The Latino demographic in the United Statescontinues to draw the attention of major businesses. Major League Baseball will let fans vote for their favorite players of Latino heritage, giving them a choice of 12 out of 60 players for a Latino all-star team. The players include current stars from the dominant Dominican Republic — Alex Rodriguez who plays for the New York Yankees, and Pedro Martínez who pitches for the New York Mets — and Hall of Fame players such as Panama-born Rod Carew, Mexican Lefty Gomez, and Juan Marichal from the Dominican Republic. The ballot also lists Minnie Minosa, a Cuban player who was the first man to play pro baseball in each of seven decades.

In another acknowledgement to the Latino baseball audience, the Baltimore Orioles hosted a Latino Night for charity. The Orioles have 11 Latino players on their roster — from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.

In some disturbing news about béisbol in the U.S., San Francisco Giant manager Felipe Alou (who is on the ballot for the MLB Latino Legends) refused to participate in a pre-game radio show on KNBR, the station that broadcasts his team’s games. Alou, a native of the Dominican Republic, was reacting to the commentary of radio announcer Larry Krueger who characterized the Giants as “brain-dead Caribbean hitters hacking at slop nightly.” Alou had faced racism while playing in the U.S. south 50 years ago and objected to what many felt were racist comments. While many fans were surely upset about San Francisco’s performance that night, the players’ birthplaces should never have entered the debate. Krueger’s comments demonstrate that America’s self-proclaimed “melting pot” of nationalities still needs a bit of Latino seasoning.