History of Baseball in Nicaragua

Across Nicaragua you will see evidence of just how popular baseball is. From little kids in baseball gear to pitches in the most unlikely places, it’s obvious Nicaraguans are mad for baseball.

The story of the sport in Central America is an interesting one. Nicaragua might not be the first place you think of as a baseball nation, but it’s the national sport.

Baseball first arrived in the late 19^th century, when American businessman Albert Addlesberg brought the game to Bluefields. At the time, cricket was popular due to the influence of the British, but Addlesberg convinced the locals to take up baseball instead.

From here, the sport spread to other parts of the country, popularized by occupying U.S. solders in the early 20^th century. By 1939, there was a Nicaraguan national team competing in the World Baseball Classic. Fast-forward to 1990 and the first Nicaraguans were playing Major League Baseball in the United States.

Today there is a national baseball league in Nicaragua and various players plying their trade in the MLB. Kids grow up idolizing baseball players, but soccer is also increasingly popular. Could soccer replace baseball as the national sport?