Eastern Stars

The other day I made a mid-afternoon walk over to our neighborhood Circle K and I bought sunflower seeds. Yes, it’s that time of year. Though the baseball season officially started last week in Japan, it’ll get into full swing today, and like baseball fans everywhere, I’m excited.

To get geared up for the new season I recently read The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macoris (Riverhead). It’s written by Mark Kurlansky, a New York Times bestselling author of a number of books mostly having to do with food in one way or another.

Those who follow baseball at all are probably aware that a lot of players in recent years have come from the Dominican Republic (somewhere in the neighborhood of 10% of MLB players are Dominican). What’s more, a surprisingly large number of them have come from the small and seemingly unlikely town of San Pedro de Macoris. Why is that?

The Eastern Stars is about those players, about that town, and about the historical, political and cultural context that gave rise to George Bell, Julio Franco, Sammy Sosa, Alfonso Soriano and Robinson Cano, to name a few of the big ones. They are among the successes; but for each player who makes it, there are many who do not, and the book explores their stories as well.

If you’re looking for a good baseball book to get you in the mood for Opening Day while also helping you understand life in the Dominican Republic, The Eastern Stars is a good one — and at $6.40 right now on Amazon, it’s even better.