Pittsburgh Pirates

Steroids are a dark mark on the legacy of baseball.  By no means is baseball the only sport that has been infected with the disease of performance enhancing drugs.   Sprinters have tested positive long before any baseball players were even thought to have been using steroids.  Professional football locker rooms have been infected with all manner of performance enhancing drugs since the late 1970’s.  What hurt baseball more was the way that steroids were brought to light, and how players continue to be exposed as performance enhancing drug users.  Baseball in the mid nineties seemed to be forgotten.  After a long and painful labor dispute a large portion of baseball’s fan base were turned off.  Attendance and television ratings were way down and it appeared that baseball might fall to the level of NHL hockey.  Yet, there is something that brought fans back in large numbers.  The home run.  The most exciting play in baseball.  Nothing is more exciting than seeing a hitter crush a long fly ball which screams over the outfield fence.  During the late 1990’s the home run was back, and the fans were watching.   Legendary home run records were being broken, and the ultimate home run mark, of 715 held by Hank Aaron and once by Ruth, was being approached and challenged.  The problem is that baseball came back and is now once again popular due to performance enhancing drugs.  Baseball, in a way, owes the illegal narcotic for its success.One of the problems with baseball’s spoiled blood bargain with steroids is that they are sending mixed signals to all those training to be a future ball players.  Baseball has been forced to support anti-steroid campaigns, but it still has a culture of encouraging upcoming players to gain a pharmaceutical edge.  Future prospects are faced with a tough decision of gaining an edge through steroids or watching teammates who are using outperform them on the field.  The decision is still being placed on prospects and high school athletes because baseball refuses to draw a hard line in the sand banning illegal and harmful performance enhancing drugs.  The current policy of three strikes and your out is laughable at best.  There are hardly any long term repercussions if a player is found using. What baseball needs to do is to support healthy supplements.  There are supplements on the market that will help a player to add muscle mass, and improve their physical conditioning.  Creatine is an excellent example.  Creatine hasn’t been proven to have any long term medical side effects.  Creatine is a substance that is naturally produced in your body.  It is also not a steroid.  Creatine just helps players to lift weights more often, without suffering such drastic lactic acid build up in their muscles which causes soreness.  Many people are reluctant to take any supplements fearing that the supplement will become banned and they will be retroactively guilty.  If baseball would come out and support the healthy training drugs, like Creatine, and ensure people that they won’t be punished for searching for a legal performance edge; then it would lessen the pressure that players feel to either take no supplements at all, or go all the way to using illegal performance enhancing drugs.  Competitive people play baseball, and they are looking for an edge.  They shouldn’t fell afraid to use legal supplements to train.  If baseball wants to get the steroids out of the game, then they need to help young players know just what they can take to get an edge.

Fans put their very best efforts in to finding the greatest assortment of baseball products that they can add to their collections. Some of the searching techniques for these baseball products might take them and several of their friends on baseball products shopping trips to every baseball team location throughout the United States.
Some of these fans might go a little overboard in their baseball memorabilia collecting efforts. They start by buying the small things like baseball caps, and baseball gloves, and before you know it they want to try to collect every bumper sticker from every baseball team that they can put their hands on.
Their need to show their team spirit might get a little out of hand at times, but when they go on these baseball products shopping trips they all get a little excited. They are inspired by the baseball products that they see on websites throughout the Internet, that promote what they say is the largest collection of baseball products memorabilia in the entire United States.
Some of the baseball products that they find through these web portals are meant to help new players with their pitching speeds, and fans get truly inspired by this, because they at least want to get their speed to 103. Some of these dedicated fans will really enjoy the opportunity to own digital imagine binoculars that would bring all game they see up close, and very personal.
Other fans go on baseball products shopping trips to help improve their swing, and end up buying quality baseball products that bounce, spin, and zing across the playing fields. These consistent and very durable products are made of full grain cow leather hide, and nobody is really ever sure about what the baseball manufacturers put inside of them.
By the time these fans return back home from their baseball products shopping trips, their automobiles will be heavy weighted with all sorts of baseball memorabilia products that they noticed on all sides of the street. The shops with the colorful banners and watches, kept their attentions for quite a while as they talked to their respected manufacturers in lengthy detail.
There were fans that took advantage of the time on the road, to spend the downtime reading about skill tips, and strategy ideas that major league baseball coaches followed throughout the season. The time on the baseball shopping trips was never wasted because all of the baseball gear that was collected was bought to help players and kids learn all about baseball.
These baseball fans are devoted to spreading the word about baseball. While on their baseball products shopping trips, they make it a point to stop by every retail location they can, to search the aisles carefully for baseball products that can motivate the future players of their favorite sport. There are many things out there for them to choose from too, so they know that the kids in their fair cities will be running the bases and hitting homeruns every Summer starting in June.

