Baseball flourished to such an extent that by 1907, the Dominican Republic already had several professional clubs. During and after 1916, US military occupation of the Dominican Republic led to many games between the people of the two countries. Like many in Puerto Rico, baseball enthusiasts in the Dominican Republic took great pride in their adopted sport, often viewing their dominance in the sport as a show of symbolic resistance to American military presence on their land. Baseball thus became infused with a great deal of patriotic fervor. Baseball also flourished in Latin America outside of the Caribbean.
Reports suggest that baseball developed in Mexico at roughly the same time as in the United States.
It was popular game among the social elite, who were eager to mark their social status by emulating the pastimes of socially elite Americans. It is likely that Mexicans' familiarity with the British game of cricket also led to the emergence of baseball in Mexico. Significantly, there was also close contact between Mexican and American railroad workers, who probably shared the game with one another. Moreover, according to one legend, Abner Doubleday, a lieutenant in the American Army, is said to have promoted the game in south of the border while he served there during the war with Mexico. Throughout Latin America today, baseball continues to occupy a special place in the hearts and minds of many people.