Major League Baseball announced today that the New York Mets and Los Angeles dodgers have agreed to play a pair of Spring Training exhibition games at Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16, 2003. Mets pitcher John Franco and Dodgers Senior Vice President Tommy Lasorda were in Mexico City where the announcement was made at a press conference earlier today.
These exhibition games will mark the fourth time in the last five years in which Major League clubs have played games in Mexico. In 1996, the Mets and San Diego Padres played the first-ever regular season games outside the United States and Canada in Monterrey, and three years later the Padres and Colorado Rockies opened the regular season in Monterrey.
In 2000-2001 several Spring Training games were played in Culiacan, Hermosillo, and Mexico City, featuring such clubs as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks and Anaheim Angels.
“Major League Baseball is thrilled to be bringing Major League competition back to the passionate baseball fans in Mexico,” said Paul Archey, Senior Vice President, International Business Operations for Major League Baseball. “The growth of baseball throughout Latin America and across the globe has been tremendous and it is exciting to offer these fans the opportunity to see the game played at its highest level.”
Foreign -born players —particularly those from Latin America— have had a significant impact on MLB, as the number of foreign-born players on the 25-man Opening Day rosters has steadily increased during the last decade. Last season, more than 26 percent of the players on Opening Day rosters were born outside the 50 United States. Seventy-six players hailed from the Dominican Republic, with Puerto Rico and Venezuela tied for second with 39 apiece. There were 18 Mexican-born players.
Additionally, nearly 50 percent of the 5,781 Minor League players signed to professional baseball contracts as of this past Opening Day were also born outside the 50 United States. Those 2,865 Minor League players represented 31 countries across the globe including the Dominican Republic (1,536 players), Venezuela (738), Puerto Rico (123) and Mexico (91).
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