Baseball may be known as America's pastime, but its players have come from more than 45 countries.  On Opening Day last year, 28% of the players on major league team rosters were born outside the United States.  The Dominican Republic was represented by the most players - 88 - followed by Venezuela with 52 players. 

The Dominican Republic has sent close to 500 players to the show, beginning with Ozzie Virgil who played for the Washington Senators in 1932.  The San Francisco Giants added the first player from Japan, Masanori Murakami, to their roster in 1964.

Cuba had a professional baseball league beginning in 1878, and the teams had 10 players on the field.  Cuban teams fielded two shortstops, with one playing between first and second bases.  Between 1947 and 1961, the Cuban League partnered with Major League Baseball, and the league was used for player development until professionalism was outlawed by Castro.

 I'm rooting for the Calcetines Rojos.  What's your favorite equipo de béisbol?

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