List of countries with their first Major League Baseball player
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Masanori_Murakami_with_the_San_Francisco_Giants.jpg/180px-Masanori_Murakami_with_the_San_Francisco_Giants.jpg)
The following is a list of countries with their first Major League Baseball player. Listed are each country that at least one current or former major league player was born in, along with the name of the first person born in that country to play in a major league game, and the year and sports league of that player's major league debut.
Background
The globalization of baseball has been occurring since its inception. After an influx of players from western Europe in early years, the major leagues came to see fewer European players and more players from Latin America. Players born in over 50 countries and on every continent except Antarctica have now appeared in major league games. Considerations:
- The list is based on players' birthplaces and each location's current country, per detailed records at Baseball-Reference.com.[a]
- For example, a player born in Berlin would be included with other players born in present-day Germany, even if when the player was born it might have been part of East Germany or West Germany.[b]
- The countries listed are generally consistent with those that compete in the Olympic Games. For example, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands appear in the list.
- The players listed are not necessarily the first citizen of a country to play in a major league game, as nationality is determined under a country's nationality law and may differ.
- The list does not reflect where players grew up and learned to play baseball.
- Some players on the list, despite their birth location, are or were Americans or Canadians who returned to their parents' home country as children and were raised there. One example is Harry Kingman, who was born in China but grew up in California.
- Many European-born players on the list moved to North America as children. For example, the first person born in Italy to play in the major leagues, Lou Polli in 1932, moved with his family to Vermont at seven months of age.[c]
List
Listed players appeared in at least one game of a professional baseball major league (commonly referred to as Major League Baseball, although that entity did not exist before 1903), which encompasses:
- American Association (1882–1891)
- American League (1901–present)
- Federal League (1913–1915)
- National Association (1871–1875)
- National League (1876–present)
- Players' League (1890)
- Union Association (1884)
- Negro National League (I) (1920–1931)
- Eastern Colored League (1923–1928)
- American Negro League (1929)
- East–West League (1932)
- Negro Southern League (1932)
- Negro National League (II) (1933–1948)
- Negro American League (1937–1948)
The seven major Negro leagues from 1920 to 1948 were officially recognized as "major leagues" in December 2020.[1] Note that the status of the National Association as a major league is in dispute.[2] National Association players are included in the major league records of sites such as Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet, thus are also included here.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6e/European_countries_with_MLB_players_%28through_2019%29.png/220px-European_countries_with_MLB_players_%28through_2019%29.png)
Country | Player | Debut | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | League | |||
Afghanistan | Jeff Bronkey‡ | 1993 | American League | [3] |
American Samoa | Tony Solaita | 1968 | American League | [4] |
Aruba | Gene Kingsale | 1996 | American League | [5] |
at sea | Ed Porray‡ | 1914 | Federal League | [6] |
Australia | Joe Quinn‡[d] | 1884 | Union Association | [7] |
Austria | Joe Hovlik‡ | 1909 | American League | [8] |
Bahamas | Ormond Sampson | 1932 | Negro Southern League | [9] |
Belgium | Brian Lesher‡ | 1996 | American League | [10] |
Belize | Chito Martinez | 1991 | American League | [11] |
Brazil | Yan Gomes | 2012 | American League | [12] |
Canada | Bob Addy | 1871 | National Association | [13] |
China | Harry Kingman‡ | 1914 | American League | [14] |
Colombia | Lou Castro‡[e] | 1902 | American League | [15] |
Cuba | Steve Bellán | 1871 | National Association | [16] |
Curaçao | Hensley Meulens | 1989 | American League | [17] |
Czech Republic | John Stedronsky‡[f] | 1879 | National League | [18] |
Denmark | Olaf Henriksen‡ | 1911 | American League | [19] |
Dominican Republic | Pedro San | 1926 | Eastern Colored League | [20] |
Finland | John Michaelson‡ | 1921 | American League | [21] |
France | Larry Ressler‡ | 1875 | National Association | [22] |
Germany | George Heubel‡[g][h] | 1871 | National Association | [24] |
Greece | Al Campanis‡ | 1943 | National League | [25] |
Guam | John Hattig | 2006 | American League | [26] |
Hawaii [i] | Johnnie Williams | 1914 | American League | [27] |
Honduras | Gerald Young‡[j] | 1987 | National League | [28] |
Hong Kong | Austin Brice‡ | 2016 | National League | [29] |
Indonesia | Tom Mastny‡ | 2006 | American League | [30] |
Ireland | Andy Leonard‡[k] | 1871 | National Association | [31] |
Italy | Lou Polli‡[c] | 1932 | American League | [32] |
Jamaica | Oscar Levis | 1923 | Eastern Colored League | [33] |
Japan | Masanori Murakami | 1964 | National League | [34] |
Latvia | Joe Zapustas‡ | 1933 | American League | [35] |
Lithuania | Dovydas Neverauskas | 2017 | National League | [36] |
Mexico | Mel Almada | 1933 | American League | [37] |
Netherlands | Rynie Wolters‡[l] | 1871 | National Association | [39] |
Nicaragua | Dennis Martínez | 1976 | American League | [40] |
Norway | John Anderson‡ | 1894 | National League | [41] |
Panama | Victor Greenidge | 1941 | Negro National League (II) | [42] |
Peru | Jesús Luzardo‡ | 2019 | American League | [43] |
Philippines | Claudio Manela | 1921 | Negro National League (I) | [44] |
Poland | Skel Roach‡ | 1899 | National League | [45] |
Portugal | Frank Thompson | 1875 | National Association | [46] |
Puerto Rico | Gacho Torres | 1926 | Eastern Colored League | [47] |
Russia | Jake Gettman‡ | 1897 | National League | [48] |
Saudi Arabia | Craig Stansberry‡ | 2007 | National League | [49] |
Singapore | Robin Jennings‡ | 1996 | National League | [50] |
Slovakia | Jack Quinn‡ | 1909 | American League | [51] |
South Africa | Gift Ngoepe | 2017 | National League | [52] |
South Korea | Chan Ho Park | 1994 | National League | [53] |
Spain | Al Cabrera[m] | 1913 | National League | [54] |
Sweden | Charlie Hallstrom‡ | 1885 | National League | [55] |
Switzerland | Otto Hess‡ | 1902 | American League | [56] |
Taiwan | Chin-Feng Chen | 2002 | National League | [57] |
United Kingdom | George Hall† | 1871 | National Association | [58] |
Harry Wright† | ||||
United States | multiple players[n] | 1871 | National Association | [59] |