The Vancouver Capilanos (taking their name after a former Western International League team) are a new men’s junior baseball team playing out of Hillcrest Park in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In conjunction with Vancouver Community Baseball, The Vancouver Capilanos will be the newest team to enter the 2010 Mens Junior League. The age range is 19 to 24 and the schedule is  one game a week with home games at Hillcrest park. A mid week practise will be held weekly. Travel is solely in the Lower Mainland. All games scheduled are weekends with the Capilanos home games most likely on Sunday afternoons. Cost to play will be $250.00 for a 12 to 15 game schedule plus play offs. This is a wooden bat league.

The completion is above average and we will carry 12 to 18 players. Tryouts will commence in the spring and the games will begin mid April. Please contact Hank Gourlay if you have serious interest. Players should either have played AAA Midget baseball or Premier League.

To learn more about the Vancouver Capilanos or if you are interested in trying out for this team, please click here to visit the team’s official website.

The British Columbia Minor Baseball Association was organized in the fall of 1963 at a meeting in New Westminster, British Columbia. Ninety interested baseball enthusiasts were present at this first meeting. The new organization grew out of a desire to develop a provincial association that could determine its own policies and affiliation guidelines to deal with local interests and concerns. The Vancouver Capilanos are proud to be playing in a league with such longstanding history.

So your child plays baseball and you want him or her to have the best baseball gear like youth baseball bats. Of course you need to make sure that he or she has the appropriate baseball equipment so they can play at their best. Since the primary equipment that your child should have is a baseball bat, it is important to choose the right one. When choosing youth baseball bats, it is essential to consider the length, weight, width and league requirements. These factors are the key to choosing the perfect baseball bat that will fit your child’s playing ability. Though there are a whole lot of choices in the market, today, finding the right one can be very beneficial.It is recommended to choose baseball bats that are the lightest for their length but you also need to make sure that this is not an issue with the league your child is playing in. Some leagues require that this should not be more than minus 10. For example, if the bat is 29 inches in length it cannot weigh less than 19 ounces. Choosing the right weight to length will make sure that your child gets maximum swing speed. However, light youth baseball bats cost more than heavier baseball bats that are often made from thicker and cheaper-grade aluminum or wood. While wood baseball bats are available and are also inexpensive, aluminum or cutting-edge alloy youth baseball bats are a better choice because of their lighter weight and they are a lot less likely to crack.Another factor that should be considered is the length. It is important to understand that the longer the bat, the more plate coverage your child will have. However, longer bats are usually heavier. It is important that when choosing the right length to make sure that your child can reach the outside of the plate. If they crowd the plate too much they have a higher chance of getting hit with the pitch. This can cause them to be scared of the ball and start backing out before the pitch reaches the plate. Aside from the length, another thing that needs to be considered is the youth baseball bats barrel size. Baseball is a game of inches. The bigger the barrel the better. Bigger barrels allow your child to get more bat on the ball. Note that most youth baseball leagues require that the bat should be no more than 2 and 5/8 inches in diameter.Choosing youth baseball bats can be a hard job and if you don’t know what you are looking for, you might not choose the best youth baseball bat for your child. Shopping can be a real headache because you usually cannot try out the bat before you buy it. Most sporting goods stores will not have batting cages inside of them. It’s a good thing to have your child try another child’s bat out to find the right length to weight ratio before you buy if possible.For you to have the right picture of what youth baseball bats are right for your child, you can look for professional help online by simply browsing the internet for detailed information on the bat you are thinking about purchasing.

