An International Game: First Foreign Players From Each Country

Baseball has become more of an international game in the past years than it ever was as many of baseball’s biggest names come from outside the United States. Here is a list of the first big leaguers to represent their countries:

First Canadian – Bill Phillips (Debut: May 1^st, 1879 with the Cleveland Blues)

Bill Phillips, a native of Saint John’s, New Brunswick, became the first Canadian-born major league player on May 1^st of 1879, debuting at first base for the Blues. ‘Silver Bill’ recorded his best season in 1887, playing for the Brooklyn Grays of the American Association where he hit .324 with 101 RBI. He finished out his career the following year with the Kansas City Cowboys. He finished in his league’s top ten in doubles, RBI, and extra-base hits three times, and finished in the top ten four times in triples. His career stats include 1,130 hits in 1,038 games played, with 534 RBI and 562 runs.

First Cuban – Rafael Almeida and Armando Marsans (Debuts: July 4^th, 1911 with the Cincinnati Reds)

Almeida and Marsans debuted for the Reds in 1911 and became the first Cuban-born major leaguers. Almeida’s career only lasted three seasons, all with the Reds. He has a career line of .270-3-46 in only 324 plate appearances. Marsans lasted much longer, spending four seasons with Cincy before playing with the Federal League’s St. Louis Terriers, the St. Louis Browns and finishing up his career with the New York Yankees. Marsans had 612 hits in 2,273 at bats over his eight years in the big leagues. (Note: Major League Baseball does not recognize the National Association as a major league. If you do, then the first Cuban major leaguer was Esteban Bellan, who made his debut on May 9^th, 1871 with Troy.)

First Dominican – Ozzie Virgil (Debut: September 23^rd, 1956 with the New York Giants)

When you think of baseball players born in the Dominican Republic, you often think of the big sluggers the Dominican Republic produce nowadays. However, Virgil’s career line was not Manny Ramirez-type numbers. Virgil played on six major league teams over a nine-year career as a utility man, playing every position except pitcher and centerfield. Virgil also has the distinction of becoming the first black player to play with the Detroit Tigers, on June 6^th, 1958. His son, Ozzie Virgil Jr., caught in ten big league seasons, where he was also a National League all-star on two occasions.

First Japanese – Masanori Murakami (Debut: September 1^st, 1964 with the San Francisco Giants)

The left-handed, side-armed reliever was sent to the States by his Japanese team, the Nanaki Hawks as a ‘baseball exchange student’ in 1964. Murakami pitched so well in Triple-A Fresno that he was called up in September by the Giants. In the off-season, a problem escalated. The Hawks wanted Murakami back as they had only sent him to the Giants organization for one year; the Giants however, weren’t going to do such a thing. Murakami pitched so well for them, they were not going to let one of their best relievers walk. So a compromise was made; Murakami would play for the Giants for the 1965 season, and then be returned back to the Hawks for the remainder of his contract.

After the 1965 season, Murakami left the States and would not return to an American major league ball diamond until 1983, when the Giants hired him as the batting practice pitcher at home games. He pitched 89 innings in his two seasons, posting a 3.43 ERA, and striking out over a batter an inning. After leaving the Giants, he played 17 seasons of pro baseball in Japan. San Francisco is honoring him with a commemorative bobble head tonight on Japanese Heritage Night at AT&T Park.

First Mexican – Mel Almada (Debut: September 8^th, 1933 with the Boston Red Sox)

Almada, who was born in Sonora, was raised and educated in California. He started his baseball career in the Pacific Coast League, where he proved a competent leadoff hitter. The Red Sox, in need of a speedy outfielder, purchased his contract from the PCL in September 1933. He became an everyday player in 1935, batting .290 and stealing 20 bases. After 1937, Almada was no longer in Boston, making stops in Washington and St. Louis before finishing up his major league career in 1939 with Brooklyn as a pinch-hitter off the bench. He spent one season with the Sacramento Solons of the PCL in 1940 before retiring for good. He was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

First Puerto Rican – Hiram Bithorn (Debut: April 15^th, 1942 with the Chicago Cubs)

A pitcher, Bithorn had a very promising career started with the Cubs in his first two seasons, the latter in which he pitched just under 250 innings, with a record of 18-12 and an ERA of 2.80. But, Bithorn was conscripted into World War II for the United States, and upon returning in 1946, he was never the same, having developing a sore arm. He pitched one more season with Chicago and retired in 1947, while a member of the White Sox.

In 1951, Bithorn was fatally shot by a Mexican police officer in Mexico at the age of 35. The country honored him in 1962, where they named the biggest baseball stadium on the island after him. Hiram Bithorn Stadium has hosted the World Baseball Classic and also Montreal Expos home games, along with other important sporting events, such as championship boxing fights and the 1979 Pan American Games.

First Venezuelan – Alex Carrasquel (Debut: April 23^rd, 1939 with the Washington Senators)

Carrasquel was a successful pitcher, mostly in relief, for the Senators for seven straight seasons from 1939-1945. Millionaire Jorge Pasquel had started up the Mexican League in 1946 and began luring many major league players into his newly formed league. When the White Sox bought Carrasquel’s contract from Washington, he fled to the Mexican League. However, when the Mexican League flamed out, Commissioner Happy Chandler subsequently suspended Carrasquel and the other players who fled. Once his suspension was revoked, Carrasquel returned to the White Sox, where he pitched in three games in the 1949 season before retiring from baseball.