Latino Stars in Major League Baseball: From Bobby Abreu to Carlos Zambrano

by Jonathan Weeks

Overview

Some of the best players in Major League Baseball were born outside the United States, with Latino players representing one of the fastest growing ethnicities in the league. Current and former stars such as Albert Pujols, Rod Carew, and Miguel Cabrera all found incredible success in MLB. They have won major awards, guided their teams to the postseason, played in All-Star games, and an elite few have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Latino Stars in Major League Baseball: From Bobby Abreu to Carlos Zambrano celebrates the ever-increasing diversity of baseball in America. It includes more than 140 in-depth profiles of retired and active ballplayers representing countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. For many of these players, the road to “The Show” wasn’t easy—discrimination, poverty, language barriers, and government restrictions are major obstacles that Latino players have faced in the past and continue to face today. Author Jonathan Weeks covers these struggles and more in the profiles, showing the players’ strength, resiliency, and ultimately, their rise to the top of professional baseball.

Latino Stars in Major League Baseball is a definitive collection of the best and brightest Latino stars both past and present. Full of colorful anecdotes and inspiring stories, this book provides a rich understanding of Latino players’ impact on baseball in the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442281721
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/16/2017
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jonathan Weeks is vocational supervisor for North Star Industries with a degree in psychology. Author of Mudville Madness and Baseball's Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
List of Players
Introduction

Chapter 1: The Dominican Republic
Chapter 2: Puerto Rico
Chapter 3: Venezuela
Chapter 4: Cuba
Chapter 5: Panama
Chapter 6: Mexico
Chapter 7: Colombia
Chapter 8: Nicaragua
Chapter 9: Curacao
Chapter 10: Honduras
Chapter 11: Brazil

Bibliography
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Baseball writer Jonathan Weeks’s latest book describes prominent individuals from Major League Baseball’s most prolific source of foreign-born players—Latin America. In 11 chapters he briefly profiles the lives of a number of the best-known players from countries that have produced major leaguers, from the Dominican Republic (with 41 MLB players) to Puerto Rico (22), Venezuela (25), Cuba (25), Panama (9), Mexico (7), Colombia (4), Curacao (4), and Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil (1 each). Each chapter begins with an outline of the origins of baseball in that country (one-half to two pages), followed by player descriptions under the categories of “Major Stars of the Past” and “Notable Active Players.” Player information typically includes a little biographical background on birthplace and youth, minor and major league team affiliations, positions played and special playing characteristics, playing statistics and honors, injuries, and sometimes, personal characteristics, noteworthy events, and post-playing activities such as managing, coaching, and instruction. There are no photographs and, although more up-to-date, the information is much skimpier than what is found in Peter Bjarkman’s Baseball with a Latin Beat (CH, Jun'95, 32-5719), and does not cover racial and language-use issues.

Choice Reviews

It wasn’t until I came across Latino Stars in Major League Baseball that I realized how many truly elite Latin American ballplayers have graced the major league stage. These players, retired and active, are presented herein with detailed biographies that remind all fans of the distinctive international contributions made over the decades by Hispanic big leaguers to the national pastime.

Lou Hernández

Jonathan Weeks has provided a useful survey for those interested in familiarizing themselves with some of baseball’s more memorable Latino big leaguers.

Peter C. Bjarkman

Baseball writer Jonathan Weeks’s latest book describes prominent individuals from Major League Baseball’s most prolific source of foreign-born players—Latin America. In 11 chapters he briefly profiles the lives of a number of the best-known players from countries that have produced major leaguers, from the Dominican Republic (with 41 MLB players) to Puerto Rico (22), Venezuela (25), Cuba (25), Panama (9), Mexico (7), Colombia (4), Curacao (4), and Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil (1 each). Each chapter begins with an outline of the origins of baseball in that country (one-half to two pages), followed by player descriptions under the categories of “Major Stars of the Past” and “Notable Active Players.” Player information typically includes a little biographical background on birthplace and youth, minor and major league team affiliations, positions played and special playing characteristics, playing statistics and honors, injuries, and sometimes, personal characteristics, noteworthy events, and post-playing activities such as managing, coaching, and instruction. There are no photographs and, although more up-to-date, the information is much skimpier than what is found in Peter Bjarkman’s Baseball with a Latin Beat (CH, Jun'95, 32-5719), and does not cover racial and language-use issues.

Choice

Baseball writer Jonathan Weeks’s latest book describes prominent individuals from Major League Baseball’s most prolific source of foreign-born players—Latin America. In 11 chapters he briefly profiles the lives of a number of the best-known players from countries that have produced major leaguers, from the Dominican Republic (with 41 MLB players) to Puerto Rico (22), Venezuela (25), Cuba (25), Panama (9), Mexico (7), Colombia (4), Curacao (4), and Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil (1 each). Each chapter begins with an outline of the origins of baseball in that country (one-half to two pages), followed by player descriptions under the categories of “Major Stars of the Past” and “Notable Active Players.” Player information typically includes a little biographical background on birthplace and youth, minor and major league team affiliations, positions played and special playing characteristics, playing statistics and honors, injuries, and sometimes, personal characteristics, noteworthy events, and post-playing activities such as managing, coaching, and instruction. There are no photographs and, although more up-to-date, the information is much skimpier than what is found in Peter Bjarkman’s Baseball with a Latin Beat (CH, Jun'95, 32-5719), and does not cover racial and language-use issues.

CHOICE

It wasn’t until I came across Latino Stars in Major League Baseball that I realized how many truly elite Latin American ballplayers have graced the major league stage. These players, retired and active, are presented herein with detailed biographies that remind all fans of the distinctive international contributions made over the decades by Hispanic big leaguers to the national pastime.

Lou Hernández