photos courtesy of MLB

The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star game was a thriller with unsung Puerto Rico hero Elias Diaz from the Colorado Rookies belting his way to nab MVP honors. Down by one run in the 8th inning, Diaz slapped a two-run bomb to give the National League the win.

Like many professional sport organizations, over the years has been a push to internationalize the game. Baseball in particular has seen the fruits of their labor pay-off. Known as “America’s sport”, throughout the last thirty years there has been a decline in African-American players. However there is a lot beneath what most see or understand of various programs being implemented to increase the numbers, so stay tuned. A stark improvement has been seen in players from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Historians will ponder the rise in numbers but some who truly understand the social impact of baseball will attribute the success from the legacy of the Negro Leagues. During the Jim Crow era the Negro Leagues were known to play regularly in the countries mentioned. Their style was embraced and left a lasting imprint while making the game entertaining. You can see the result TODAY by watching players from the various countries – the flashiness, the athleticism and other traits are often confused and labeled “show-offs” by those who only understand the American brand of the game. On this years squad a whooping 42% of players are represented having Black/Latin heritage. Here is a breakdown of countries represented (it does not represent greats such as Nolan Arenado and J. D. Martinez who were both born in the United States but parents immigrated from Cuba).

The Negro League Museum does a great job in showcasing the players who barnstormed across the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Their play was revered by the locals and for many countries baseball became the national sport.