Photo credit: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The last national census was taken in 2010 and the next one is scheduled for 2020. As of July 1, 2016, the HIspanic population in the United States was 57.5 million. This is the largest ethnic or racial majority in the country with around 18 percent. In the Bay Area in 2010, over 1.6 million Hispanic resided in nine counties for 23.5%, which is over six million people. Today’s estimates are between 1.8 and 2 million Hispanics who have made the Bay Area their home.

Baseball is no different. According to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 27.4 percent of all players in the Major Leagues were Hispanic as of 2016.

On Sunday, September 9, the Oakland Athletics will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Day. During this season at the Club Level entrance at the Oakland Coliseum, there is big mural from the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame–a non-profit organization founded in San Francisco in 1998–dedicated to the research, history and recognition of all Hispanic players. On that mural, fans can enjoy flags of Latin American countries and some of the history of the contributions made to baseball by Latinos. On that day, the A’s will be giving a Sugar Skull Bobblehead to the first 35,000 fans.

Currently, the A’s have one position player and three pitchers of Hispanic descent. The brilliant rookie outfielder Ramón Laureano, who is 23 years old, was born in the Dominican Republic, relievers Yusmeiro Petit from Venezuela, and Jeurys Familia and Fernando Rodney from the D.R. plus Emilio Pagán, who is of Puerto Rico descent, and Lou Trivino, who is of Ecuadorian descent. Santiago Casilla was also with the A’s this season from the D.R. and young infielder Franklin Barreto, who was born in Venezuela, future A’s second baseman.

The Latino presence is palpable with upbeat salsa music playing before a game in the clubhouse. The Texas Rangers, who played a three-game series in Oakland, had a regular starting lineup featuring Ronald Guzmán, Rougned Odor, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltré, Nomar Mazara, Carlo Tocci, Robinson Chirinos and in some cases, the ageless 45 year-old Bartolo Colón or the 22-year-old rookie Ariel Jurado from Panamá.

Some of the biggest Hispanic stars in the game are J.D Martínez, José Altuve, Manny Machado, Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez, Carlos Correa and more.

The World Baseball Classic showcases to the world the great passion for this game from their biggest protagonists: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba and México. Baseball is played more and more around the world. Latinos have some of the greatest history to go along from Cuban-born pitcher Adolfo Luqye, who in 1923 with the Cincinnati Reds finished with a 27-3 record and 1.93 ERA, pitching 322 innings to the great “Cometa de Carolina” with Roberto Clemente.

The influx of Hispanic players will continue to increase in years to come.

Listen to the A’s in Spanish on KIQI 1010 AM/990 AM, covering the Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton and The Valley. Also, on the SAP on your television as NBC Sports California.