Dashenko Ricardo debuts with Durham Bulls

It has been a while when you could read the news of Dashenko Ricardo’s contract being picked up by the Tampa Bay Rays. But finally, the Curaçaoan backstop made a comeback in organized baseball.

In the first game of a doubleheader, Ricardo was positioned behind home plate. On his own, Ricardo was responsible for a quarter of the Bulls’ run production.
In his first at-bat, he grounded into a forceout at second base but in the next two at-bats, he made his presence felt. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with runners in scoring position, Dashenko smacked a three-run shot to left center field.

One inning later, he got on base on a line drive single to right field and touched home plate when Andrew Velasquez homered to left center field.

In the remainder of the seven-inning game, which is a common practice in the minors with doubleheaders, Dashenko didn’t get another at-bat.

After Dashenko was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014, he moved to the Netherlands where he played two seasons for Corendon Kinheim and one for Curaçao Neptunus. He is one of the most complete ballplayers that has ever played in the Dutch hoofdklasse. He is athletic, has speed, has a good arm and handles a good bat.

After three seasons in the Dutch hoofdklasse, Dashenko moved to back to the US where he joined his fellow teammates of team Kingdom of the Netherlands Curt Smith and Randolph Oduber with the Lincoln Salt Dogs of the independent American Association.