Two weeks ago, former Major League pitcher Nelson Figueroa was on the mound here at Estadio Cibao for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican League championship series, pitching the club to a title and earning most valuable player honors. If not for a cutoff date when players must be playing in the Dominican League in order to be eligible for play for the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series, Figueroa might still have been on the mound for Aguilas.

Because Figueroa only spent the postseason with Aguilas, not the regular season, he wasn't eligible for the Dominican team. Yet as things turned out, here he was on the mound again, facing Licey, only in a different uniform.

Figueroa spent January in Santiago as a reinforcement selection for Aguilas, which plucked him from Hermosillo of the Mexican Pacific League after he made three starts and two relief appearances there. Once he arrived in the Dominican, his season took off.

After winning both of his starts for Aguilas in the round-robin semifinals, fanning 19 batters over 14 innings, the 33-year-old earned a spot in the rotation for the best-of-nine finals against Licey. All he did from there was dominate the Tigres, winning both of his starts while scattering four earned runs over 17 innings.

It could've easily been awkward for Figueroa to return with a different country. However, the New York-born product of Puerto Rican heritage who attended Brandeis University has played enough winter ball in enough different countries to know it's nothing personal.

"I was working really hard," Figueroa said after Sunday's 2-1 Yaquis loss to Licey, "because I appreciate the opportunity Mexico has given me. And two years ago, they give me a chance when nobody wanted me."

In the end, it was better than he could've expected. The home fans got what they wanted with a Dominican victory, but it wasn't at the expense of the Aguilas hero. And after pitching 9 1/3 innings of one-run ball before finally departing with one out in the 10th, he received a standing ovation from just about the entire stadium crowd.

"I appreciate the love Santiago fans have shown me," Figueroa said. "They still remember what I did."

The way he held Licey in check again Sunday, it was hard to forget. Unless he pitches in relief over the final four games of the tournament, which is an unlikely possibility, he'll finish out his winter unbeaten on this island, 4-0 in five starts in the Dominican.

The training never ends: For players, the closeness between the Caribbean Series and the start of Spring Training for the Major Leagues is a conflict to avoid. For Chris Macdonald, however, it's something he has learned to embrace.

When baseball season comes around in the United States, Macdonald works as the head athletic trainer for the Detroit Tigers' Double-A affiliate in Erie, Pa., helping keep Tigers prospects in good health. With the offseason, however, starts his other season.

For the fourth consecutive year, Macdonald is working as a trainer in the Dominican League. With Licey's trip to the Caribbean Series, Macdonald's winter ball season is going long. With Spring Training starting up next week, his season with the Tigres is going to run into his season with the Tigers.

The Caribbean Series runs through at least next Thursday. As soon as that's over, he has to fly to Lakeland, Fla., in time to help the Tigers staff unload the equipment truck from Detroit on Saturday. From there, it's back to his stateside duties.

Combine the two, and it essentially means a string of 11 months' work without a vacation. To Macdonald, though, he wouldn't think of giving it up. He first came to the Dominican four years ago to work with Escogido, then managed by former Detroit Tigers coach Juan Samuel, and he has gained high regard for his work ever since.

"These people are great," Macdonald said. "They treat me as well as anybody down here."

It's still kind of Super down here: The Caribbean Series overshadows all other sports here at this point, including the Super Bowl. However, that doesn't mean the players aren't interested in American football. After the Yaquis' extra-inning loss to Licey in the first game, many of the players huddled around the one television set in the clubhouse, which was tuned to the Giants and Patriots.