Play béisbol! America's favorite pastime in Mexico

Nothing can replace fútbol — known here as soccer — as the most popular sport in Mexico, but baseball comes in a strong second. From Tijuana to Tampico, in the large cities and the smallest villages, you find ballparks. Some are impressive stadiums with manicured grass, many more are just dirt fields where corn used to grow. I have driven thousands of miles along the back roads of Mexico, and I am always amazed and heartened to see, even in otherwise impoverished towns and villages, a group of adults or kids throwing the ball — playing a pick-up game. It reminds me of life in small-town America not so long ago.

No one really knows when the game of baseball was first played in Mexico. A popular theory has the first evidence of play dating back to the U.S.-Mexican War, when idle American soldiers played near the town of Xalapa, Veracruz, in 1847. Other towns make the same claim; that the soldiers first played around that time in their town, so, quién sabe? We do know that it wasn't until 1925 that the current version of the Mexican League was formed, with all six teams playing their games in Mexico City.

U.S. Players Head South

The Mexican League level of play soon became comparable to the north-of-the-border Major Leagues, helped by Mexico's more enlightened views on race. For the next 22 years, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, finally integrating baseball in America, many of the great African-American players chose to play in Mexico at one time or another, including Hall of Famers Willie Wells, Josh Gibson (perhaps the best catcher ever), Satchel Paige and Cool Papa Bell. They not only liked the money, they liked the lifestyle, the food, the fun — and the acceptance of their skin color.

In 1946, flamboyant Mexican businessman Jorge Pasquel attempted to rival the American Major Leagues by offering large salaries to some of the game's biggest stars, including Ted Williams and San Francisco's favorite son, the great Joe DiMaggio. And although those two declined to make the move, nearly 20 other white players, such as Mickey Owen and ex-New York Giants pitching star Sal Maglie, did. Alas, Pasquel's dream soon faded as revenues failed to match expenses, and interest in baseball in Mexico went into semi-hibernation for the next decade, as a faltering Mexican economy made it tough to sell game tickets. This fascinating story of sport, race and imperialism is wonderfully described in what many, including me, consider to be the best baseball book ever, "The Veracruz Blues" by Mark Winegardner.

The Kids Lead the Way

In 1957, baseball in Mexico was magically revived, thanks to a ragtag Little League team from Monterrey, Mexico. After beating every team along the way to the World Series in Willamsport, Penn., their star pitcher, Angel Macias, became a national hero when he threw a perfect game against La Mesa, Calif. — a feat accomplished only 18 times in the entire history of Major League baseball. This unlikely victory captured world-wide attention — and baseball interest was back in Mexico for good.

Today's Liga Mexicana de Béisbol comprises 16 teams, spanning the entire country. The league is now affiliated with U.S. Major League Baseball, and is one of three designated Triple-A minor leagues, one step below the major league level. The others are the Pacific Coast League and the International League. They play excellent ball, easily surpassing the best U.S. college teams. If you've never witnessed a minor league game, you are missing the true essence of the game, stripped from the hype, over-the-top marketing, insane salaries, and prima-donna players so prevalent today in the majors.