Yan Gomes; first Brazilia player ever tonight?

[cutchemist42]

Born in Sao Paulo; moved to America when 12 but it sounds like he started playing while in Brazil. Is he the first?

[desslok]

Drafted 10th round in 2009 out of University of Tennessee. The place of birth doesn't seem that relevant in his case. There are such "only one" countries.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/

[cutchemist42]

Drafted 10th round in 2009 out of University of Tennessee. The place of birth doesn't seem that relevant in his case. There are such "only one" countries.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/

Not saying your wrong, but it sounds like he started playing baseball there and lived there for half of his life. Lots of Europeans come to play in Canadian's CHL at the most important development age in the teens yet still represent their Euro countries later. Could Yan be a player for Brazil later this fall?

[desslok]

Lots of Europeans come to play in Canadian's CHL at the most important development age in the teens yet still represent their Euro countries later.

What is the citizenship requirement in ice hockey like? How willing is the Canadian government to give citizenship to European players or are they to seek Canadian citizenship?

[cutchemist42]

What is the citizenship requirement in ice hockey like? How willing is the Canadian government to give citizenship to European players or are they to seek Canadian citizenship?

Have to play 2 years in another country before being allowed to represent that country and then obtain citizenship if its your first international event; that number changes to 4 years if you've already played internationally for another country. The IIHF requirement has to be one of the stricter ones in the world off the top of my head. Most European players would fulfill the 2-year by playing in the CHL during their teens and then going for Canadian citizenship if they wanted. Off the top of my head, I can only think of 1 Kazakhstan player who became Canadian but he still plays for Kazakhstan since he has no chance of making Team Canada.

They simply come to the CHL in their teens because its considered the best developmental league in the hockey world. Canada would probably be pretty reasonable in giving a citizenship if they wanted 1 after that many years; most players spend 3-4 years in the CHL before being drafted at 18.


Anywho, I wonder if Brzail tries to recruit Yan since I doubt he makes the USA team.

[dominik]

according to wikipedia he came to the US at age 12. not sure if he played baseball before though.

[cutchemist42]

according to wikipedia he came to the US at age 12. not sure if he played baseball before though.

That same wikipedia article makes it sound like a Cuban introduced it to him in San Paulo though, atleast to me.

Now when it comes to the WBC, I'm sure he'd fit in there with no language barrier so I could see Brazil contacting him to play.

[cutchemist42]

And another article from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp saying he started playing in Brazil. Now I'm not saying the Brazil Baseball Federation (don't know their offcial name) can take credit for his development, but it sounds like his first baseball roots were established in Brazil and it sounds like he's proud to be Brazilian.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/story/2012/05/18/sp-mlb-yan-gomes-toronto-blue-jays-las-vegas-.html

"Gomes overcame long odds to reach the majors after spending his early childhood in soccer-mad South America.

"Growing up in Brazil you would never think of [playing in the majors]," he said. "Coming out here and having it, it seems like it happened so fast, so I definitely have to take it in. I'm really proud of it. It's an honour to represent my country."

Gomes fell in love with baseball following a chance encounter his father had on a trip to the grocery store, bumping into a Cuban baseball coach who was putting together a team and looking for youngsters to play. Yan's father was persuaded to bring his son to a tryout.

"Growing up in Brazil, the Yankees are one of the only teams you know about, so this is kind of a crazy dream," he said. "Can't wake up right now"

[desslok]

An opportunity to play baseball that young in Brazil and Cuban coaches point to the Yakult Baseball Academy.

http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/CT_Yakult

Just in case, Yakult is a Japanese company and is the owner of a professional baseball team in the Central League of the NPB.

[titorondon]

First, thank you Tom Timmermann for your fine research on Brazilian baseball.
Brazilian Federation documents show 1917 as the date for the first game; 1908 is better as the Japanese immigrants probaly played as soon as they got to Brazil. At any rate, there is no doubt the Japanese were the motor behind Brazilian baseball.
I understand that Asians adopt local names as a courtesy to locals and to avoid foreigners from mangling their names. Which does not mean that Daniel Matsumoto did not officially adopt Shuichi when he acquired Japanese citizenship.
Now, for the other guy.
His real last name is Miranda, not Fernandes, which is his second last name (or mother's last or maiden name).
So he has no middle name, he is named Rafael Miranda (Fernandez).
He was born in the municipio (equivalent to county) of Tatui, in the State of Sao Paulo.
Here is some added info.


