History of Latin American Baseball
America's pastime of baseball has been Latin America's pastime since the late 1800s as well. Whether it was Latino youth studying in the United States and bringing a bat and mitt back home or sugar plant workers taking precious breaks to play ball, Latinos' love affair is rich in history and adversity. Professional teams have existed in Latin America as early the 1860s in Cuba. In the 20th century, leagues were formed in other Latin American countries, and Major League Baseball in the U.S. took interest by creating farm systems to find the next great Latin American baseball star.
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Cuba and the 1800s
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Cuba had a large number of youths who attended school in the U.S. in the mid-1800s. This cross-cultural experience brought baseball to the Cuban island. The Guillo brothers were a product of this system and created the first Cuban baseball team, the Habana Baseball Club, in 1868. When the Spanish governing leader banned the sport in Cuba in 1869, player Esteban Bellan left the island and played for the Troy Haymakers in New York, circa 1871. This move made Bellan the first Latin American in the United States in be in the majors.
Cuban League
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Professional leagues in Cuba date back as long ago as the majors in the U.S.; the first official game was played in Cuba on December 27, 1874. In the early 1900s, a series of games between the Cuban league and the Negro leagues in America begin, resulting in Cuban players coming to America to play professionally. With the Cuban revolution and Fidel Castro taking power in the late 1950s, the last Cuban Professional League Championship was played in 1961. Since then, Cuba has participated in the Baseball World Cup and the Olympics.
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Dominican Republic
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The Cuban influence was already showing in the 1890s on the Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic. Sugar plants were built and the game of baseball came along in the late 1890s. The Zafra (harvest of the sugar) men took breaks during their backbreaking long hours and played baseball. One town, San Pedro de Macoris, known for its sugar plants, has churned out many Major League stars since the 1950s. Players such as Sammy Sosa, Robinson Cano and Julio Franco all came from the small town that has had 79 players make it to the professionals in the United States. Scouts and professional teams have created farm systems and baseball school in the Dominican Republic as well.
Venezuela and the Latin American Winter Leagues
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Professional leagues arose in Venezuela right after World War II. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League was formed soon after and has risen to be part of the four major winter leagues in Latin America. The other leagues include the Dominican Winter League, Mexican Pacific League and the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, all representing the best in Latin America. The Caribbean Series, which is a tournament that invites the top champions from the major Latin American winter leagues, was created by Venezuelan Pablo Morales in 1946.
Modern Times
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Cuba still dominates at the Baseball World Cup and Olympics, finishing up either at the top spot or second year after year. Cuban players are still the most sought after and highly regarded as best of all professional leagues. Latin America, namely the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico, have their own professional league teams and farming systems connected to Major League Baseball. In the Major League, it is estimated that about 28 percent of professionals are of Latin descent or from a Latin American country.
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References
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- Photo Credit baseball image by Richard Kane from Fotolia.com
