Editor's note: This story was originally published on July 25, 2017. We're bringing it back with the news of Adrian Beltre retiring. Felipe Alou, a trailblazer for baseball players out of the Dominican Republic, knew about Adrian Beltre before anyone else in the game."I have a soft spot for Adrian, because I used to hold him," Alou said.Alou became friends with Beltre's father, known as "El Negrito" because he was an exceedingly handsome and dark-skinned man, through their shared interest in fighting roosters.