Hombre,
Actually Spain grabbed the word béisbol from our Latin American countries, where baseball grew just about as rapidly, and at just about the same time, as it did in the U.S. In fact, if you look at the Major Leagues in the U.S. and Canada, the people who make up the majority of the players are from these countries. The number grows each year, because they can play the game year round in their warmer climates, and develop their skills at a younger age than the average U.S. player. Also, for some, it's been a way out of poverty, and that can be a tremendous tool for them to find a better life.
Even the majority of the U.S. born players come from southern states, and California.
The newest influences in the game are coming out of Japan and Korea as well. They have some pretty darned talented players, and this year, probably the best player in the states was Ichiro, from Japan. If he wasn't the best, someone would have to prove it to me, since he did just about everything for the Mariners except sell hot dogs and soda in the stands, and probably would have done that if asked -
What's really unique about baseball (béisbol) in the U.S. is that about half the players "first language" is Spanish. It shows the need for Americans to get off their dead arses and require that Spanish be taught as a second language in our schools, not unlike how English is taught in Europe as a second language.
Alas -
It don't happen here. I guess there are too many "self-imposed illiterates" who think it's the wrong thing to do, and some even say it's a perversion of our "own ways," but in my case, I "forced" all three of my kids to take Spanish for four years in high school, because I felt it was important to their growth as a person, and world understanding. Now, two of the three are thankful for it. They use it just about every day in their work. It's made the difference for both, whereas they've been able to create six figure incomes when their co-workers who didn't bother to make Spanish part of their education and lives, are floundering away at about half of what they make.
See?
Dad isn't always wrong. Sometimes he's right!
Wolf (Whose kids are finding out more and more, every day why I pushed them in some things harder than others -
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