Verbal attacks and unruly behavior have contributed to a shortage of officials, who are deciding it’s just not worth it.

In his first comments to an English-language publication since the June 9 shooting, Ortiz recounts the shooting that left him near death, his harrowing ride to a clinic, and weeks of arduous recovery punctuated by life-threatening setbacks.

A decade after scandals surfaced involving abuses in the MLB talent feeder system in the Dominican Republic, improvements have come slowly. Young prospects continue to be exposed to improprieties, including a dangerous health risk, in an effort to make themselves appealing to scouts, according to a Globe review.