Many have speculated how baseball first came to Puerto Rico, but most historians agree it came from Cuba in the early 20th century. Things started much like they did in the Dominican Republic with Cubans fleeing their homes during the Ten Years War and War of Independence.
Once introduced, baseball rapidly garnered widespread interest from Puerto Rican natives. A formal winter professional league was established in 1938, featuring six teams with two to be added soon after. The Caribbean World Series was created in 1949, and Puerto Rico found itself up against teams such as Cuba, Panama and Venezuela - all nations with a significantly longer exposure to the game; however, Panama went on to secure the Caribbean World Series championship in four of the tournament's first seven years of existence.
Over 200 Puerto Rican-born players made the leap to the Majors, which include Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Bernie Williams in addition to the aforementioned Cepeda and Clemente. A wealth of talent and enthusiasm for the game makes Puerto Rico an intimidating rival for any country. The Puerto Rican National Team has experienced success in international competitions, including the World Baseball Classic where they have finished fifth overall in the 2006 and 2009 tournaments and finished as runner-ups in 2013.
Puerto Rico looked to be the unstoppable force in the 2017 tournament, entering the Finals with a perfect 7-0 record. But Team USA ended their magical run with an 8-0 win in the title game.
Though Puerto Rico once again was shutout in the championship game -- 8-0 on Wednesday night against Team USA at Dodger Stadium following a 3-0 loss in the 2013 Classic finals to the Dominican Republic -- many see the nation's success in the past two tournaments as a path to restoring the passion for the game to a place that was once the hotbed of baseball talent outside of the United States.
You heard the emotion in the words as they said it. You saw their faces and knew they meant it. To the players in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, the tournament was an enormous hit, a stunning success story that is only getting better every four years.
Following a thrilling World Baseball Classic that culminated in the United States winning its first title thanks to Wednesday's 8-0 win over Puerto Rico, World Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI) announced the All-World Baseball Classic Team.
With a memorable World Baseball Classic now in the books, here is a look at some notable facts and figures from Wednesday's final and Team USA's triumphant run.
* Designated Pool Pitcher on the active roster that is eligible to participate in one or more consecutive rounds. After each round, these pitchers may be replaced on the Roster with another pitcher from that Federation’s Designated Pitcher Pool.