Born In The USA – 75%.

Actually, the percentage of MLB players born in the USA has been below 75% since 2000 when it was 77%.

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 Is baseball being outsourced?

trend … consistently above 92% from 1901 through 1959 to as low as 71% in 2006.

1923 through 1941 greater than 98%.

1934 was the high: 99.2%.

1960 was the first year below 90%: 88.7%.

1962 and 1963 back to 90% but never again.

1997 was the first year below 80%: 78.3%.

… a bit disconcerting that Americans are becoming more indifferent to what has traditionally been described as our national pastime.

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So where else have they come from?  In the early years: Canada was generally number two: 1902, 1903, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1915.

Cuba was number two: 1913, 1913, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921.

Those 98% and above seasons 1923-1941 make second place irrelevant.

Canada returned to number two in the seasons after World War II: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949.

But then Cuba dominated:

1950 10
1951 14

1952 20

1953 12
1954 19 (third, Puerto Rico second with 22)
1955 32
1956 24 (Puerto Rico third with 17)
1957 24 (Puerto Rico third with 18)
1958 28 (Puerto Rico third with 20)
1959 23 (Puerto Rico tied)
1960 39 (Puerto Rico third with 22); only 88.7% born in USA

In 1960 MLB discovered the Dominican Republic but despite Castro coming to power Cuba continued to flourish as a resource.  Behind USA born players 1961-1970 Cuba was number two, followed by Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico generally in that order.  Then in 1971 Puerto Rico became number two edging ahead of Cuba 51 to 47; Dominican Republic 42. In 1972 Cuba dropped to fourth and in 1974 Venezuela was fourth, Cuba fifth. Cuba would never again be the dominant non-USA country.

Puerto Rico was second to the USA 1972-1977, 1979-1982 with Dominican Republic second in 1978 and third the other seasons.  Mexico was fourth in 1976-1982.  Dominican Republic took over second place in 1983 and except for Puerto Rico returning to second in 1986 Dominican Republic has been second only to the USA in supplying players to MLB.  Venezuela displaced Puerto Rico as number three in 2004-2011 with Puerto Rico dropping from third to fourth.

In 2011 Japan was number 8 with 18 players.  Other Asian countries: Taiwan four, South Korea one.  In 2012 MLB got its first Brazilian born player: Yan Gomes, born in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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Among USA born players the dominant state has varied.  Pennsylvania dominated 1901-1929, first every year but one.  1901-1903 Ohio number 2.  In 1904 New York edged past Ohio into second place but 1905-1909 it was Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York.  Illinois tied New York in 1909 and moved past it in 1910.  Those states remained in that order through 1915, except for 1913 when California moved into fourth with New York fifth.  In 1916 Indiana displaced New York as #4.

Pennsylvania remained first as the other states mentioned jockeyed for position.  Texas moved up to fourth in 1921 behind Illinois and Ohio.  In 1923 Missouri moved among the leaders.  Finally in 1925 Pennsylvania (58 players) dropped from nunber one, second to Illinois (64).  Then came Texas and California.  However, Pennsylvania returned to first 1926-1929.  But its dominance was over. California became number one in 1930 followed by Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania.  California remained #1 through 1936 but dropped to third in 1937 behind Pennsylvania and Illinois.  California was #1 1938-1943.  In 1944 Pennsylvania returned to #1 one final time with California second.

California was now the dominant state with Pennsylvania and Illinois next but then a surprising resurgence by New York rising to number two in 1953.  In 1956 California had 101 MLB players, the first state with triple digits.  In 1962 Illinois had 101 players, second to California’s 112.  Pennsylvania was a solid #2 through most of the 1960s but dropped way down in 1969 as California leaped from 170 in 1968 to 250 in 1969; Ohio was second with 98.  The rout was on.  New York was #2 in 1971-1972.  1973: California 311, Ohio 104.

In 1975 Texas was #3, then #2 in 1976 with 114; California 384.  In 1977 California 429, Texas 108.  Other than 1981 when Texas dropped to fourth behind Ohio and Illinois and 1984 when Ohio edged past Texas, it was  California then Texas through 1986.  In 1987 California hit 500 for the first time followed by New York 117, Florida 103, Texas 99.  New York was second again in 1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000.  Florida #2: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2009.  Texas #2: 2001-2008, 2010, 2011.

In addition to 1987 California topped 500 two other seasons: 2000 (522), 2003 (503).