Latin America guide


Love at First Strike-baseball in Latin America

Baseball in the United States dates back tothe  World  Series.
the 1840s, but many other countries picked up
and played the sport soon after. In Cuba,Baseball season in Latin America stretches
students who enrolled in the United Statesfrom October to January. The winners of the
educational system returned home to thefour national leagues meet in February to
island nation with a bat and a ball. Theplay the Caribbean Series. Mexican players
popularity of the game in Cuba was so high asparticipate in a summer minor league that has
to be considered part of the identity duringconnections with the U.S. Minor League
the war for independence during the lateBaseball governing body. Mexico has been
1800s.given Triple A status. There are also
Dominican Republic and Venezuelan summer
The Spaniards assumed that the baseballrookie leagues that are affiliated with Minor
practice and teams were just a cover-up forLeague  Baseball.
the preparation to go to war. Throughout the
Caribbean region, Cuban players spread theirAlthough professional baseball existed in
newfound knowledge which increased theCuba from 1878 until 1961, it was abolished
popularity of the game. It was two Cubanby the Cuban government at the professional
brothers who carried the game to thelevel. The Cuban national team now dominates
Dominican Republic and Cubans in the countrythe world amateur competitions, winning gold
of Venezuela along with Venezuelan nationalsmedals at Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in
who had matriculated in the U.S. brought the1996.
sport to Venezuela, beginning in 1895 and to
the  island  of  Puerto  Rico  in  1897.About 30 percent of the major league players
in baseball today are connected to Latin
In Mexico, it was also Cubans who had fledAmerica in some fashion. Either they are from
from the island during its struggles forLatin America or are descendants of Latin
independence that brought baseball to Mexico.Americans who grew up in the U.S. In the
The Cubans in Mexico were assisted by U.S.general population, only eleven percent of
merchant marines and railroad workers.the people are from Latin America. Latino
Various regions of Mexico were converted tobaseball players overwhelmingly are foreign
the sport during the years from 1877 to 1899.born and claim Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama,
In terms of popularity, the sport of baseballVenezuela and the Dominican Republic as a
is number one in Cuba, Dominican Republic andbirthplace.
Venezuela with a strong showing in Puerto
Rico.Unfortunately, some of the major teams have
gained a reputation for an almost sweatshop
Mexico still places football as the dominantapproach to baseball academies in the Latin
sport. In Central America, baseball is alsoAmerican region. Young boys with talent are
very popular. In the United States, playerssigned and sent to these training regimens
from Latin America and Puerto Rico havewhere life is harsh in the hopes of winning a
become a growing force in major leaguecontract with one of the major clubs. Many of
baseball. There are professional leaguesthese players travel to Latin America to play
organized in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexicothe winter league baseball games in the Latin
and  the  Dominican  Republic.American  leagues.
As in the rest of the world, footballThe countries in the Caribbean basin that are
(soccer) is unquestionably the most popularbaseball enthusiasts send national teams with
sport in Latin America. Yet, it is also truechampionship titles to participate in the
that in much of the Caribbean basin, baseballCaribbean World Series each year since 1949.
is the number one sport. In fact, where U.S.For players of Latin American descent, the
imperial power spread throughout the world,opportunity to play in Major League Baseball
and in Latin America specifically, theis high success and tremendous financial
influence of baseball was the strongest.gain.
During a military occupation, many countries
were  introduced  to  American  baseball.Beginning in 2006, the World Baseball Classic
between the United States, Puerto Rico,
It has been said that if Fidel Castro hadJapan, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic
been a better baseball player, the history ofand Venezuela, was held. Nicaragua did not
the Cold War might have played out veryattend, but Cuba did send a team. The
differently. Castro is an avid fan and oncetournament was won by Japan, which was a
played the game. The reverse is also true:tremendous surprise to many if not most of
Orlando Hernandez "El Duque" left Cuba inthe observers.
2000 and played for the New York Yankees in



1 A B C D 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109