Baseball is not popular in Colombia. Except on the Caribbean coast, soccer dominates. In Bogotá, the capital, many know very little about “béisbol.” And the city has only two public baseball fields.
But swing by Hermes Barros Cabas baseball stadium on any weekend, and it doesn’t feel that way. On a recent Sunday, five groups of children dressed in their team uniforms filled every corner of the main field.
Coaches threw batting practice, while children snagged ground balls or pop flies. Parents shouted words of encouragement or instruction. The smell of coffee and fried snacks wafted behind the bleachers.
Most of the people there, though, weren’t Colombian.
The vast majority of the 500 players in the Bogotá baseball league are from neighboring Venezuela, where baseball is the most popular sport. As Venezuelans often say, it’s in their blood.
Continue reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/24/sports/baseball/baseball-colombia-bogota-venezuela.html?searchResultPosition=7