***


For the future census-takers: yes, first Brazilian-born.
For future baseball historians: Yan Gomes (notice the Portuguese last name) was born in Brazil of Brazilian parents; he learned to play baseball in Brazil, and he represented Brazil in international baseball competition.
So he is not only the first Brazilian-born MLB player, he is the first Brazilian. Even if his actual or next passport is from the United States.
Brazil debuted in elite adult international competition in the XX Baseball World Cup held in Nicaragua in 1972; all the players were Nisei, though Brazilians of other ancestries had been playing since 1917. In 1947 the Brazilian Baseball Federation was formed, it included both teams with players of Japanese origin, European (almost all Portuguese), and mixed (though most and the best were Nisei); and in 1951 they held their first international matches, against visiting Columbia University. In 1993, the first signing, Jose Pett. In 2006 Anderson Gomes played in the Futures Game. Veteran Jo Matumoto reached AA in 2007 and AAA in 2008. Also in 2002, Brazilian Daniel Matsumoto, known there as Yuichi Matsumoto, played in Japan with Yakult.
By sheer chance, I was with the president of the Argentinian Baseball Federation on Sunday, who knows and has talked with Gomes a few times. He saw him play for Brazil when he was Little League age. He told me Yan is dying to play for Brazil in the coming Qualifier for the Baseball Classic, but the powers-that-be still have not decided if players in the 40-man rosters will be allowed.
Brazil has to fight Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama in Panama in October to advance to the 2013 event.

Tito Rondon

[cutchemist42]

First, thank you Tom Timmermann for your fine research on Brazilian baseball.
Brazilian Federation documents show 1917 as the date for the first game; 1908 is better as the Japanese immigrants probaly played as soon as they got to Brazil. At any rate, there is no doubt the Japanese were the motor behind Brazilian baseball.
I understand that Asians adopt local names as a courtesy to locals and to avoid foreigners from mangling their names. Which does not mean that Daniel Matsumoto did not officially adopt Shuichi when he acquired Japanese citizenship.
Now, for the other guy.
His real last name is Miranda, not Fernandes, which is his second last name (or mother's last or maiden name).
So he has no middle name, he is named Rafael Miranda (Fernandez).
He was born in the municipio (equivalent to county) of Tatui, in the State of Sao Paulo.
Here is some added info.


***


For the future census-takers: yes, first Brazilian-born.
For future baseball historians: Yan Gomes (notice the Portuguese last name) was born in Brazil of Brazilian parents; he learned to play baseball in Brazil, and he represented Brazil in international baseball competition.
So he is not only the first Brazilian-born MLB player, he is the first Brazilian. Even if his actual or next passport is from the United States.
Brazil debuted in elite adult international competition in the XX Baseball World Cup held in Nicaragua in 1972; all the players were Nisei, though Brazilians of other ancestries had been playing since 1917. In 1947 the Brazilian Baseball Federation was formed, it included both teams with players of Japanese origin, European (almost all Portuguese), and mixed (though most and the best were Nisei); and in 1951 they held their first international matches, against visiting Columbia University. In 1993, the first signing, Jose Pett. In 2006 Anderson Gomes played in the Futures Game. Veteran Jo Matumoto reached AA in 2007 and AAA in 2008. Also in 2002, Brazilian Daniel Matsumoto, known there as Yuichi Matsumoto, played in Japan with Yakult.
By sheer chance, I was with the president of the Argentinian Baseball Federation on Sunday, who knows and has talked with Gomes a few times. He saw him play for Brazil when he was Little League age. He told me Yan is dying to play for Brazil in the coming Qualifier for the Baseball Classic, but the powers-that-be still have not decided if players in the 40-man rosters will be allowed.
Brazil has to fight Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama in Panama in October to advance to the 2013 event.

Tito Rondon

Yeah I really want clarificiation on what to expect from the quali rosters. I understand the German ones would not use 40-man roster players since its in-season. However, the other qualis will be out-of-season so who knows?

[Richard]

Andre Rienzo is having a tremendous season in the minors. He was promoted to Triple-A (White Sox), struck out ten and dominated last night. He will pitch in the AFL and who knows, maybe he will be the first Brizilian who signed out of Brazil to play in the majors.

[titorondon]

Andre Rienzo is having a tremendous season in the minors. He was promoted to Triple-A (White Sox), struck out ten and dominated last night. He will pitch in the AFL and who knows, maybe he will be the first Brizilian who signed out of Brazil to play in the majors.

Very good, I admire precise language.
And Brazil seems to be on a roll!

[cutchemist42]

Would the CWS use him as a 40-man callup?