[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bKa8_UjMMA&w=550&h=413]
By Jon Weisman
It’s their own kind of global boy band. Five international prospects — all 18 and under — have been signed by the Dodgers, the team announced today.
Two come from Curacao, with one each from the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
The Dodgers signed a pair of 16-year-olds from Willemstad, Curacao, in outfielder Shakir Albert (signing scouts: Rolando Chirino, Camilo Pascual, Engle) and catcher Hendrik Clementina (Chirino, Patrick Guerrero, Engle). Los Angeles also signed 16-year-old outfielder Julio Lugo of Bani, Dominican Republic (Guerrero, Franklin Taveras, Engle), 17-year-old catcher Gersel Pitre from Vargas, Venezuela (Pedro Avila, Guerrero) and 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Misja Harcksen from Rotterdam, Netherlands (Engle, Eugene Grimaldi).
During the 2013 calendar year, the Dodgers signed 47 international amateur prospects, including 23 from the Dominican Republic, 10 from Venezuela, four from Mexico, two from Colombia, two from Curacao, and one each from Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and Panama.
Harcksen can be seen in the YouTube footage above. More on him here.
