Asian players have translators Latinos do not

[wat.da.buc.up]

I agree, the movie is fairly accurate, but at the same time many latin players take a year or two or sometimes even three years to get to a full season team when they come over here. During the time in FLA/AZ they do have time to figure out the ins and outs of american lifestyle. As we all know the GCL is loaded with latin players so during the time they can form relationships with players that they are going to move up with. Most teams also require the players to take english classes while they are in the GCL. Don't get me wrong it is not easy for them to come over here, but at the same time with the good amount of money (based on how much their money is worth back home) they are making this is something that they should be able to deal with because they are helping their family so much.

[gamecckfn]

Never thought about this before but Ozzie has a point.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AgzHNr_8Gt_s4fqmMj49dBoRvLYF?slug=ap-whitesox-guillenrant

Rob Manfred pretty much completely shot this down.  There is only a handful of Asian players in each organization, if that.  And nearly all of them go directly to the majors.  Latin players start at baseball academies, and then move through the minors. 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100802&content_id=12935782&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[WTM]

With the amount of Latin people in America, its much easier for them to come to American than the Asian players or even Americans going to Latin America. Especially when they first start in the GCL/AZL. There are some places in FLA that you can't go unless you speak spanish. Heck, at Verizon stores in FLA they have spanish speaking people that work there, take a drive down 9th street towards Mckecknie and you will see a car dealership that has a sign "se habla Espanol" also they have a Hispanic food sectional in almost all Walmarts around the country. You wouldn't find signs in the Dominican (the real DR not the resorts) saying "we speak english here" And in response to him saying Latin prospects are "too old at 16 or 17" to sign, that is in Latin years, so that really means 20 or 21 in American years.

Florida is pretty much the ideal destination for a Latin American minor leaguer for the reasons you give. But most of the US would be much more difficult. As someone else mentioned, the movie Sugar is a really interesting look (although I can't say if it's accurate) at the life.

Nobody gets me a translator when I go to Florida.

[markson33]

I think the answer is pretty simple.  Most Japanese players who come over have already been professional players and made a fair amount of money in Japan.  The Latin American players don't have that benefit.

[Babe Adams]

I think this is why the thing with Chris Aure didn't work out.