While Major League Baseball’s World Series is not a global championship, the teams playing do draw from a growing roster of countries around the planet. On opening day this spring, there were 829 players in the major leagues — 23.5% of them were born in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or Venezuela. But you can count Japanese players on one hand. Keiichi Yabu and Hideki Matsui warrant full-time interpreters because few Americans speak Japanese.

On the other hand, Spanish is widely spoken in the States. The New York Mets paid a handsome premium to lure Dominican Pedro Martinez from the “world”-champion Boston Red Sox, justifying his big salary in part by Pedro’s appeal to the New York metropolitan area’s million-plus Latino population.

Ethnic fans cheering on Pedro’s arm will help the team’s bottom line. Catering to the needs and expectations of local markets is always good business — and rebuilding a team around a great pitcher doesn’t hurt.