MLB presence in Mexico goes beyond just hosting another regular-season series

By CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — When the Houston Astros take on the Colorado Rockies this weekend, it will be the seventh regular-season series played in Mexico. Major League Baseball’s presence in the country, however, goes far beyond that. Mexico became one of only six countries in the world with an MLB office in 2016. For Rodrigo Fernandez, the head of the organization south of the border, the regular-season series may be the biggest event, but it’s far from the only one held in the country. The MLB office runs a program called First Pitch to promote the game among kids and holds the MLB Cup, a nation-wide tournament for 11 and 12 year olds that recently just finished its fifth championship.