San Juan sojourn for baseball

Blue Jays shortstop Alex Gonzalez throws to second baseman Homer Bush

By Harry Peart

The American Major League baseball season has begun and, for the third time in a row, the opening match has taken place outside the Union's 50 states.

Puerto Rico hosted the game between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays in San Juan, with the Canadian side winning easily 8-1.

Hispanic players make up about a quarter of the Major Leagues so the sport's organisers have rewarded their influence on America's national pastime by taking the opening game to Puerto Rico.

Two years ago, the first match of the season was in Mexico, and last year it was in Asia's major convert to the game, Japan.

This is something marvellous, very positive for baseball in all of Latin America

  Orlando Cepeda

In the lead-up to the start of the season there have been games in Venezuela, Mexico and Puerto Rico as part of a "Month of the Americas" campaign.

For the visit of the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays, the 40-year-old Hiram Bithorn Stadium has been upgraded at a cost of $600,000.

It was named after the first Puerto Rican player to appear in the Major Leagues.

Mixed performance

Both the Rangers and the Blue Jays featured Puerto Ricans for the opening match and the fans - who bought all 20,000 tickets within hours of them going on sale - also saw the man who signed the richest contract in the sport.

President Bush steps up to the pitcher's mound on Friday

In the off-season, Alex Rodriguez completed a 10-year deal with Rangers worth $252m.

But after making the first hit of the season and scoring the first run, the star shortstop made a throwing error on his first fielding chance and tripped to the turf twice.

On 6 April, George W Bush is expected to continue the tradition of presidential involvement in the game when he will throw the first ball to commemorate a new stadium for the Milwaukee Brewers.

In the Sunday's game, that honour went to Orlando Cepeda and the wife of Roberto Clemente, the two Major League Hall of Famers to have come from Puerto Rico.

Since 1910, Jimmy Carter is the only president not to have thrown a first ball in a major season.