U.S. Virgin Islands | Alphonso Gerard | 1945 | Negro National League (II) | [61] |
Venezuela | Alex Carrasquel | 1939 | American League | [62] |
Vietnam | Danny Graves‡ | 1996 | American League | [63] |
† Hall and Wright both made their debut on 5 May 1871.
‡ Immigrated to, raised in, and/or developed in the United States.
Notes
- ^ This approach is consistent with that of the Hockey Hall of Fame, generally followed for purposes of nationality classification in ice hockey, which classifies players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located.
- ^ A notable example is Al Campanis, the first Greek major league player; when he was born in 1916, his birthplace–the Greek island of Kos–was part of the Kingdom of Italy; Kos has been part of Greece since 1947.
- ^ a b The first player born and raised in Italy to appear in the major leagues was Alex Liddi in 2011.
- ^ The first player born and raised in Australia to appear in the major leagues was Craig Shipley in 1986.
- ^ The first player born and raised in Colombia to appear in the major leagues was Orlando Ramírez in 1974.
- ^ The territories of the modern-day Czech Republic were then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- ^ The first player born and raised in Germany to appear in the major leagues was Max Kepler in 2015. Additionally, Donald Lutz, who was born in the United States but raised and developed in Germany, debuted in 2013.[23]
- ^ Though Heubel was born in 1849, the modern state of Germany would not be created until 1871.
- ^ Though Hawaii is now part of the United States, it was an independent country until 1895. Before gaining statehood in 1959, it also fielded its own national baseball team.
- ^ The first player born and raised in Honduras to appear in the major leagues was Mauricio Dubón in 2019.
- ^ The territories of modern-day Ireland were then part of the United Kingdom.
- ^ The first player born and raised in the Netherlands to appear in the major leagues was Win Remmerswaal in 1979.[38]
- ^ Immigrated to Cuba. Also technically the first African-born major leaguer, since he was born in the Canary Islands, an African possession of Spain.
- ^ There were 18 players–all born in the United States–in the first game of the National Association, played on 4 May 1871.[59][60]
See also
References
- ^ Anderson, R.J. (16 December 2020). "MLB Elevates Negro Leagues to 'Major League' Status, Giving 'Overdue Recognition' to 3,400 Players". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ Thorn, John (4 May 2015). "Why Is the National Association Not a Major League … and Other Records Issues". mlblogs.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Afghanistan Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: American Samoa Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Aruba Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: At Sea Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Australia Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Austria Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Bahamas Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Belgium Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Belize Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Brazil Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Canada Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: China Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Colombia Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Cuba Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Curacao Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Czech Republic Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Denmark Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Dominican Republic Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Finland Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: France Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "How Twins OF prospect Max Kepler journeyed from Germany to majors". ABC News. 19 April 2016.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Germany Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Greece Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Guam Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Hawaii Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Honduras Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Hong Kong Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Indonesia Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Ireland Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Italy Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Jamaica Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Japan Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Latvia Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Lithuania Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Mexico Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Win Remmerswaal". SABR. Society for American Baseball Research.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Netherlands Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Nicaragua Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Norway Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Panama Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Peru Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Philippines Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Poland Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Portugal Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Puerto Rico Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Russian Federation Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Saudi Arabia Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Singapore Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Slovakia Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: South Africa Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: South Korea Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Spain Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Sweden Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Switzerland Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Taiwan Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: United Kingdom Baseball Stats and Info". Retrosheet. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ a b "First National Association Game". Retrosheet. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Ft. Wayne Kekiongas 2, Cleveland Forest Citys 0". Retrosheet. 4 May 1871. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: U. S. Virgin Islands Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Venezuela Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Viet Nam Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
External links
- Player Place of Birth and Death at Baseball-Reference.com
- The Directory of Birth, Death and Cemetery Locations at Retrosheet
- v
- t
- e
- Current players by nationality
- European players
- First player from each country