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How was baseball introduced to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Mexico?
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History of baseball
Giants legend Barry Bonds hitting his record-setting 756th career home run, August 7, 2007.
Baseball spread throughout Latin America largely due to the influence of Cuba, where the sport had been established in 1864 by students returning from the United States. Following its adoption in Cuba, the game was disseminated across the Caribbean and neighboring regions through the following channels:12
- Dominican Republic: Two Cuban brothers introduced the sport to the country in the 1880s.12
- Venezuela: The game was introduced in 1895 by a combination of Cubans and local nationals who had completed their studies in the United States.12
- Puerto Rico: Similar to the process in Venezuela, the sport was introduced in 1897 by Cubans and local nationals who had studied in the United States.12
- Mexico: Between 1877 and the 1890s, baseball was introduced to various regions by Cuban refugees fleeing the independence struggle, as well as by railroad workers and U.S. merchant marines.12