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.
It's no secret why thousands of people choose to move to Latin America each year to invest and retire. The pleasant weather, fresh food, welcoming locals and great property deals all are big draws. But buyer beware, here are a few of the common scams out there to watch out for when looking for your dream beach house.
1. The Bickering Sibling Scam: This scam is very prevalent all over Latin America. This is when the house is owned by various people (often left to children in a will) and some of the owners try to sell the property while other legal owners don't wish to sell. This can lead to big problems for you if you pay someone before getting this legally cleared up.
To avoid being burned by this scam, work with a good lawyer and make sure they null the legal rights anyone has to the property.
2. The Uncle Larry Scam: Often a house is sold without informing an active tenant, and the tenant simply refuses to leave. The police in many countries of Latin America don't help much in these cases. So before you buy, make sure there are no active tenants. Or if there are, make sure the current owner gets them out before you hand over the money. This can be one big headache for a new home buyer.
3. Shanty Town Scam: This has been happening ever since the Spaniards first arrived hundreds of years ago. You will see that in some areas of the coasts, the cheapest beachfront real estate is inhibited by make-shift shanty towns. Many of these people have been here for decades, yet they don't actually have the title to the land. This opens the door to someone coming along and buying the land without their knowledge and reselling it right out from under them. Uprooting these people is extremely difficult, and this difficulty should be avoided if possible.
4. The Invalid Contract Scam: This is when you sign a document or contract in Latin America, but don't officially register it with the corresponding Municipality, rendering it unenforceable! Using a good lawyer can help prevent things like this from happening.
5. Multiple Sale Scam: In most Latin countries, once you purchase a property you have to register it officially with the local Notary and the Office often designated the ?Registro de Propiedad.? If you don't, the seller could sell the same property multiple times, and the first one to register the property with the local authorities gets the official deed to property. To avoid, make sure as soon as you buy to register the property.
6. The Useless Property Scam: This is where someone sells you a property that has some governmentally imposed building restriction, rendering your purchase useless. A good lawyer can help you avoid this scam. In other cases your property may be on the base of a large, unstable mountain of sand that will collapse on you once you start construction. To avoid, always visit a lot before you buy it, and don't commit to anything over the internet.
7. False document scam: In Latin America, anything can be copied. Identical-looking passports can be made for around $150. Needless to say, some people may try to sell you a property with false title and registration documents. The way to prevent this is to always work with a trustworthy lawyer.
Don't let this list of scams scare you off. Moving to Latin America was the best choice many people, myself included, ever made.
Both Grant Eckert & Domenick Buonamici are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Grant Eckert has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Security, Depression Cure and Mortgage. About Author:Grant Eckert is a freelance writer who writes about sports and leisure activities, similar to what consumers read in