The National Pastime

Why haven't I noticed it before?

I was watching the Mets play the Braves (the Mets sure are exciting these days, and who doesn't love Willie) when it occurred to me. The sheer hypocrisy occurred to me of the so-called (illegal) immigration debate otherwise known in some circles as how do we round up 15 million people.  

Has anyone realized what I am about to say?  

Would any of these Minutemen like to propose that all of the foreign born players leave Major League Baseball?  I don't think they really would publicly admit it (some would), and I am going to break one of Hunter's rules, but I submit the Minutemen really aren't just against the fact that "they" have came here illegally.

I think that some of them probably would admit that in an ideal world they would prefer all non-white people go home  (or is it the non-English speaking people).  My point, however, is much larger than simply hatred for people unlike oneself.  

Keep reading.....

My point is that a lot of these players are NOT American citizens and yet they not only live here and work here but lot's of them (especially the good ones) are cheered and sometimes even adored-insert your choice of beloved baseball player from south of the border (Mariano, Pedro, etc.).

By the way, I understand these players might not be here illegally, but that is not the point. I don't buy for one moment that these people are this bent out of shape over the fact that they broke the law. Heck, if all of us were so concerned about law breaking, then we should start talking about Valerie Plame, the Downing Street Memos, the NSA spying scandal, the Convention Against Torture and, most recently the about to explode Porter Goss scandal!

The point is that these non-English speaking players have essentially taken over the game, and I think that most of us think that is okay.

What's fascinating is that the story of immigration in America is essentially the same story writ large of the Dominicanization of Major League Baseball.  

Fifty odd (okay, sixty) years ago, Major League Baseball was a white man's game.  Now, white's are the minority and players whose first language is English are in the minority.  I googled it but couldn't find an answer. Go figure.

Anyway, the Carribean and Latin American players are also commonly some of the best players (A-Rod, Pujols, Manny, Pedro, Ortiz, Beltran, and the list goes on and on). I know Japan won the World Baseball Classic, but they also have come to play here.  This is the story of our nation and, ironically, the story of baseball.