| Baseball on the Border: A Tale of Two Laredos Subjects: Baseball -- Social aspects -- Texas -- Laredo -- Case studies; Baseball -- Social aspects -- Mexico -- Nuevo Laredo -- Case studies; Nationalism and sports -- Texas -- Laredo -- Case studies; Nationalism and sports -- Mexico -- Nuevo Laredo -- Case studie; From 1985 to 1994 there existed a significant but unheralded experiment in professional baseball. For ten seasons, the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (The Owls of the Two Laredos) were the only team in professional sports to represent two nations. Playing in the storied Mexican League (an AAA affiliate of major league baseball), the "Tecos" had home parks on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, in Laredo, Texas and in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. In true border fashion, Mexican and American national anthems were played before each game, and the Tecos were operated by interests in both cities. Baseball on the Border is the story of the rise and unexpected demise of this surprising team. Alan M. Klein is Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Northeastern University. He is the author of Sugarball: The American Game , The Dominican Dream , and Little Big Men: Bodybuilding Subculture and Gender Construction . |