BALTIMORE -- It could be an All-American story, if only it had
taken place within the continental borders of the United States.
Catcher Guillermo Quiroz started playing baseball when he was 3
years old, progressed through the Little League ranks and
eventually made it to the Major Leagues, but he did it as part
of a progressive wave of talent from Venezuela.  Quiroz is one
of three Venezuelans on Baltimore's current roster -- along with
fellow catcher Ramon Hernandez and third baseman Melvin Mora --
and one of five who have played for the Orioles this season.
There were 52 Venezuelans on Opening Day rosters this season,
which falls second only to the Dominican Republic in terms of
foreign countries.  But if the current trends continue and if
the domestic situation in Venezuela improves, those numbers
could flip-flop over the next few decades. Quiroz, Mora and
Hernandez all insist that baseball is the biggest sport in their
homeland, and they say it will only get bigger as more and more
Venezuelans experience