Where are the Puerto Ricans?

Preparing for the WBC 2017 tonight I began to look at the two teams who will take the field. I really hadn’t paid much attention to the backgrounds of many of the players until I noticed how many of the players from Puerto Rico are not from Puerto Rico. Shouldn’t you have to be from a country to play for that country?

Let’s look at what I am talking about. Tonight’s starting pitcher is Seht Lugo, who was born in Shreveport, LA. Likely first baseman, T.J Rivera is form Bronx, NY. Centerfield will be patrolled by Reymond Fuentes of Orlando, FL. Of the nine likely starting players one-third of them are not from Puerto Rico. By comparison all nine of the likely starters for the United States were born in the United States.

I understand that the Puerto Rican players are proud of where their family came from and am all for it, but if you were born in the U.S. what is wrong with playing for the U.S. I have a hard time believing there is not enough talent born in Puerto Rico to field and entire team.

In the end I guess no matter who wins the game tonight Americans will be winning.