¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues Part 5: Baseball Today and Tomorrow

This five-part series takes audiences on a journey into the heart of American baseball to understand how generations of Latinas/os have helped make the game what it is today.

The present and future of baseball is Latino, both on Major League rosters and in broadcast booths. Latinos are well represented among the game’s stars with players like Francisco Lindor, Anthony Rendon, Javier Báez, and José Altuve leading the way.

Players like Pedro Martínez, Mariano Rivera, and Ivan Rodríguez are changing the composition of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

And more Latino voices are sharing the game, with Jessica Mendoza, David Ortiz, and Alex Rodríguez broadcasting in English and Jaime Jarrín, Amaury Pi-González, and Eduardo Ortega broadcasting in Spanish.

As Cuban professional baseball was shutting down after the Cuban Revolution in the late 1950s, Major League Baseball began ramping up scouting efforts in the Dominican Republic. Baseball had already been an important pastime and major sport in the Dominican Republic since its introduction in the 1880s.

Today, the country is still a key market for the Major Leagues. Over more than three decades, baseball academies for young Dominican players have sprung up all over the island, creating a system of exploitation as well as opportunity.

From the Alou brothers in the 1960s...

...to the Boston Red Sox’s Dominican trio of Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz...

...and Manny Ramírez...

...style...

...and personalities.

Pedro Martínez came a long way from his one-room home in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. A 97-mph fastball, paralyzing change-ups, and precision pitches made Martínez a force on the mound. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2007 Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez of the New York Yankees signed the largest contract in Major League Baseball history at the time: $275 million. The gold background represents Rodriguez’s status as one of the highest paid baseball players of all time.

David “Big Papi” Ortiz spent most of his 20-year career with the Boston Red Sox. He quickly became the “heart” of the team, helping them win the 2004 World Series after an 86-year drought.

Baseball games gather families, neighbors, and friends to foster support networks and community ties. Hometown team traditions have been particularly strong in areas with large Latino communities. The experiences of Major League Baseball star Anthony Rendon and broadcaster Jessica Mendoza resonate as stories of sacrifice and success.

Their families and communities supported them along their paths. Though different, Rendon and Mendoza demonstrate what it means to be hometown heroes.Players and journalists build connections between baseball in the barrios and the big leagues, and between Latino players and  and fans. These barrier-breakers embody the passion and history that connects Latinas/os and America’s game.

Anthony Rendon’s story is one to which many aspiring athletes can relate. Born to a Mexican American, mixed-race family of modest means in Houston, Texas, Rendon honed his talents over many years. He is one of many Latino hometown heroes who inspire the next generation.

The Washington Nationals drafted Anthony Rendon sixth overall in the first round of the 2011 Amateur Draft.

In August 2015 Mendoza, from Camarillo, California, became the first woman to serve as commentator for Major League Baseball on ESPN. Later that year she became the first woman in MLB history to call a post-season game. From Clemente to Alvarado to Mendoza, Latinas/os are part of critical changes to the sport and often endured discrimination as they served as icons for others.

Jessica Mendoza has called games for the College World Series and Major League Baseball.

Like legendary players Roberto Clemente, Luis Tiant Jr., and Fernando Valenzuela did in the past, contemporary Latino stars Nolan Arenado, Javier Báez, Francisco Lindor, and others excite and inspire fans. They thrill fans with their ability to hit a home run, strike out an opponent, or make a big defensive play.

The joy and charisma they emit while engaging with their teammates, the media, and the public makes them even bigger fan favorites. And it’s not just in-game performance that gains them admirers; charitable work in their communities also contributes to their legendary status.

Twelve-year-old Nicholas Mariani from Cleveland, Ohio, found inspiration in Puerto Rican shortstop Francisco Lindor, his favorite player on the Cleveland Indians. As a seventh grader, he drew a charcoal portrait of Lindor that impressed his art instructor, parents, and even “Mr. Smile” himself.

Fans express admiration for their favorite ballplayers and teams in many ways. They attend games, wear replica jerseys, and collect baseball cards and other memorabilia. They follow teams on television, listen on the radio, and emulate favorite players on little league and and amateur fields.

Fans celebrate in a multitude of ways. One way is using musical instruments that symbolize shared cultural heritage with their favorite players. Walk-up songs, maracas, and Spanish chants in the stands are the rhapsody of baseball and leave a mark on how we hear the game.

Custom uniforms reflect cultural pride and signal Latino presence and excellence in baseball, America’s pastime. 

Jerseys declare participation on a team, allowing players and fans to feel connected to something bigger than themselves.

From California to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania to Kentucky, and Texas to Illinois, minor league and independent league jerseys proclaim Latino heritage and love for the game.

The Aztecas name illustrates the significance of Indigenous heritage to Mexican identity.

Indigenous Puerto Rican pride is reflected in the Los Boricuas name and the team’s mascot...

...the native coquí frog whose calls are heard across the island.

¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues is made possible through close collaborations with communities in 14 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico to help bring visibility to Latina/o histories through baseball. 

In a series of collecting and preservation events over four years (2015–2018), communities shared stories, pictures, and artifacts. Generations of Latinas/os remembered why baseball was such an important part of their families’ lives and how it brought them all together then—and continues to bring people together in games, events, and exhibitions now.

From 2015 to 2018, Smithsonian curators co-hosted events, collected over 150 new artifacts and 10 oral histories, and collaborated with partners across the country to document and preserve baseball stories at the heart of Latino communities.

The following educational resources are thinking routines from Project Zero. All thinking routines can be used by any grade level with the appropriate scaffolding. The thinking routines and images can be combined as you see fit. 

As you go through this Learning Lab, make sure to click on the notebook and pin icons to view in English and Spanish as well as learn more from some highlighted information.