The information you’re about to read about is not available anywhere else in the world. No one has ever combined baseball skills with martial arts training and developed a “system” integrating the two disciplines. Feel free to search the world via the internet trying to find this combination. You won’t find anything because it’s never been done before. I started playing baseball at age 8. As a talented player in my teens and twenties I played on traveling baseball all-star teams while also competing in, and winning, martial arts tournaments. During this time I developed a unique and innovative “system” that integrated my martial arts skills INTO my baseball skills. The results were amazing!I’m now 59 years of age and I still play over 80 games per year on an elite traveling senior softball team in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. All players are over 50 years old. I have worked on perfecting this unique “system” for over 40 years and it’s still very effective. I’m going to give you a glimpse into these “secret” techniques to help you improve your baseball hitting. You will be required to “think outside the box” with these techniques, but they have been proven to work. Let’s try a simple technique… Pick up your bat right now and get into your normal batting stance. Take a few swings using the normal physical movements you are used to. Take mental note of your body position in your stance. Now before you swing again consciously rotate your hips just 2 inches backwards, away from the pitcher. Think about this 2 inches in your mind as you’re in your stance. Feel these 2 inches. Now take your normal swing with this extra 2 inches of hip rotation. You will be able to “feel” the difference in your swing. This simple 2 inch change in your hip rotation has just added much more force to your normal hitting power. Your swing will feel much more “free.” This small 2 inch hip turn “frees” up your swing and adds more power when you make ball contact. It will take some time to adjust to this change and you must remember to consciously think about it each time you step to the plate. But once you become comfortable with this simple technique and it’s timing you will see a dramatic improvement in the power you generate with the bat. I guarantee it.In Okinawa Shorei-Ryu martial arts all power punches are thrown beginning at the hips. The fist starts next to the hip, and just before the point of contact the hip is turned in perfect timing with the fist. This hip turn generates tremendous force through the arm, out the fist, and into the target. The more the hip is turned, the more power the punch generates. I learned to apply this force generated with the martial arts hip turn into my baseball hitting and the results were amazing after just a short time of practice. If you take the time to practice this you will see a marked difference in the power you generate with the bat in a short period of time. Let’s take a look at another mental technique that can help you improve your hitting power…Okinawa Shorei-Ryu teaches us how to mentally “draw” power up from the ground and utilize it physically. When we throw a punch we mentally imagine our feet are rooted to the ground like a tree. We mentally “see in our mind” the roots attached to our feet anchored deep into the ground below us. This mental technique gives us what we call “ground power.” A punch thrown utilizing this mental technique increases the actual force generated physically. We mentally draw massive power from the ground and this generates more physical force into our strikes. It can also generate more force into a baseball bat. When in your batting stance mentally picture that your back foot (your push-off foot) has imaginary tree limbs attached to it and they are rooted deep into the ground. These tree roots are attached to the bottom of your foot. Think about how solid this “push-off” foot anchors your stance with these roots buried deep into the ground. Now when you begin your bat swing picture in your mind the massive power you are drawing up from the ground through these roots. This power is coming out of the ground, into your body, up through your arms and hands, and out into the bat. Picture it vividly in your mind. Work with the timing of your physical swing as you hold this picture in your mind. Practice it over and over. Once you get the physical timing tuned with the mental picture it will produce results for you. This technique takes practice to learn. Any new skill, mental or physical, takes practice. But the benefits it produces are well worth the time spent to utilize it. This technique has been practiced by martial artists for centuries and has been proven to work. And it will produce results when hitting a baseball. The next technique is simple, and can be learned in about 5 seconds. It is powerful and can be used immediately…Okinawa Shorei-Ryu martial artists improve their balance by learning to “grab the ground with their toes” prior to making a move. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? But I’ll prove to you that it works.Stand in your normal batting stance again. Your weight should be evenly distributed between the balls of your feet and your heels. Most players never actually think about how this weight distribution affects their balance. But without good balance you cannot generate any true power. Now simply curl your toes downward and mentally and physically “grab the ground” below you with your toes. This is a very simple technique but when you curl your toes downward you will instantly “feel” more balanced and powerful. It’s a subtle feeling, but it’s there and you can feel it. Try it. Don’t strain to “grab” the ground, just do it easily. You’ll feel the increase in balance immediately. And when you swing the bat with this simple technique you are swinging with more balance in your stance.This is a technique that you can use immediately to add power to your hitting. Practice it.I’d like to talk about the importance of relaxation when in the batter’s box. Being able to relax until just the “right time” will improve your hitting with this next technique. Most batters are tense and rigid when standing in the batter’s box. The pressure is on to get a hit. But when you’re tense and rigid you cannot “transfer” and “release” your true power into the bat. When you swing and hit the ball in this state your power is “locked” inside you. You cannot “release” it properly with it’s full force. Muscular tension before your swing acts as a brake to powerful hitting. When a martial artist is fighting an opponent he learns to stay relaxed during the confrontation. By staying relaxed his physical movements are free and flowing and controlled. He has speed and quickness in a relaxed state. Muscular tension slows down all physical movements and restricts quickness and speed. But when he strikes he tenses all muscles in his body and delivers the blow with a “focused burst” of his total energy into the target upon contact. This relaxed state works extremely well when hitting a baseball also. While in your batting stance you should be totally relaxed, not tense and rigid. When the pitcher winds up and delivers the pitch and you decide to commit to swing at it you instantly tense all muscles and mentally “shoot” your energy out of the bat and into the ball at the point of impact. You mentally and physically “explode” all of your “focused energy” into the bat. By being relaxed before this point you are allowing all your power to “flow” into the bat in this “focused burst” of intense energy. By not being tense and rigid before this point you don’t “lock” your power inside you. When you’re relaxed up to this “explosive burst” you “release” all your power at the precise time of it’s total intensity. Your true power is transferred into the ball through the bat and a focused concentration of energy and power is produced.This may sound complicated to you at this point, but with dedicated practice it becomes very easy to master this technique. It’s a matter of timing the tension of the muscles with the exhalation of your breath at the precise moment you touch the ball with your bat. And once you become proficient at it you will quickly move up several levels in your hitting skills. For the first time in your life you begin to think of relaxing at the plate and “explosive bursts,” and “releasing” your power, and “focused energy.” You’re no longer tense and rigid with your power “locked” inside you. Once you’re exposed to this new way of thinking it grows on you. It stays in your mind. You begin thinking of it more and more and you begin to improve your skills. You see it’s true power. To end this sample of my “secret system” I would like to ask you a question. How good do you want to be, and how far are you willing to go to be the best you can be? When I was young I was not the best player on my teams. But I became one of the best on just about every team I ever played on. And I did this by outworking the more talented players. In my free time after school and baseball practice I decided to “practice on my own time.” I would go into the garage at our house and simply swing my bat 200 times each night by myself. I did this 7 days a week It only took 20-30 minutes. In one week I had swung my bat at least 1,400 times. In one month I had swung my bat over 5,600 times more than the rest of the players on my team. My hitting improved dramatically. Doing this can make a huge difference in your hitting? Practicing “on your own time” will make a huge difference in your skill level. Are you one of the few willing to put in this extra work? Most players won’t do this. But if you want to move up to the next level and you commit to doing this you will reap tremendous rewards. I guarantee it!

