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• 1 2017-11-20T11:23:51-08:00 Introduction 8 The Big Idea plain 2018-01-22T17:00:38-08:00

   

  Similar to the country in which the games were played, baseball in the Major Leagues has a history of deep color segregation that reflected the social norms of the United States at the time. These customs were perpetuated by players, owners and front office members, league commissioners, and fans all the same, resulting in the formation of various different leagues including the Negro National League. These alternative teams allowed black and brown players-- predominantly African-American, but also many dark-skinned Latinos-- to showcase their talents that were not welcomed in the Majors. It was not until about halfway through the 20th century, post-World War II, that Jackie Robinson broke the color line that paved the way for future generations of players and shaped the league as it appears today. This divide not only served as a source of tension between the races, but it also demonstrates the duality and dichotomy of the Latinx ethnicity that at the time was influenced by heavy colorism, and that today continues to persist in the form of a cultural rift.

   
  
   

   

  Fast Forward to 2016, Latino athletes now represent a little under a third of the total number of players in the League and are very competitive on the international level when they play for their national teams. Players such as David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, and Alex Rodriguez are also often seen as representatives of their teams and of their countries; Allstars who can be depended on to hit much needed homeruns, foster camaraderie and good teamsmanship amongst their peers, and serve as the promotional faces of the franchise, all while earning enormous salaries. Still, these very players are often afflicted by a sense of ‘foreignness’ that stems from a differing culture in the League from where they come from. Ultimately, many times the result is a cultural incompatibility that leads to a struggle to overcome a feeling of marginalization within the league and its different standards. This struggle to adapt to new cultural standards and expectations often results in fines and suspensions, and in extreme examples even in cases of lashing out, witnessed most prominently in recently immigrated players and younger ones too.