A Brief History of Latino Baseball

Editor’s Note: As The Latino Newsletter continues to find its daily cadence of stories and opinion pieces, I don’t want to ignore some of the topics that I love to edit and publish. One of those is baseball and its intersection with our community. When Santiago pitched me this story over the summer, we wanted to find the right time to publish. What better day than the start of the 2024 MLB playoffs. Yes, we will be back tomorrow with more political coverage (VP debate), but for today, let’s play ball! — Julio

On the final day of the 2024 regular season, the hero was Puerto Rican player Francisco Miguel Lindor Serrano.

The New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks found themselves tied on September 30, battling for two postseason spots. The Mets and Braves had to face off twice on the same day to determine whether they would advance to the playoffs. The Mets needed just one win. So did the Braves.

The day began poorly for New York. By the sixth inning of the first game, they had yet to score and were down by three. In the eighth inning, the Mets rallied with six runs, only to immediately lose the lead, allowing four more runs. Then came Lindor’s moment, the biggest of the season for the Mets. Despite struggling with back issues, “Mr. Smile” hit a two-run homer, securing the Mets’ 8-7 victory and clinching their playoff spot.

Later that night, the Braves took the second spot, shutting out 2023 World Series finalist Diamondbacks from a 2024 postseason appearance.

Lindor has undoubtedly been the Mets' standout player this season and is a strong MVP contender. Of course, he’s not the only Latino player to shine this year. MLB is thriving because of Latinos. Juan Soto became a fan favorite in his first season with the New York Yankees. Closer Emmanuel Clase had one of baseball’s most dominant years for the Cleveland Guardians. Then there are players like José Ramírez (Guardians), Luis Arráez (San Diego Padres), and José Altuve (Houston Astros).

All these players, and many others, will be playing October baseball this year.

Latinos Saving Baseball

Today, Latino players make up one of the largest groups in professional baseball. On the opening day of the 2024 season, of the 949 players, 226 (nearly a quarter) were born in Latin America. However, the actual number of Latino players is likely higher, as league statistics only count Latino/Hispanic players if they are foreign-born.

The league is aware of the significant presence of both Latino players and fans. In 2023, Statista found that Latinos represent the largest demographic following the sport. Sixteen of the 30 Major League teams offer Spanish-language radio and television broadcasts. 

Additionally, Minor League teams created the Copa de la Diversión, a program where teams adopt new logos and names to celebrate their Latino fans' heritage. The cup is in its seventh year. In 2024, 98 teams participated.

Professional baseball traditionally uses the minor leagues to test changes aimed at improving the game and boosting viewership, says Allan Benavides, General Manager of the Eugene Emeralds, a second-division team in Oregon. When minor league officials approached Benavides to enter La Copa de la Diversión, they proposed other potential team names: Los Aserraderos (The Lumberjacks) and the Eugene Explorers, inspired by Oregon's timber industry and Lewis and Clark.

However, Benavides, who was born in Los Angeles to Nicaraguan parents, felt that these names didn’t resonate with the city’s Spanish-speaking communities. He requested time from the league to consult with the community about the team’s new Copa de la Diversión name. After a meeting with activists, community leaders, students, and sports fans, the idea to name the team Los Monarcas de Eugene (The Eugene Monarchs) was born. The team’s logo features 33 white dots, symbolizing each country in the Americas.

Despite these efforts, economic challenges still threaten the future of minor league teams, with some potentially facing the loss of their stadiums within the decade.

La Copa de la Diversión might be what saves the future of many of these teams. If history is any indication, there is optimism.

A Rich History

Latino players have been part of the game for over a century. Most historians agree that the first Latino professional baseball player in the U.S. was Cuban-born Esteban Bellán. Born in Havana in 1849, Bellán learned to play baseball while studying at Fordham University. He went on to play professionally for the Troy Haymakers in the 1871 and 1872 seasons, and for the New York Mutuals in 1873. After his U.S. career ended, he returned to Cuba, where he helped establish the professional league in 1877. Today, he is remembered as one of the founding fathers of Cuban baseball.

Although segregation was not officially part of professional baseball until 1890, racial prejudices among white players, like the notorious Cap Anson, were already widespread.

“A Latino player had to ask himself: Do I want to be treated like a white player or a Black player?” says Alex Núñez, a doctoral student in history at the University of Arizona whose research examines baseball as a space for strengthening Mexican-American identities.

When segregation became official, Latino players adapted their identities to navigate racial prejudices and seek better economic opportunities.

“Some players Anglicized their names, emphasized their lighter skin tone, or altered their playing style,” Núñez adds.

For instance, Vincent Nava, the first Mexican American to play professionally in 1882 as a catcher for the Providence Grays, was presented as a Spaniard. He is considered the first to experiment with "whiteness" to avoid the rigid Black/white racial divide. Similarly, Mexican center fielder Baldomero “Melo” Almada, who played from 1933 to 1939, changed his nickname from “Melo” to “Mel” and fabricated a backstory. In 1939, Shirley Povich reported in The Washington Post that Almada claimed to be a descendant of conquistador Don Antonio Vásquez de Almada, who had been knighted by England’s Henry VI.

Even Ted Williams, born in San Diego to a Mexican mother, wrote in his autobiography, “If I had had my mother's name, there's no doubt I would have faced problems in those days, given the prejudices in Southern California.”

Baseball as Mexican-American Identity

Núñez argues that the history of baseball and Latin American communities in the U.S. extends far beyond Major League Baseball. Between the 1920s and 1940s, baseball became symbolically and socially important for Mexican-Americans. In states like Arizona, California, and Colorado, industries such as railroads and agriculture promoted sports to boost worker morale. An example is the Greeley Grays of the Great Western Sugar Company, whose players were primarily workers from the Spanish Colony in Greeley. The team was so successful that it eventually became semi-professional.

Núñez has explored how these spaces enabled Latino workers to reaffirm their cultural identities while adapting to American society. For example, when the Greeley Grays defeated white teams, they not only won on the field but also challenged the notion of racial inferiority, all while adapting to American culture. This allowed players and their families to blend the best aspects of both cultures, according to Núñez.

In 1947, professional baseball was integrated, and many Afro-Latino players who had been stars in the Negro Leagues found success in the majors, including legends like Roberto Clemente and Minnie Miñoso.

Yet there were always obstacles. For example, there were the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose construction of Dodger Stadium in 1959 displaced thousands of Mexican and Latin American families. For decades, the local Latino community boycotted the team.

This changed in 1980 with the arrival of Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela. He quickly became a star, playing a key role in the Dodgers’ 1981 World Series win. According to Núñez, Valenzuela helped the community reclaim Dodger Stadium as a symbol of Latino pride.

“Today, the stadium is a Mexican space thanks to Fernando,” Núñez says.

This past week, it was reported that Valenzuela is being hospitalized for health issues.

Such news hits deeper for Dodgers fans and all baseball fans. Valenzuela’s contribution to baseball’s Latino history is forever.

From Esteban Bellán to Melo Almada, from the Greeley Grays to Los Monarcas de Eugene, and to Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, baseball was and always will be Latino.

About the Author

Santiago Flórez is a Colombian journalist, educator, and anthropologist based in New York City. 

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Mexico’s New President: NPR published a good summary of Claudia Sheinbaum, who will officially become Mexico’s new president on Tuesday.

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