List of Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico currently has the second-most active players in Major League Baseball (MLB) among Latin-American countries, behind only the Dominican Republic. More than two-hundred players from the archipelago have played in the league since by|1942. This includes players that were born in either one of the archipelago's islands and immigrants of Puerto Rican heritage that have represented Puerto Rico in international competition. Only those players that have worked in the league are listed, not those active in the minor leagues.

The first player from the Puerto Rico to play in MLB was Hiram Bithorn. After the baseball color line was abandoned following Jackie Robinson's debut in the league, more players from the island signed contracts. This led to an improvement in their performance, and some of them were selected to participate in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Including their names in the Major League Baseball Draft is a requisite for first-year players born in Puerto Rico, because the league recognizes the island as a jurisdiction within the United States. Following the implementation of this measure, Puerto Rico's government requested exclusion from the draft and help to develop players, in order to reduce the impact of the change in the format of talent development.

Historical performance and regulations

Baseball was introduced to Puerto Rico by immigrants during the nineteenth century. The first sanctioned baseball game in the island was played on January 9, by|1898 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, where two teams composed of Puerto Rican, American and Cuban players participated. [cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/beisbol/acciondeportiva/se_cumplen_110_anos_del_primer_juego_de_beisbol_en_puerto_rico/145222| title=Se cumplen 110 años del primer juego de béisbol en Puerto Rico| author=Associated Press| publisher="Primera Hora"| language=Spanish| date=2008-01-08| accessdate=2008-01-31] After this game, baseball became a widespread sport and professional and amateur leagues were organized. During this time period, the Puerto Rico national teams experienced success on international competition and Afro-Puerto Rican players began to participate in the Negro Leagues. [cite web| url=http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n17/BaseballHasBecome-en.html| title=Baseball has become Americas' game| author=Dick Kaegel| publisher="The Kansas City Star"| date=2003-03-30| accessdate=2008-01-31]

The first player born in Puerto Rico that played in MLB was Hiram Bithorn, who debuted as a pitcher with the Chicago Cubs on April 15, 1942. This was followed by the introduction of African American players in Major League Baseball, which allowed more chances to players born in the island. Subsequently Afro-Puerto Rican players such as Orlando Cepeda and Victor Pellot began having solid performances in the league, and were selected to participate in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. [cite web| url=http://www.latinosportslegends.com/cepeda.htm| title=Orlando Manuel Cepeda| publisher=Latino Legends in Sports| accessdate=2008-01-31] In by|1973, Roberto Clemente became the first player from Puerto Rico and first Latin American to be elected as a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. [cite web| url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=112391|title=The Hall of Famers: Roberto Clemente| publisher= National Baseball Hall of Fame| accessdate=2008-01-31] Since then Puerto Rico has kept a stable amount of players in the league. During this timeframe, several players have been selected to participate in the All-Star Game or won awards for their performance, while others imposed records within the league. These include Javy López, who holds the record for most home runs hit by a catcher in a single season. [cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1624670&type=story| title=Lopez's 42nd surpasses Hundley | publisher=ESPN| date=2003-09-27| accessdate=2008-06-01] Both Iván Rodríguez and Roberto Alomar hold the record for most Gold Glove Awards in their positions. [cite web| url=http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=275740| title=Nuevo récord| publisher=ESPN Deportes| language=Spanish| date=2004-11-02| accessdate=2008-06-01] [cite web| url=http://www.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/cws/y2004/m08/d05/c819872.jsp| title=White Sox acquire second baseman Roberto Alomar in exchange for cash and a player to be named later| publisher=Major League Baseball| date=2004-05-08| accessdate=2008-06-01] Receipients of the Most Valuable Player Award include Orlando Cepeda, Juan González and Iván Rodríguez. Roberto Clemente and Mike Lowell also won the World Series MVP Award in their respective divisions. [cite web| url=http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=613116&s=bei&type=story| title=Mérito incalculable| publisher=ESPN Deportes| language=Spanish| date=2007-10-29| accessdate=2008-06-01]

Originally, players that were either born or nationalized in Puerto Rico were able to sign with MLB teams as free agents, usually receiving minor league contracts prior to their debut in the league. In by|1989, Major League Baseball decided to include the island in the list of jurisdictions within the United States, which made mandatory that first year players include their name in the Major League Baseball Draft in order to receive a contract.cite web| url=http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=594764&s=bei&type=story| title=Petición formal de salida| publisher=ESPN Deportes| language=Spanish| date=2007-09-06| accessdate=2008-01-21] This was based on an initiative that was supposed to create a national and international drafting system. The change reduced the amount of players that were able to participate in the league, by limiting the number of them selected by the teams; this led to the island's Secretary of Recreation and Sports, to formally ask to Major League's involvement in developing specialized schools to produce more players and other measures to reduce the impact of the draft's implementation. The original proposal included Puerto Rico's exclusion of the draft for a period of ten years, but this was not approved by the league.

Puerto Rico was one of sixteen teams to participate in the inaugural edition of the World Baseball Classic. [cite web| url=http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/teams/index.jsp?sid=t897| title=World Baseball Classic Teams: Puerto Rico| publisher=Major League Baseball| accessdate=2008-01-30] The tournament was created by Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world, including the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League. The first event was organized in 2006, and was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation. The Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico served as one of the venues for the first and second rounds. [cite web| url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060310&content_id=1344725&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb| title=Dominicana sin derrotas a Puerto Rico| publisher=Major League Baseball| language=Spanish| date=2006-03-10| accessdate=2008-01-30] The stadium also hosted 22 Montreal Expos home games in by|2003, after the league decided to relocate the team to San Juan as part of an experiment to "globalize" baseball. [cite web| url=http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/klapisch_bob/1537587.html| title=Puerto Rico welcoming baseball with open arms| author=Bob Klapisch| publisher=ESPN| date=2003-04-13| accessdate=2008-01-31] During the series there was an average attendance of 14,222. [cite book| author = Montreal Expos| authorlink = Montreal Expos| title = Expos Media Guide 2004| year = 2004]

List of players

"This includes a total of 227 baseball players from Puerto Rico that have played in MLB from 1942 to the present day."

A–E

R–W

ee also

*Caribbean Series
*List of Hispanic players in Major League Baseball

References

External links

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