Major League Baseball seems poised to send at least one game to sunny Puerto Rico next year, sources say.
For the first time since 2010 MLB sets its sights on 2016 for a regular season game on the island.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins will play at least one game of a four-game series in San Juan at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
The Times says that the game will tie in to a celebration of baseball great Roberto Clemente, a native of Puerto Rico.
The paper’s Bill Shaikin reported, “Games in Puerto Rico would put an exclamation point on MLB’s efforts to revitalize baseball there, including the establishment of an academy, the creation of a summer league and the introduction of training programs and showcase events.”
The World Baseball Classic played games there in 2006 and 2009, and Puerto Rico has always been a great source of star players, such as Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda, Robbie Almomar, and, of course, Roberto Clemente.
Teams that have played regular season games on the island include the Texas Rangers (2001), the Montreal Expos (2003 and 2004), and most recently, the Marlins and New York Mets played a three-game, regular-season series in 2010 .
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.