The Dominican Republic

Slammin' Sammy was the first Latino to 500 and 600 home runs. And the only player to hit 60 three times. But to many HOF voters, that is not enough for induction.

Albert Pujols reached 600 home runs this year, but the stat that makes him smile the brightest is 125, the number of events the Pujols Family Foundation runs annually.

Flawed and exciting, Guerrero missed the HOF by 15 votes last year. He hit for average and power, and was always worth the price of admission.

An Afro-Latino star from the Dominican Republic who played in Toronto, George Bell broke the mold. His epic season 30 years ago will never be forgotten.

Martínez put aside the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry to help Severino rebound from a disappointing 2016. By fine-tuning his changeup, Pedro made Sevy a star.

Felipe Aloú didn't get a chance to skipper a MLB team until he was almost 57, yet still became the first Latino manager of the year.

When Caín Díaz went to college, he kept his SoCal roots by following the Angels and his favorite player, Vladimir Guerrero.

Vladimir Guerrero was at his best in Anaheim, and this weekend the team will celebrate his contributions as he enters the Angels Hall of Fame.

Born in New York, 29-year-old flame-throwing Yankees reliever Dellin Betances has a strong understanding of his family's Dominican heritage.

How do you describe 2017 All-Star Game MVP Robinson Canó? Mangú power! 5 Cuts with the sweet-hitting Seattles Mariners second baseman, who already has 500 doubles in his career and is about to reach 300 home runs. Counting A-Rod and Moisés Aloú, 14 Domini

How big a deal is 3,000 hits? Very big. You need to be very good and very consistent over many seasons. Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds and Manny Ramírez — believe it or not — never made it there. 5 Cuts with Adrián Beltré, the first Dominican-born player and fift

Known for his perseverance and tenacity, Adrián Beltre overcame lean years and rejections to become the first Dominican-born player to 3,000 hits.