of the Cleveland Indians Francisco Lindor. Santiago said he wants to continue to make PONY as elated as his organization is of its former players’ success.
“Since they (Correa and Lindor) were five and until they were 14 years old, they played with Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico, and they have been very successful. So we feel very proud of them,” said Santiago. “I like [PONY’s] high standards of competitiveness. Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico has been affiliated with PONY for so many years, so we like the degree of competitiveness. Abe Key said two weeks ago that Boy’s Baseball of Puerto Rico has been an icon for PONY and we want to keep that kind of relationship."
A special thank you to Myriam Burgos for serving as translator for this article.