ANOTHER FIRST

Gift Ngoepe is the first player in major league history from Africa. Here’s a look at the first player from every country other than the United States represented in the majors since 1900: Afghanistan: Jeff Bronkey (1993-95) American Samoa: Tony Solaita (1968-79) Aruba: Gene Kingsale (1996-2003) Australia: Joe Quinn (1884-1901) Austria: Joe Koukalik (1904) Bahamas: Andre Rodgers (1957-67) Belgium: Brian Lesher (1996-2002) Belize: Chito Martinez (1991-93) Brazil: Yan Gomes (2012-17) Canada: Fred Lake (1891-1910) China: Harry Kingman (1914) Colombia: Lou Castro (1902) Cuba: Chick Pedroes (1902) Curacao: Hensley Meulens (1989-96) Czech Republic: Frank Rooney (1914) Denmark: Olaf Henriksen (1911) Dominican Republic: Ozzie Virgil (1956-69) Finland: John Michaelson (1921) France: Claude Gouzzie (1903) Germany: Pep Benninger (1902-09) Greece: Al Campanis (1943) Guam: John Hattig (2006) Honduras: Gerald Young (1987-94) Hong Kong: Austin Brice (2016-17) Indonesia: Tom Mastny (2006-08) Ireland: Mike O’Neil (1901-07) Italy: Lou Polli (1932-44) Jamaica: Chili Davis (1981-99) Japan: Masanori Murakami (1964-65) Latvia: Joe Zapustas (1933) Lithuania: Dovydas Neverauskas (2017) Mexico: Mel Almada (1933-39) Netherlands: Jack Lelivelt (1909-14) Nicaragua: Dennis Martinez (1976-98) Norway: Jimmy Wiggs (1903-06) Panama: Humberto Robinson (1955-60) Philippines: Bobby Chouinard (1996-2001) Poland: Henry Peploski (1929) Puerto Rico: Hiram Bithorn (1942-47) Russia: Jake Livingstone (1901) Saudi Arabia: Craig Stansberry (2007-09) Singapore: Robin Jennings (1996-2001) Slovakia: Jack Quinn (1909-33) South Korea: Chan Ho Park (1994-2010) Spain: Al Cabrera (1913) Sweden: Charlie Bold (1914) Switzerland: Otto Hess (1902-1915) Taiwan: Chin-Feng Chen (2002-05) U.S. Virgin Islands: Joe Christopher (1959-66) United Kingdom: Ted Lewis (1896-1901) Venezuela: Alex Carrasquel (1939-49) Vietnam: Danny Graves (1996-2006) Note: Ed Porray, who played for Buffalo of the Federal League in 1914, is the only person with this designation on his birth certificate: “Born at sea, on ship on the Atlantic Ocean.” As such, he is the only major leaguer to not have a country as his place of birth. Source: baseball-reference.com