The national pastime has been a truly international game in recent years, with a wave of Latin Americans coming to the U.S. to play baseball — many scrambling to pick up English along the way. Now their American-born teammates and coaches are returning the favor by learning Spanish.
Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter made news last year with the announcement his club would require its minor league coaches and players to start learning Spanish. Not every team goes that far, but at least half the league’s 30 clubs now offer some level of Spanish lessons for English speakers, says MLB Vice President Paul Mifsud.