One of the most crucial aspects of improving your overall performance if you’re a baseball player is core strength training. Advanced core strength techniques will help you improve your overall balance, as well as reduce the chances of getting an injury while swinging, pitching, and throwing. These advanced core strength training tips can help you to become a great power hitter and help you to stay healthy and have a long lasting career.

Advanced core strength work outs are also beneficial for improving a person’s throwing or pitching ability. Strengthening your core isn’t just about being a power hitter, but about achieving an overall balance and improvement in all of the skills you use on the field. All of the skills and muscle movements involved in the game of baseball start in your midsection, which is your core. If you don’t have flexibility and strength in your abdominal muscles, your performance will be poor, and you may end up riding the bench.

The core consists of all the muscles that make up your abdomen and lower back. This particular group of muscles works together to help stabilize your body and help in the transferring of power from the legs to your upper body, and from your upper body back down to your legs. Advanced core strength exercises specifically target these groups of muscles and work to increase their strength, power, and efficiency.

One great advanced core strength exercise that will help you build some serious muscle is the deadlift. Doing deadlifts will help increase the strength in your lower back and will help you prevent injuries to that specific muscle group. These advanced core strength techniques will allow you to get maximum results, but should be done carefully. If these techniques aren’t done properly you can end up getting injured or cause any number of different problems and aggravations.

Another great advanced core strength technique is the lunge. Most people tend to think of the lunge as strictly a leg exercise, but this misses the fact that the lunge is a movement that when done perfectly, requires a lot of co-ordination and use from the trunk and core muscles area. There are a number of different variations of the lunge that can be performed which will really work your core.

A great way to develop solid core strength is to do bicycle crunches. This advanced core strength technique is great for working out and strengthening the rectus abdominus and the internal and external obliques. These exercises are great because they are very effective and easy to do. By implementing these into your abdominal workout you’re sure to gain a strong midsection.

If you’re planning a long lasting career in professional baseball, then placing emphasis on gaining core strength should be one of your top priorities. By putting together an advanced core strength training program you’ll become a more effective player and also prolong your career by avoiding injuries.

