clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Tigers Outfielder Andy Dirks Is A Fan Favorite In The Dominican

Detroit fans know him as a promising youngster with an abnormally-large neck, but Detroit outfielder Andy Dirks is currently viewed through a vastly different lens by baseball fans in the Dominican Republic. After collecting a pair of game-winning hits during his Leones del Escogido team's eventual path to the Caribbean Series Championship earlier this week, Dirks' transition to "Ondy-der", a clutch-hitting, fun-loving speedster, became complete.

↵

Mobbed by fans for autographs and pictures like you'd expect to see with a famous pop star, Dirks has quite literally become a cult hero in a country where baseball players are often seen as larger than life individuals. Despite the language barrier, his humble nature and obvious team attitude has endeared him to locals.

↵
↵

"Andy Dirks could run for president right now," said Gary Ruby, pitching coach for Leones del Escogido.

↵
↵

By the time Dirks is back in a Tigers' uniform, he will not only be fresh from having a bevy of winter baseball under his belt, but he'll have more confidence and more fan support than he ever could have imagined.