Baseball in Panamá

Baseball has always been the main traditional sport in Panamá.  Boys practice it from the time they are very little, with whatever they have on hand, and wherever they find a place.  Little and major leagues compete locally, nationally and internationally.

 

Lately, leagues in Panamá have gone more and more international, with exceptional scoring and winning important games, to the point that Panamá is now positioned as a leader in the region.

 

The most important player in Panamá has been Mariano Rivera, born and raised in a small town in Panamá, and is the perfect example of "if you want to do it, you can do it".  Very nice and family-oriented, Mariano is a real pride to our country.  For his exceptional sport qualifications he was chosen by the NY Yankees about 20 years ago, and yesterday the whole world shared with him his last game, retiring as a real hero in the baseball history and hall of fame, wearing his very well known #42 jersey.  Yesterday, September 22 was a very emotional day, as New York City rewarded him with a live TV homage, as he retired.

 

Several worldwide champions in various sports, like boxing, horse racing, high jump, and  swimming also come from Panamá;  some of them, gold medalists.