Baseball cards are one of the most enduring hobbies that can be found in the US. The many different teams and players all add to this rich history of baseball card collecting. While there are many companies that produce baseball cards the Topps baseball cards are considered to be among the finest. The cards that have been produced by this company have set the standard that many of us see as being the best way to get to know more about our favorite players.

The Topps baseball cards were first introduced to the public during 1951. At this time the baseball cards that were produced by this company were made in a red and black game oriented style. The size of the cards was also a standard which was to be followed thereafter. The current size of the modern Topps baseball cards is 2 ½ x 3 ½ card size. For the avid collectors there is a wealth of information that can be found on the reverse of these cards.

This is one of the traditions that the Topps baseball cards have never lost. Today as with the past cards the size and information all add up to having a great way to collect and still enjoy the art of collecting these cards. While all of the cards that are produced and released to the public by the Topps company these have yet to reach the level of reverence that the card sets of 1952 achieved.

The Topps Baseball Cards of 1952 are filled with lots of rich color and history of baseball cards. To make sure that card collectors enjoy getting a rich variety of baseball cards another baseball card manufacturer was bought over by the Topps Company. Today when you buy baseball cards either from Topps or Bowman you will purchase top (sorry about the unintentional pun) baseball cards.

For the lover of baseball, baseball games and baseball cards Topps Baseball cards come in a variety of editions. You will find that the current releases include baseball series cards, team cards, autographed baseball cards, gift sets, baseball hobby sets, and many others. All of these Topps baseball cards are made from the highest quality material and they are jam packed with all of the information which is required by baseball fans.

In the world of hobbies there is none that is more exciting than collecting baseball cards. You will find that the Topps baseball cards stand high above the competition. For the lover of baseball cards these are the baseball cards to buy. Topps baseball cards from Topps are the best.

The Americans won the Olympic gold medal in the year 2000, but didn’t succeed to qualify for the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. This year the United States of America’s Olympic Baseball Team earned the right to participate in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by beating Panama 11 – 5 on Sunday night. Cuba also qualified for the Olympics after winning the game against Mexico 4 – 0. Both qualified teams will play against each other next Tuesday. The U.S. record stands at 5-1 in the tournament, while Cuba is 6-0. Tuesday marks the final game for both teams.

During the U.S. – Panama game, Bobby Hill had three hits with an RBI (Run Batted In) and scored twice for the USA’s team, which fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but scored 10 runs over the next four frames. Michael Bourn and Billy Butler had two runs each one for the U.S. and two RBIs. Michael Bourn tripled in two runs in the bottom of the second inning letting USA’s score ahead of its opponent’s and then knocked out Panama starter Elpidio Pinto by scoring three times in the third.

Greg Smith allowed one run, struck out five and walked two in 3 1/3 innings for the United States. Nic Ungs tossed the next 3 2/3 frames for the win.

Baseball is the first sport in which Americans have earned a spot in the 2008 Olympics. Baseball game’s inventors and the champions of the 2000 Sydney Olympics missed the 2004 Olympics as they didn’t get to qualify at the Americas Qualifier.

Choosing the right youth baseball bats size for a little league baseball player is quite a headache. It may seem so simple, but the real dilemma of finding the perfect bat really requires your meticulousness. To help you out in this chaos, this article will give you a brief overview on what to look for in youth baseball bats. The player’s height and weight matters in picking the right one. However, this is not always applicable since a little leaguer ages and grows fast. Their bodies and strength don’t always match their age. So, you need to put into consideration these factors when choosing the correct youth baseball bats.Some tips for choosing the right youth baseball batsHere are some tips that will help you in making the right decision on picking youth bats. First thing you need to keep in mind, which is the easiest, is to have the little league player swing several different bats. By doing so, you can instantly eliminate youth baseball bats that are not appropriate, like bats that are too long or too heavy for them to handle. Little league players are often drawn by the idea that bigger is better. They do not know that this is far from the truth. Once you have determined that the player is taking level swings, you can proceed to the next level of assessment and that is to gauge the child’s strength.Generally, it is recommended to use the lightest youth baseball bats as they allow for the best control and swing power. But the problem is that, this does not apply to every child. Most little league players prefer aluminum or composite youth baseball bats because of their lighter weight. However, because they are too light, players sometimes loose control swinging them, thus resulting to over swinging the bat. This means that the player exceeds through the zone and loses bat control. Once players fail to control the bat, they may begin to develop an uppercut swing meaning that they start to swing up at the ball. In this case, it is wise that you pick youth baseball bats with some length and that are slightly heavier.Youth Baseball Bats: Additional TipsAdditionally, if the swings mechanics are level but the player is constantly topping the ball, it is recommended to keep the same length bat and choose youth baseball bats that are an ounce or two lighter. Generally, little league bats length follows the ratio of 1:2.15. This means that for every 2.15 inches of the player’s height, there should be one inch of bat length. For example, a 5 foot player should approximately hold a bat that is 28″. With this in mind, choosing the appropriate bat can be easier.Aside from the player’s height, which is used to identify what youth baseball bats are accurate to use, the weight of the bat also really matters. Weight is an important aspect that you can easily determine. By simply allowing the player to swing, you can evaluate if the bat is best for use. Another thing that should be considered when choosing little league bats is the child’s rapid growth. At this stage of child development, the youngster’s body is growing quicker hence they can handle slightly shorter youth baseball bats while still getting maximum plate coverage.

Baseball in the United States dates back to the 1840s, but many other countries picked up and played the sport soon after. In Cuba, students who enrolled in the United States educational system returned home to the island nation with a bat and a ball. The popularity of the game in Cuba was so high as to be considered part of the identity during the war for independence during the late 1800s.

The Spaniards assumed that the baseball practice and teams were just a cover-up for the preparation to go to war. Throughout the Caribbean region, Cuban players spread their newfound knowledge which increased the popularity of the game. It was two Cuban brothers who carried the game to the Dominican Republic and Cubans in the country of Venezuela along with Venezuelan nationals who had matriculated in the U.S. brought the sport to Venezuela, beginning in 1895 and to the island of Puerto Rico in 1897.

In Mexico, it was also Cubans who had fled from the island during its struggles for independence that brought baseball to Mexico. The Cubans in Mexico were assisted by U.S. merchant marines and railroad workers. Various regions of Mexico were converted to the sport during the years from 1877 to 1899. In terms of popularity, the sport of baseball is number one in Cuba, Dominican Republic and Venezuela with a strong showing in Puerto Rico.

Mexico still places football as the dominant sport. In Central America, baseball is also very popular. In the United States, players from Latin America and Puerto Rico have become a growing force in major league baseball. There are professional leagues organized in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

As in the rest of the world, football (soccer) is unquestionably the most popular sport in Latin America. Yet, it is also true that in much of the Caribbean basin, baseball is the number one sport. In fact, where U.S. imperial power spread throughout the world, and in Latin America specifically, the influence of baseball was the strongest. During a military occupation, many countries were introduced to American baseball.

It has been said that if Fidel Castro had been a better baseball player, the history of the Cold War might have played out very differently. Castro is an avid fan and once played the game. The reverse is also true: Orlando Hernandez “El Duque” left Cuba in 2000 and played for the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Baseball season in Latin America stretches from October to January. The winners of the four national leagues meet in February to play the Caribbean Series. Mexican players participate in a summer minor league that has connections with the U.S. Minor League Baseball governing body. Mexico has been given Triple A status. There are also Dominican Republic and Venezuelan summer rookie leagues that are affiliated with Minor League Baseball.

Although professional baseball existed in Cuba from 1878 until 1961, it was abolished by the Cuban government at the professional level. The Cuban national team now dominates the world amateur competitions, winning gold medals at Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996.

About 30 percent of the major league players in baseball today are connected to Latin America in some fashion. Either they are from Latin America or are descendants of Latin Americans who grew up in the U.S. In the general population, only eleven percent of the people are from Latin America. Latino baseball players overwhelmingly are foreign born and claim Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic as a birthplace.

Unfortunately, some of the major teams have gained a reputation for an almost sweatshop approach to baseball academies in the Latin American region. Young boys with talent are signed and sent to these training regimens where life is harsh in the hopes of winning a contract with one of the major clubs. Many of these players travel to Latin America to play the winter league baseball games in the Latin American leagues.

The countries in the Caribbean basin that are baseball enthusiasts send national teams with championship titles to participate in the Caribbean World Series each year since 1949. For players of Latin American descent, the opportunity to play in Major League Baseball is high success and tremendous financial gain.

Beginning in 2006, the World Baseball Classic between the United States, Puerto Rico, Japan, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, was held. Nicaragua did not attend, but Cuba did send a team. The tournament was won by Japan, which was a tremendous surprise to many if not most of the observers.